We spent a few days in Philadelphia visiting some of the pizza shops everybody kept telling us to check out.
From Del Rossi’s, where they’re making over 1,000 cheesesteaks on a Friday night, to Pizza Shackamaxon in Joe’s Pizza’s old spot, Square Pie’s small square-pizza operation, La Nova’s viral growth story, and Char Pizza’s obsession with getting better every day.
You’ll see how each shop runs, the dough processes, ovens, staffing, menu decisions, marketing, expansion plans, and of course, plenty of pizza.
Which Philly pizza shop should we visit next? Let us know in the comments.
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Chapters:
0:00 Inside Del Rossi’s
1:16 Taking Over Right Before COVID
1:45 Making Cheesesteak Rolls In-House
3:43 Bread Oven vs. Pizza Oven
5:00 600 Pizzas and 1,000 Cheesesteaks
6:20 How They Slice Their Ribeye
7:00 Pizza Dough Process
7:35 Why They Don’t Want More Locations
8:39 Is Pizza or Cheesesteaks More Profitable?
10:13 Trying Del Rossi’s Pizza and Cheesesteak
11:42 Pizza Shackamaxon in Joe’s Pizza’s Old Spot
12:50 Why They Switched to a Takeout Window
14:29 Running a Tiny Slice Shop
15:15 A 12-Minute, 72% Hydration Pizza
17:02 Dough, Menu and Small-Space Operations
18:12 Making Pizza Work in 400 Square Feet
22:04 How They Make Their Tomato Pie
22:27 Trying Pizza Shackamaxon
24:25 Inside Square Pie
26:07 Closing Midday to Have a Life Outside the Shop
26:47 How Many Square Pizzas They Sell
27:26 Why They Don’t Par-Bake Their Squares
29:17 Square Pie’s Poolish Dough Process
31:19 Weekly Pizza Specials
32:00 Advice for Opening a Pizza Shop
32:41 Square Pie’s Best-Selling Pizza
34:17 Dine-In vs. Takeout
35:09 Trying the Vodka Meatball Pizza
36:02 La Nova’s Viral Pizza Shop Story
37:28 The Influencer Video That Changed Everything
38:55 They Quadrupled Sales in One Week
39:33 Expanding the Kitchen and Adding a PizzaMaster
41:32 From First Pizza Shop to $3M in Sales
42:35 Why Pizza Is Such a Strong Business
44:13 What Happens When a Pizza Shop Goes Viral
45:34 Should La Nova Add Slices?
47:07 Trying La Nova Pizza and Cheesesteaks
50:10 Inside Char Pizza
51:40 Starting With $2,100 Pop-Ups
52:24 Why He Isn’t Opening Another Location Yet
53:39 Char’s Pizza Style and Special Pies
56:10 Trying the Clam Pizza
More From The Slice Community:
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Facebook: https://fb.com/slicepizzaapp
Owners Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/pizzashopownersforum
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Slice believes that local pizzerias deserve all the advantages of big chains without compromising their independence. Slice puts technology, marketing, buying power, and support to work for these shops, empowering owners to build profitable businesses and remain at the heart of our communities. Learn more at slice.com.
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