What's Good Dough?

Why are 12,000 people waiting for a pizza they can barely get their hands on?A.K. Pizza has become one of Seattle’s most talked-about pizzerias, with thousands of people waiting for the next pizza drop. Eidref visits Alex to see what makes these pies worth the hype, from the dough and carefully chosen ingredients to the small-team operation behind every pizza. Alex shares why he’s focused on quality over quantity—and why growing bigger isn’t necessarily the goal.Highlights:0:52 – Why Everyone Is Waiting for A.K. Pizza1:10 – From Local Buzz to National Recognition2:23 – A Small Menu With Seasonal Specials3:12 – Thousands of People Waiting to Order3:29 – Is Ordering A.K. Pizza Like Ticketmaster?3:39 – Are Bots Buying All the Pizzas?3:46 – What Makes A.K. Pizza Worth the Hype?4:18 – A Two-Hour Vodka Sauce and Late Nights4:37 – Why Making Pizza Doesn’t Feel Like Work5:10 – Making Burrata From Scratch5:37 – Choosing Quality Over Cutting Costs5:59 – The Pressure of Having One Dough Ball Left6:22 – Making the Ordering Experience Worth It6:49 – Why Alex Still Wants to Make the Pizza Himself7:04 – Running A.K. Pizza Alongside a Full-Time Job7:46 – Will A.K. Pizza Expand in the Future?8:03 – Does A.K. Pizza Live Up to the Hype?8:18 – That Crunchy Crust and Airy Dough8:56 – Why Alex Isn’t Ready to Open a Second Location9:04 – How Investors Could Change the Business9:26 – Why He Won’t Compromise on Ingredients10:26 – What Matters Most to Alex as a Pizza MakerFollow them: https://www.ak-pizza.com/https://www.instagram.com/akpizzaguyThank you to our show sponsors:Bacio Cheese: https://bit.ly/3FmQ3up Corto: https://bit.ly/457DNIIDM @‌whatsgooddoughhttps://www.instagram.com/whatsgooddough/email me: [email protected]:A.K. Pizza, AK Pizza Seattle, Seattle pizza, best pizza in Seattle, best pizza in the US, exclusive pizza, pizza drops, pizza waitlist, pizza dough, pizza making, homemade pizza, artisan pizza, premium pizza ingredients, pizza crust, crunchy pizza crust, burrata pizza, vodka sauce pizza, small pizzeria, pizza business, pizzeria owner, restaurant operations, quality over quantity, scaling a pizza business, pizza entrepreneurship, What’s Good Dough, Eidref

How do you get people to try something that looks like pizza but isn’t quite pizza?Eidref visits Manakish Oven and Grill in San Jose to learn about this Middle Eastern flatbread and the story behind the business. From making dough in-house to introducing customers to new flavors, the owners share how they built their business and why great food alone isn’t enough to get discovered.Want to see what Owner.com can do for your business? Owner.com's free Grader will show you how easy your restaurant is to find and order from online in about a minute.https://bit.ly/4dxvMQIHighlights:0:00 – Is It Pizza or Something Else?0:18 – Bringing Manakish to the Bay Area0:38 – Making the Dough and Sauces From Scratch0:54 – Cheese, Pepperoni & a Three-Minute Bake1:10 – The Soft, Crispy Texture of Manakish1:24 – Bringing the Flavors of Home to California2:18 – How Online Ordering Helped Grow the Business2:23 – Building a Branded App for Loyal Customers2:35 – Generating Nearly $500K a Year in Online Sales2:58 – What Wasn’t Working Before3:12 – Taking a Chance on a New Solution3:36 – Why Sometimes You Just Have to Take the Risk4:00 – Seeing Results Within the First 10 Days4:31 – How Do You Explain Manakish to First-Time Customers?4:51 – Getting People to Understand a New Kind of Flatbread5:20 – One Taste Can Turn Someone Into a Lifelong Fan5:45 – Why Being Discoverable Matters for Halal Food5:54 – Why Great Food Alone Isn’t Enough6:21 – What Does It Take to Run a Successful Restaurant?6:21 – Using Technology to Compete With Bigger Restaurant Brands7:01 – Building a Website Without Spending Thousands7:08 – The Lesson Behind Their GrowthFollow Them:https://www.instagram.com/manakishoven/https://manakishoven.com/https://www.facebook.com/manakishwalnutcreek/DM @whatsgooddoughhttps://www.instagram.com/whatsgooddough/email me: [email protected]:manakish, manaeesh, manakish Bay Area, manakish Walnut Creek, manakish San Jose, Middle Eastern flatbread, Middle Eastern food, halal food Bay Area, halal restaurants San Jose, Mediterranean food, Mediterranean restaurant, manakish pizza, flatbread pizza, pizza dough, homemade dough, restaurant business, restaurant growth, restaurant marketing, restaurant SEO, restaurant technology, online ordering for restaurants, restaurant branded app, restaurant website, restaurant discovery, local SEO for restaurants, small restaurant business, restaurant entrepreneurship, food business growth, What’s Good Dough, Eidref

Is a $50 pizza actually worth it?Eidref visits Slice of Homage in the South Bay to talk Detroit-style pizza, premium ingredients, and what it really costs to make a great pizza. Steven shares how he went from selling Sicilians to friends and family to building one of the Bay Area’s most recognized Detroit-style pizza spots — and why charging $50 for a pizza can actually make sense.Highlights:0:52 – From $20 Sicilians to $50 Pizzas1:39 – The Two-Day Dough Behind Slice of Homage2:09 – That Crazy Detroit-Style Crunch2:30 – Starting a Pizza Business With Almost No Money3:02 – Learning the Hard Way Through Pop-Ups3:36 – How Detroit Pizza Took Off in the Bay Area4:35 – Why a $50 Pizza Can Actually Be Worth It4:52 – The Cost of Premium Ingredients & Labor5:53 – Why He Can’t Sell His Pizza for $206:16 – What It Actually Costs to Make a Pizza6:44 – Rent, Payroll, Insurance & the Real Cost of Running a Pizzeria6:56 – Working 70–80 Hours to Build the Business7:18 – Corner Piece or Side Piece?7:45 – Why the Crunch Still Hits 40 Minutes Later8:05 – The Best Part of Being a Pizza Maker8:12 – Why He Refuses to Cut Corners8:50 – The People Behind the PizzaFollow them:https://www.sohpizza.com/https://instagram.com/sliceofhomagehttps://.facebook.com/SliceofhomageThank you to our show sponsors:Bacio Cheese:https://bit.ly/3FmQ3upCorto:https://bit.ly/457DNIIDM @whatsgooddoughhttps://www.instagram.com/whatsgooddough/email me: [email protected]: Slice of Homage, Steven Slice of Homage, Eidref, What’s Good Dough, Detroit style pizza, Detroit pizza, Bay Area pizza, South Bay pizza, San Jose pizza, premium pizza, $50 pizza, expensive pizza, pizza pricing, pizza business, pizzeria business, pizza entrepreneur, pizza dough, two day pizza dough, 70 percent hydration pizza dough, Detroit pizza crust, crispy pizza crust, pizza pop up, starting a pizzeria, independent pizzeria, pizza ingredients, pizza food cost, pizza labor cost, restaurant costs, pizzeria pricing, restaurant pricing, pizza business growth, pizza marketing, Bay Area pizzeria

What happens when a pizza business gets too big for the systems that got it there?Eidref sits down with Marc from Square Pie Guys to talk about what happens when a pizza business really starts to scale. From selling more than 800,000 pizzas on DoorDash to opening multiple locations, Marc shares the expensive lessons, growing pains, maintenance issues, and the challenge of relying on third-party delivery apps while building a stronger direct relationship with customers.Highlights:0:00 – From Pop-Up to 800,000+ Pizzas on DoorDash1:32 – Making the Iconic Square Pie Guys Pizza2:18 – Over 1 Million Pizzas Sold2:48 – The Reality of Growing a Multi-Million-Dollar Business3:20 – When Growth Means Taking on Too Much3:49 – Finding a Way Forward After Expanding Too Quickly4:00 – Why Problems Multiply as You Add More Locations4:35 – The $500 Maintenance Check That Can Prevent a $20K Bill5:32 – How Fearlessness Can Drive Business Growth5:59 – The Cheese Behind Square Pie Guys’ Pizza6:32 – How Third-Party Apps Influence Pizza Pricing7:46 – Can Square Pie Guys Ever Get Off Delivery Apps?8:00 – Building Direct Customer Relationships8:10 – Why Content Marketing Could Reduce Dependence on Delivery Apps8:30 – Why Customers Ordering Direct Can Help RestaurantsFollow them:https://www.squarepieguys.com/https://instagram.com/squarepieguyshttps://www.facebook.com/squarepieguys/https://www.tiktok.com/@squarepieguys?lang=enhttps://www.reddit.com/r/SquarePieGuys/Thank you to our show sponsors:Bacio Cheese:https://bit.ly/3FmQ3upCorto:https://bit.ly/457DNIIPatreon Page: patreon.com/whatsgooddoughDM @whatsgooddoughhttps://www.instagram.com/whatsgooddough/email me: [email protected]: Square Pie Guys, Marc, Eidref, What’s Good Dough, Square Pie Guys pizza, Bay Area pizza, San Francisco pizza, Walnut Creek pizza, Palo Alto pizza, square pizza, Detroit style pizza, pizza business, pizza restaurant, pizzeria business, pizza entrepreneurship, restaurant growth, restaurant scaling, scaling a pizza business, restaurant expansion, third party delivery apps, DoorDash pizza, restaurant delivery, direct ordering, restaurant marketing, content marketing for restaurants, pizza marketing, restaurant operations, restaurant maintenance, restaurant profitability, pizza business growth, pizzeria owner, restaurant owner, food business, independent pizzeria, pizza industry

What Does It Really Take to Land High-Paying Pizza Catering Clients?In this episode, Eidref breaks down one of his toughest catering events, what he learned from serving 176 people, and why he’s decided to step away from catering to focus on building a media company.Highlights:0:52 – The Catering Event That Didn’t Go as Planned1:30 – Why a “Bad” Catering Gig Can Still Be a Win1:38 – What Serving 176 People Taught Him2:10 – Why the Next 100-Person Event Feels Easier2:17 – Bringing in Extra Hands for a Smoother Service2:28 – How Experience Builds Confidence2:36 – How to Land Higher-Paying Catering Clients2:58 – From $40 Per Person to $75 Per Person3:12 – Why Your Pizza Brand Can Help You Charge More3:24 – Building a Pizza Brand on Instagram3:43 – Why Your Pizza Has to Look Good AND Deliver3:54 – Starting Small to Build Confidence & Content4:14 – Believing in Your Product4:35 – Knowing When Your Pizza Is Good Enough to Sell4:48 – Why This Might Be His Last Catering Gig4:52 – Choosing a Media Company Over Catering5:27 – The Real Cost of Taking on More Catering Jobs5:59 – Why You Can’t Give 100% to Two Growing Businesses6:06 – Saying No to a $100-Person Catering Gig6:14 – Focus Means Eliminating Options6:34 – Choosing the Bigger Long-Term Goal7:12 – What Eidref Wants You to Take From the Journey8:19 – Was This His Smoothest Catering Event?8:30 – Learning From a Tough Catering Gig8:57 – What Serving 176 People Taught Him9:03 – Why the Next 100-Person Catering Will Be Easier9:12 – Why He’s Bringing a Fourth Person9:40 – Feeling Confident Going Into the Next Event9:58 – How to Land Higher-Paying Catering Clients10:04 – How Much He Charges for Catering10:39 – Investing in Your Pizza Brand10:51 – Why a Strong Instagram Presence Can Help You Charge More11:21 – Why Experience Builds Confidence11:32 – Believing in Your Pizza Product12:03 – Why He’s Quitting Catering12:16 – Building a Media Company12:23 – The Real Cost of Taking on More Catering JobsThank you to our show sponsors:Ooni Link: https://www.awin1.com/cread.php?awinmid=77074&awinaffid=1800006Bacio Cheese:https://bit.ly/3FmQ3upJoin my Instagram Community Channel: https://www.instagram.com/channel/AbbWnReTYIlCfO21/Patreon Page: patreon.com/whatsgooddoughDM @whatsgooddoughhttps://www.instagram.com/whatsgooddough/email me: [email protected]: pizza catering, pizza catering business, pizza catering tips, pizza catering pricing, catering business, catering clients, high-paying catering clients, pizza business, pizza brand, pizza marketing, Instagram pizza marketing, pizza influencer, food influencer, personal branding, catering business growth, pizza business growth, catering event tips, catering experience, catering confidence, pizza entrepreneur, food business, restaurant business, small business growth, entrepreneurship, business mindset, knowing when to say no, business focus, building a media company, What’s Good Dough, Eidref