Bear Silber co-owns Pizza Occasion, a one-store operation in Santa Clara, California. As soon as a Pizza Occasion buyer, Silber, age 26, is within the course of of shopping for the property from the couple that beforehand owned the pizzeria. At this level, they’re equal companions within the enterprise.
PT: What made you need to purchase a pizzeria?
BS: I’ve at all times wished to do one thing within the culinary subject. I’ve completed plenty of completely different jobs previously: I’ve tutored; I’ve been a P.E. coach, a plumber, a carpenter. I’ve completed advertising and Internet design. I used to be at a degree the place I wished to settle right into a profession. I’ve by no means been classically skilled and it was getting a bit of late for me to go to culinary college, so I seemed round at locations I may get entangled with with out having that coaching. I checked out ice cream parlors, delis, doughnut outlets and pizza parlors. I settled on pizza as a result of it has a household ambiance and you’ve got folks sitting round for some time and hanging out in your pizzeria. In an ice cream parlor, they keep possibly quarter-hour after which go away.
PT: Have you ever made any adjustments since shopping for in to Pizza Occasion final fall?
BS: I’ve made plenty of adjustments. I got here in right here and redid the Website online and brand. I wished to alter the identify, however it was already modified just a few years in the past and you’ll’t proceed to alter the identify on a regular basis. However Pizza Occasion does characterize what we do. I additionally redid the menu, each the gadgets and the graphics.
PT: What gadgets did you add or drop from the menu?
BS: I dropped little or no, if something. However we added wraps they usually’re doing very properly. We additionally added jalapeño poppers and root beer fl oats, and we’re going so as to add artisan pies quickly. We have now specialty pizzas, however I need to take a three-tiered strategy and provide the common sausage and pepperoni pizzas, the specialties like veggie or BBQ rooster, after which have the artisan pizzas. I’ve been taking child steps and nonetheless have a methods to go, however day-after-day I attempt to do some one thing completely different.
PT: Why didn’t the poor economic system deter you from getting concerned in pizzeria possession?
BS: I had no thought about that. I obtained to the purpose in my life the place I didn’t have a profession and I actually wished to make one for myself. It was the precise time for me personally. I didn’t need to wait two years till the economic system obtained higher. Have a look at McDonald’s. They’re doing nice proper now. Even on this economic system, somebody goes to do properly.
PT: You’re actually into advertising by way of the social networking websites, aren’t you?
BS: Sure. I’m doing rather a lot with Yelp and Twitter. The day after the Tremendous Bowl, I obtained on Twitter and supplied a free mini pizza to the primary one who got here into the pizzeria sporting a Steelers jersey. I’ve put up trivia questions and given the primary particular person to reply with the right reply a small pizza –– issues like that. It’s not fairly driving in folks but. I believe it’ll take a while to catch on. However, when you consider it, what number of thousands and thousands of persons are there on Fb? It’s sluggish to come back round, however you’ll see folks constructing on it increasingly. It’s enjoyable to get a dialogue began along with your prospects.
