{"id":614520,"date":"2025-09-04T17:26:09","date_gmt":"2025-09-04T17:26:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pizzatoday.com\/?p=614520"},"modified":"2025-09-04T17:26:09","modified_gmt":"2025-09-04T17:26:09","slug":"stagnation-is-not-a-business-strategy-mikes-monthly-tip","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pizzatoday.com\/news\/stagnation-is-not-a-business-strategy-mikes-monthly-tip\/614520\/","title":{"rendered":"Stagnation Is Not a Business Strategy | Mike\u2019s Monthly Tip"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u2018We\u2019ve Always Done It That Way\u2019 Isn\u2019t Good for Business<\/strong><\/h2>\n

There\u2019s a story I like to tell about a kid on Christmas asking why the family cuts the corners off the holiday ham every year. The answer goes up the chain \u2013 first to his Mom, who says Grandma did it, then Grandma says Great-Grandma did it. Finally, it turns out Great-Grandma says the only reason she ever did it was because she had a very small oven and a large ham wouldn\u2019t fit in the small pan she had to use. That\u2019s it. No grand reason. Just a small oven.<\/p>\n

This is the same logic I see play out every day in restaurants. People blend their cheese<\/a> because \u201cthat\u2019s how we were taught.\u201d They pre-blend their flour mix<\/a> because \u201cit\u2019s just what we do.\u201d These are decisions that affect your labor costs<\/a>, your brand quality and your ability to grow \u2013 and they\u2019re being made based on nothing but historical habit, sometimes rooted in no real logic.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s no shame in learning from tradition, but holding tradition above scrutiny? That\u2019s laziness dressed up as loyalty.<\/p>\n

Measure the Results<\/strong><\/h3>\n

We have a hard rule at our restaurant, Andolini\u2019s<\/a> and all our brands. No ego, only results. We experiment, track and repeat what works. That means challenging what\u2019s always been done. It means cutting your own cheese<\/a> instead of paying a premium for pre-shredded. It means comparing recipes in blind taste tests<\/a> because that is all that matters, what your palate says, not the label. Everything is evaluated from a scientific perspective, not an emotional one.<\/p>\n

Why does it matter? Because in this business, your time and your margins are too thin to waste on assumptions. Doing something \u201cjust because\u201d is not leadership. It\u2019s autopilot. And autopilot doesn\u2019t work when you\u2019re flying blind through a storm of rising costs, shrinking labor pools and ever-changing customer expectations. To not question if things can be better \u2013 or, even worse, assume you\u2019ve peaked \u2013 goes beyond lazy to the realm of delusional.<\/p>\n

We all need to act like scientists. Form a hypothesis. Test the outcome. Measure the results<\/a>. You\u2019d be amazed at what you uncover when you look at every part of your operation, that means every recipe, every process, every price tag, and ask, \u201cIs this still smart? Is it still serving us?\u201d<\/p>\n

Sometimes it is. Often, it\u2019s not.<\/p>\n

Making Changes<\/strong><\/h3>\n

I\u2019m not saying overhaul your entire operation overnight. I\u2019m saying treat nothing as sacred unless it\u2019s been vetted. If it makes you more profitable, more consistent, and more aligned with your brand\u2019s mission, keep it. If not, replace it. This will not only build your pride in product, but your staff will see this as well and know nothing is taken for granted. Additionally, if they are part of the vetting process for menu items and processes, they\u2019ll have that much more buy-in on your goals.<\/p>\n

The restaurants that progress are the ones that know why they do what they do. They\u2019re willing to try new things, iterate and evolve.<\/p>\n

Mike Bausch\u00a0is the owner of Andolini\u2019s Pizzeria in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Instagram:\u00a0@mikeybausch<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

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