A pizza-by-the-slice business will either exclusively sell slices or make slices their primary menu item. Pizza-by-the-slice works for a variety of kinds of pizzas, but owners will generally make their restaurant themed to narrow down their target market. For example, they may serve only New York-style pizza or gluten-free pizza.
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Start a pizza-by-the-slice restaurant by following these 10 steps:
- Plan your Pizza-By-The-Slice Restaurant
- Form your Pizza-By-The-Slice Restaurant into a Legal Entity
- Register your Pizza-By-The-Slice Restaurant for Taxes
- Open a Business Bank Account & Credit Card
- Set up Accounting for your Pizza-By-The-Slice Restaurant
- Get the Necessary Permits & Licenses for your Pizza-By-The-Slice Restaurant
- Get Pizza-By-The-Slice Restaurant Insurance
- Define your Pizza-By-The-Slice Restaurant Brand
- Create your Pizza-By-The-Slice Restaurant Website
- Set up your Business Phone System
We have put together this simple guide to starting your pizza-by-the-slice restaurant. These steps will ensure that your new business is well planned out, registered properly and legally compliant.
Exploring your options? Check out other small business ideas.
STEP 1: Plan your business
A clear plan is essential for success as an entrepreneur. It will help you map out the specifics of your business and discover some unknowns. A few important topics to consider are:
- What will you name your business?
- What are the startup and ongoing costs?
- Who is your target market?
- How much can you charge customers?
Luckily we have done a lot of this research for you.
What will you name your business?
Choosing the right name is important and challenging. If you don’t already have a name in mind, visit our How to Name a Business guide or get help brainstorming a name with our Pizza-By-The-Slice Restaurant Name Generator
If you operate a sole proprietorship, you might want to operate under a business name other than your own name. Visit our DBA guide to learn more.
When registering a business name, we recommend researching your business name by checking:
- Your state’s business records
- Federal and state trademark records
- Social media platforms
- Web domain availability
It’s very important to secure your domain name before someone else does.
What are the costs involved in opening a pizza-by-the-slice restaurant?
The costs to open a pizza-by-the-slice business will be heavily dependent on the rent or mortgage rates of where a business owner opens. The most competitive markets may require hundreds of thousands of dollars, while a smaller venture may only cost $10,000 or less. Owners need to take into account the cost of equipment, ingredients, staff salaries, and administrative supplies. They’ll also need excellent commercial insurance and workers’ compensation coverage.
What are the ongoing expenses for a pizza-by-the-slice restaurant?
Owners need to take into account the cost of ingredients, rent/mortgage, equipment maintenance, staff salaries, and insurance.
Who is the target market?
People who are looking for something fast and delicious — whether it’s a snack or a full meal. This could be professionals on a 30-minute lunch break or a group of kids craving pizza after school. While owners are more likely to attract those from a lower- or middle-class background, a pizza shop with a good reputation can attract anyone who enjoys a quality piece of pizza.
How does a pizza-by-the-slice restaurant make money?
Pizza-by-the-slice restaurants make money by selling individual slices of pizza to customers. This allows customers to mix and match types of pizza, and get the perfect amount they desire. These businesses may also sell whole pizzas, sandwiches, salads, or other quickly prepared food items.
How much can you charge customers?
People will pay up to $5 – 6 for a single slice of cheese pizza (depending on the size and the location of the pizzeria.) The general rule is to charge about three times the cost of the raw ingredients. Most pizza owners will run different combination specials to bring up the average size of the check. For example, running a promotion for a small discount on pizza/soda or pizza/salad. Check on similar rates around you to determine how much to charge.
How much profit can a pizza-by-the-slice restaurant make?
Profits can be substantial for the right pizza business. A single lunch rush can bring in $600 or more, which adds up quickly. If the cost of operations is firmly set at $500 a day, then owners would need to sell an average of 150 slices a day at $6 to make about $150,000 a year in profit.
How can you make your business more profitable?
Owners may want to consider adding additional items to their menu, such as desserts or gourmet salads. You can also consider offering breakfast pizzas to catch the morning crowd or opening a food truck where you can serve your lunches to people in different parts of town.
Want a more guided approach? Access TRUiC’s free Small Business Startup Guide – a step-by-step course for turning your business idea into reality. Get started today!
STEP 2: Form a legal entity
One crucial aspect that cannot be overlooked when starting your pizza-by-the-slice restaurant is the importance of establishing a solid business foundation. While sole proprietorships and partnerships are the most common entity types for small businesses, they’re a far less stable and advantageous option than LLCs.
This is because unincorporated business structures (i.e., sole proprietorships and partnerships) expose you as an owner to personal liability for your business’s debts and legal actions, while LLCs protect you by keeping your personal assets separate from your business’s liabilities.
In practice, this means that if your pizza-by-the-slice restaurant were to face a lawsuit or incur any debts, your savings, home, and other personal assets could not be used to cover these costs. On top of this, forming your business as an LLC also helps it to appear more legitimate and trustworthy.
Ready to Turn Your Business Idea Into a Reality?
Tailor Brands is our top recommendation because it guides you through every step of the formation process with hands-on support — from paperwork and compliance to devising a detailed plan to help you achieve your business goals.
Note: If you’re interested in more information before getting started, we recommend having a look at our state-specific How to Start an LLC guide (DIY) or our in-depth Best LLC Services review (for those opting for a professional service).
STEP 3: Register for taxes
You will need to register for a variety of state and federal taxes before you can open for business.
In order to register for taxes you will need to apply for an EIN. It’s really easy and free!
You can acquire your EIN through the IRS website. If you would like to learn more about EINs, read our article, What is an EIN?
There are specific state taxes that might apply to your business. Learn more about state sales tax and franchise taxes in our state sales tax guides.
STEP 4: Open a business bank account & credit card
Using dedicated business banking and credit accounts is essential for personal asset protection.
When your personal and business accounts are mixed, your personal assets (your home, car, and other valuables) are at risk in the event your business is sued. In business law, this is referred to as piercing your corporate veil.
Open a business bank account
Besides being a requirement when applying for business loans, opening a business bank account:
- Separates your personal assets from your company’s assets, which is necessary for personal asset protection.
- Makes accounting and tax filing easier.
Recommended: Read our Best Banks for Small Business review to find the best national bank or credit union.
Get a business credit card
Getting a business credit card helps you:
- Separate personal and business expenses by putting your business’ expenses all in one place.
- Build your company’s credit history, which can be useful to raise money later on.
Recommended: Apply for an easy approval business credit card from BILL and build your business credit quickly.
STEP 5: Set up business accounting
Recording your various expenses and sources of income is critical to understanding the financial performance of your business. Keeping accurate and detailed accounts also greatly simplifies your annual tax filing.
Make LLC accounting easy with our LLC Expenses Cheat Sheet.
STEP 6: Obtain necessary permits and licenses
Failure to acquire necessary permits and licenses can result in hefty fines, or even cause your business to be shut down.
Federal Business Licensing Requirements
There are federal regulations regarding what can and cannot be added to, sold as, and processed with food. Attached is a resource from the Food and Drug Administration detailing the process of starting a food business: How to Start a Food Business
State & Local Business Licensing Requirements
Certain state permits and licenses may be needed to operate a pizza-by-the-slice business. Learn more about licensing requirements in your state by visiting SBA’s reference to state licenses and permits.
Most businesses are required to collect sales tax on the goods or services they provide. To learn more about how sales tax will affect your business, read our article, Sales Tax for Small Businesses.
Certificate of Occupancy
A pizza-by-the-slice business is generally run out of a storefront. Businesses operating out of a physical location typically require a Certificate of Occupancy (CO). A CO confirms that all building codes, zoning laws and government regulations have been met.
- If you plan to lease a location:
- It is generally the landlord’s responsibility to obtain a CO.
- Before leasing, confirm that your landlord has or can obtain a valid CO that is applicable to a pizza-by-the-slice business.
- After a major renovation, a new CO often needs to be issued. If your place of business will be renovated before opening, it is recommended to include language in your lease agreement stating that lease payments will not commence until a valid CO is issued.
- If you plan to purchase or build a location:
- You will be responsible for obtaining a valid CO from a local government authority.
- Review all building codes and zoning requirements for your business’ location to ensure your pizza-by-the-slice business will be in compliance and able to obtain a CO.
Food Regulations
When selling food, you will need licensing from a local health department; all establishments serving food are required to pass a health inspection. Tips for faring well on a health inspections
STEP 7: Get business insurance
Just as with licenses and permits, your business needs insurance in order to operate safely and lawfully. Business Insurance protects your company’s financial wellbeing in the event of a covered loss.
There are several types of insurance policies created for different types of businesses with different risks. If you’re unsure of the types of risks that your business may face, begin with General Liability Insurance. This is the most common coverage that small businesses need, so it’s a great place to start for your business.
Another notable insurance policy that many businesses need is Workers’ Compensation Insurance. If your business will have employees, it’s a good chance that your state will require you to carry Workers’ Compensation Coverage.
STEP 8: Define your brand
Your brand is what your company stands for, as well as how your business is perceived by the public. A strong brand will help your business stand out from competitors.
If you already have a logo, you can also add it to a QR code with our Free QR Code Generator. Choose from 13 QR code types to create a code for your business cards and publications, or to help spread awareness for your new website.
How to promote & market a pizza-by-the-slice restaurant
Pizza-by-the-slice businesses are usually catering to people who don’t want to worry about how they’re going to eat a whole pie, so this is a good place to start. A quick salad and pizza lunch is appealing to business professionals who want to balance their diet with their desire. Owners can start locally, establishing themselves as a presence on the block by handing out flyers or holding a grand-opening party. There’s also direct mail, internet ads, and radio/television that can be used to promote your business. Because pizza shops are so local and accessible, owners should be able to generate the interest they’re looking for from right off the bat.
How to keep customers coming back
Customers aren’t going to be expecting a gourmet meal, but they’re going to want good food quickly. Their food needs to be hot, the staff needs to be courteous, and the process needs to be organized and easy-to-follow.
STEP 9: Create your business website
After defining your brand and creating your logo the next step is to create a website for your business.
While creating a website is an essential step, some may fear that it’s out of their reach because they don’t have any website-building experience. While this may have been a reasonable fear back in 2015, web technology has seen huge advancements in the past few years that makes the lives of small business owners much simpler.
Here are the main reasons why you shouldn’t delay building your website:
- All legitimate businesses have websites – full stop. The size or industry of your business does not matter when it comes to getting your business online.
- Social media accounts like Facebook pages or LinkedIn business profiles are not a replacement for a business website that you own.
- Website builder tools like the GoDaddy Website Builder have made creating a basic website extremely simple. You don’t need to hire a web developer or designer to create a website that you can be proud of.
Recommended: Get started today using our recommended website builder or check out our review of the Best Website Builders.
Other popular website builders are: WordPress, WIX, Weebly, Squarespace, and Shopify.
STEP 10: Set up your business phone system
Getting a phone set up for your business is one of the best ways to help keep your personal life and business life separate and private. That’s not the only benefit; it also helps you make your business more automated, gives your business legitimacy, and makes it easier for potential customers to find and contact you.
There are many services available to entrepreneurs who want to set up a business phone system. We’ve reviewed the top companies and rated them based on price, features, and ease of use. Check out our review of the Best Business Phone Systems 2024 to find the best phone service for your small business.
Recommended Business Phone Service: Phone.com
Phone.com is our top choice for small business phone numbers because of all the features it offers for small businesses and it’s fair pricing.
Is this Business Right For You?
Owners should enjoy giving people fast and delicious food in a casual environment. They should enjoy learning about the trends in quick-serve restaurants (e.g., new technology, tastes, etc.) and keeping up with how customer expectations are changing over time.
Want to know if you are cut out to be an entrepreneur?
Take our Entrepreneurship Quiz to find out!
What happens during a typical day at a pizza-by-the-slice restaurant?
The majority of the day is typically taken up by operational duties. Ingredient inventory, customer service, stocking, marketing, and managing will be just a few of the primary duties of the owner. While owners may want to hire managers to take care of the general day-to-day functions, they should be overseeing general operations to ensure the business is meeting its long-term goals.
What are some skills and experiences that will help you build a successful pizza-by-the-slice restaurant?
Owners should have some experience in the restaurant industry to get started. It’s easy to purchase a pizza-by-the-slice store and then hire staff to take care of the specifics, but there’s a danger that the business will become invisible or generic in a sea of competition. Owners should have a set goals about how they’re going to be different than their direct competitors and who they can best serve through their business model.
What is the growth potential for a pizza-by-the-slice restaurant?
Practically everyone loves pizza, which is definitely a good start. Plus, there’s usually a need for places that offer convenient lunches and dinners with practically zero wait time. Even areas with well-known pizza shops can be substantially threatened by a shop with quality ingredients, friendly staff, and fast service.
Take the Next Step
Find a business mentor
One of the greatest resources an entrepreneur can have is quality mentorship. As you start planning your business, connect with a free business resource near you to get the help you need.
Having a support network in place to turn to during tough times is a major factor of success for new business owners.
Learn from other business owners
Want to learn more about starting a business from entrepreneurs themselves? Visit Startup Savant’s startup founder series to gain entrepreneurial insights, lessons, and advice from founders themselves.
Resources to Help Women in Business
There are many resources out there specifically for women entrepreneurs. We’ve gathered necessary and useful information to help you succeed both professionally and personally:
- Funding
- Events
- Guides
- Support
If you’re a woman looking for some guidance in entrepreneurship, check out this great new series Women in Business created by the women of our partner Startup Savant.
What are some insider tips for jump starting a pizza-by-the-slice restaurant?
Owners should look for needs that aren’t already being serviced in their neighborhood before doing anything else. This may mean coming up with entirely different business idea (e.g., offering gluten-free crust, etc.) or improving upon ideas that have already proven successful. For example, if there’s already a successful business that sells Sicilian style pizza in the area that’s doing spectacularly well, an owner could open a similar business to catch the overflow (and potentially become the favored pizza joint.)
There needs to be a very clear business model once an owner knows what they want to accomplish. Owners should also beware of the logistics of their ideas. Deep-dish slices may sound great, but they may not taste great if they sit around for longer than a few minutes. Owners should work on streamlining the customer experience so everyone can get their slices quickly and without hassle. Number systems often work the best, with employees using an ordered system to keep track of what needs to be done and who still needs to be served.
Or owners can also look to serve a different type of need in the area. If people are becoming more health-conscious, owners can consider offering organic options or low-calorie cooking methods. The best thing a pizza owner can do is focus on getting the best possible ingredients for the lowest possible price. It’s extremely easy to cut corners (no pun intended) in the pizza business, but doing so will backfire in the form of bad reviews or underwhelmed patrons.
Owners should also invest in their employees. The better your staff members can handle lunch-time rushes, customer complaints, and anomalies, the more likely it is the restaurant will begin growing right from the very start.
How and when to build a team
Pizza-by-the-slice owners need to build their team immediately. Managers should ideally have direct experience with pizzerias and team members should have previously worked in some type of customer service role. The chefs should be excellent at following directions, but also capable of bringing their own ideas to the table based on customer feedback and their own knowledge of how the industry is changing.