Starting a pizzeria

[Smitty]

There is a family run chain of Italian restaurants called Buca di Beppo. They had a pizza that had mashed potatoes instead of tomato sauce. Boy oh boy was it good!

 

Another thing that can set you apart from the competition is what you offer in addition to the pizza. If you find my Carls Jr post, you might notice what differentiated Carls from the other burger places, and mayhap you can apply that to your pizzeria.

 

There is a local pizza chain called The Rock Wood Fired Pizza, and they have a rock and roll theme. You can check them out at http://therockwfp.com/ and see how they have set up their restaurants.

[weiaijiayou]

Thanks to everyone who's commented, you've given me a lot to think about.

As another concern, will your Chinese be good enough to manage a restaurant? Otherwise, would it be possible in Tianjin to find Chinese people with reasonably good English who would work in a pizza shop? If neither of these prospects are good then your wife might end up with a lot more responsibility than she anticipated. If your Chinese is great then just disregard this comment.

[carl.hops]

Thanks to everyone who's commented, you've given me a lot to think about.

As another concern, will your Chinese be good enough to manage a restaurant? Otherwise, would it be possible in Tianjin to find Chinese people with reasonably good English who would work in a pizza shop? If neither of these prospects are good then your wife might end up with a lot more responsibility than she anticipated. If your Chinese is great then just disregard this comment.

 

On the speaking side of things I'm becoming more capable every day, in two years when we are ready to start this it should be good enough but I plan to be in there micromanaging. The reality is the level of service most Chinese are used to, and used to giving is just not on the same standard that we will be delivering and having to retrain more than several people say every 3 months (if I'm lucky to have a turn over rate like that) would be more work and head ache then it would to just do it my self. I may have to hire a few people to be waiters and I wont be able to be there all of the time so we will train, but I'm going to do most of the leg work, Yakun as well.

[Robert S.]

You ought to have a juice bar instead.

[Batmaniac]

You ought to have a juice bar instead.

 

How about an oxygen bar? Remember when those were all the rage?

[Guest jin979]

Where are you going to buy a pizza oven? I would bet they don't have them in China. You would have to import a lot of your ingredients, and Chinese people don't like pepperoni.

 

Don't know about that one. I'll try to get a hold of my friend mentioned above to gain insight on all of this, and get back to you. I do know that she does buy most of her ingredients from the nearby Metro supermarket. Robert S, may be right though about the cheese. I'll ask around and get back to you. My wife likes pepperoni pizza

 

and many chinese not like tomato source.

[carl.hops]

Thanks Jin for the input, maybe this is why you don't find much sauce on the pizza's here. Another type of place I've been considering is a Mexican style restaurant, need to do a bit more research on that end though.

 

We will be hosting a monthly English corner & dinner party starting November, then bi-weekly at our apartment (the college I attended here will tell their students about it, I know the person who organizes it). Other Chinese interested will be invited as well and all the foreign English speaking friends I know, the English and Foreigners is to get them in the door.

 

We will serve pizza and Mexican dishes, do a survey and network. Perhaps we can even find some investors. The cost of the food will be split between everyone at the door, we will put in some Chinese food, and serve small portions of the foreign food if need be to keep the cost down but I doubt money will be an issue if we have different people every month/week. I'm guessing it will be something like 10 maybe 20 rmb a person depending on what were making.

 

There are quite a lot of pizza places here in Tianjin, they all seem to be doing well. But none offer a tasty and cheap pizza, and none offer selling it by the slice so there is a niche unfilled. We'll see what the locals think.

[Batmaniac]

If you do Mexican, do whatever possible to get jalapenos.

 

And breakfast tacos. Get breakfast tacos.

[Kaige]

My son is head pizza chef at a local country club, he makes them better than the head chef, the key ingrediant he says is the dough, so you will need to find a good enriched flour to do this and also make sure the crust is baked not half baked like alot of american pizza stores do it, ex dominoes and a few others as they don't have time with the workload

[Tony_onrock]

I will post the process of dealing with the government after I have gone through with it. I am working with a partner to set up a few restaurrants that serve the office parks.

[Guest Tony n Terrific]

To start a Pizzeria you are buying yourself a job. Zero hour, 9AM to midnight 7 days a week.

[Tony_onrock]

To start a Pizzeria you are buying yourself a job. Zero hour, 9AM to midnight 7 days a week.

I know, unless you have some one else do the work. I am also starting a restaurant, the same idea. Get some one else do it. Only send in one trusted family member to watch the cash register.

[kevins]

Sounds like a good plan. Congratulations, hard work doing things you like is always rewarding. Start small, get a normal oven, and as you grow then expand. That is how all the great restaurants started.

 

Thanks Jin for the input, maybe this is why you don't find much sauce on the pizza's here. Another type of place I've been considering is a Mexican style restaurant, need to do a bit more research on that end though.

 

We will be hosting a monthly English corner & dinner party starting November, then bi-weekly at our apartment (the college I attended here will tell their students about it, I know the person who organizes it). Other Chinese interested will be invited as well and all the foreign English speaking friends I know, the English and Foreigners is to get them in the door.

 

We will serve pizza and Mexican dishes, do a survey and network. Perhaps we can even find some investors. The cost of the food will be split between everyone at the door, we will put in some Chinese food, and serve small portions of the foreign food if need be to keep the cost down but I doubt money will be an issue if we have different people every month/week. I'm guessing it will be something like 10 maybe 20 rmb a person depending on what were making.

 

There are quite a lot of pizza places here in Tianjin, they all seem to be doing well. But none offer a tasty and cheap pizza, and none offer selling it by the slice so there is a niche unfilled. We'll see what the locals think.

[knloregon]

My advice would be to go where your family has influence (and protection) and diversify from there.

 

But if you chose to step out from under that umbrella in the first place, be sure you cross all your t's and dot the i's.... Which means all permits, and as you may know, a business start-up needs a gov. approved cash surplus. During the permit process, you have to document a rather large bankroll dedicated to the business. There are financial institutions which lend these funds, for a large interest rate, short time, to pass this requirement, then you return the money.

 

Carl, are you Asian? that might help from the day to day aspect... but in any case, as an American you are only the manager, drawing a salary.... and that is shown in all business records... And yes, you have a Chinese work permit.

 

My info here is two years old, Tony on Rock will provide a very valuable update-----hopefully ~! Hope to hear from you Tony ~ !!

[Tony_onrock]

I am still negotiating on the site lease. Hoping for a 5 year lease with first 2 year rent free and no security deposit to minimize my risk. Who knows, I may get it and may not. It is going to be a food court, pizza is just one of it. I have a local partner who is going to handle the relationship aspects. In a week or two I should have the results.