Bear Silber co-owns Pizza Get together, a one-store operation in Santa Clara, California. As soon as a Pizza Get together 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 wish to purchase a pizzeria?
BS: I’ve all the time needed to do one thing within the culinary discipline. I’ve completed plenty of completely different jobs prior to now: I’ve tutored; I’ve been a P.E. coach, a plumber, a carpenter. I’ve completed advertising and Net design. I used to be at some extent the place I needed to settle right into a profession. I’ve by no means been classically educated and it was getting somewhat late for me to go to culinary faculty, so I regarded round at locations I may become involved 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 environment and you’ve got individuals sitting round for some time and hanging out in your pizzeria. In an ice cream parlor, they keep possibly quarter-hour after which depart.
PT: Have you ever made any modifications since shopping for in to Pizza Get together final fall?
BS: I’ve made plenty of modifications. I got here in right here and redid the Website and brand. I needed to vary the title, nevertheless it was already modified a couple of years in the past and you’ll’t proceed to vary the title on a regular basis. However Pizza Get together does characterize what we do. I additionally redid the menu, each the objects and the graphics.
PT: What objects 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 nicely. 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 wish to take a three-tiered strategy and provide the common sausage and pepperoni pizzas, the specialties like veggie or BBQ hen, 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 financial system deter you from getting concerned in pizzeria possession?
BS: I had no thought about that. I bought to the purpose in my life the place I didn’t have a profession and I actually needed to make one for myself. It was the proper time for me personally. I didn’t wish to wait two years till the financial system bought higher. Have a look at McDonald’s. They’re doing nice proper now. Even on this financial system, somebody goes to do nicely.
PT: You’re actually into advertising by way of the social networking websites, aren’t you?
BS: Sure. I’m doing lots with Yelp and Twitter. The day after the Tremendous Bowl, I bought 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 proper reply a small pizza issues like that. It’s not fairly driving in individuals but. I feel it is going to take a while to catch on. However, when you concentrate on it, what number of hundreds of thousands of persons are there on Fb? It’s sluggish to return round, however you’ll see individuals constructing on it increasingly more. It’s enjoyable to get a dialogue began together with your prospects.
