Pizza Today - August 2022 - 12

MIKE'S MONTHLY TIP
MIKE BAUSCH
Pizza. Th e truth is you can't do what he
does. But you can take inspiration to do
what you do in that vein of hustle, acumen
and constant reinvention. Th at's how to
survive the upcoming recession and
current infl ation.
Acumen means you've tried out everything,
KNOW why your menu items work
and fi xed what doesn't. You've tried it
dozens (if not hundreds) of times, without
ego, to perfect it. All done with respect for
the palate of your audience.
Hustle means that you not only work
smarter but also harder, both simultaneously.
I've seen Tony work until 3 a.m.,
turn around and be back at it by 6:30 a.m.
making dough. All this well after you
could classify him as having " made it. "
Th at doesn't need to be a daily occurrence
for you, but it certainly should be within
your wheelhouse. You must be willing to
sacrifi ce if you want to thrive this year and
not die or wither as a business next year.
And then lastly, reinvention. For Tony,
it's new styles of pizza, books, schools and
everything in between to continue the
connection. Th e name reinvention sounds
To Be Like Tony
I
nfl ation is wreaking havoc, and
a recession is knocking on the
doorstep. To survive, we all need to
double down on the connection with the
customer. In 2009, Tony opened in the
heart of San Francisco with many people
saying " Little Italy in SF is dead, stick
to the suburbs. " Instead, Tony's Pizza
Napoletana destroyed all preconceived
notions of what a pizzeria could be.
Th e reason there's still a line today
is not because of only good pizza. He
would do well living off good pizza.
It obliterates sales because the store
is living, breathing and ever evolving.
Th e relentless R&D and " Respect for
the Craft " never stops with Tony. After
my fi rst visit to Tony's, shortly after it
opened, I told him: " Th is is the restaurant
I know you've had in your head for the
past 20 years. Th is is a pizza restaurant
for pizza makers. "
Seeing a menu with that many styles
of perfectly executed pizza left me in
awe. Th e overwhelming thought I had
was, " Th is is going to change everything. "
And it did. Especially for me, because I
now knew how much more business one
store could do and do well. Th at trip to
SF showed that it doesn't matter how
many seats you have or how small your
kitchen is. Any brand can connect deeply
to its customers through hustle, acumen
and constant reinvention. People go to
Tony for his school, and many hope to
leave there knowing how to make Tony's
like not being yourself. No, it means you
fi nd new ways to keep things exciting, so
you never grow stale. So, your customer
base is invigorated to come back, no
matter what. When a pizza can FIX your
customer's day, like a perfect song on the
radio on a long drive home, it's recessionproof.
Be
like Tony and double down on your
hustle, acumen, and ability to reinvent -
and you will survive this and any crisis
before you. Andolini's is where we are
because I've followed his lead but did it
my way. If he's the Michael Jordan of
pizza, I'm hoping to be Steve Kerr at best.
So, on behalf of my employees, my family,
and the entire pizza community: Th ank
You, Tony Gemignani, for everything
you've done for and sacrifi ced to this
industry.
It's never been done before, and it will
never be done again.
MIKE BAUSCH is the owner of Andolini's Pizzeria in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Instagram: @mikeybausch
12 / PIZZATODAY.COM / AUGUST 2022

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Pizza Today - August 2022

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