In This Episode
Pizza and Lifestyle Brand:
- Pizzanista, founded by professional skateboarder Salman Agah, combines pizza with skateboarding culture
- Focuses on creating a lifestyle brand beyond just serving food
- Emphasizes high-quality, organic ingredients and house-made items like ranch dressing
Business Growth and Challenges:
- Started in downtown LA in 2011, expanded to San Marino
- Franchises in Tokyo and Korea
- Faced challenges during COVID-19 and post-pandemic economic pressures
Marketing and Community Engagement:
- Unique promotions like Mac & Cheese pizza Sundays and $2 slice Tuesdays
- Collaborations with skateboarders, artists, and brands for limited edition merchandise and pizza boxes
- Strong focus on community engagement and hospitality
Business Philosophy:
- Slow, steady growth prioritizing quality over rapid expansion
- Views other pizzerias as potential collaborators rather than competition
- Considers franchising and joint ventures for future growth, but cautious about maintaining brand integrity
- Challenges of Operating in California:
- Agah expresses frustration with the difficulties of running a small business in California
- Cites regulatory pressures, rising costs, and complex compliance issues as major challenges
