Founded by Michael Lastoria and Steve Salis in 2012, &Pizza has 27 locations in the greater D.C. area and is expanding into cities like Baltimore, New York, and Boston. Lastoria, still CEO, maintains that each restaurant aims to "reflect the culture and people of its neighborhood" (Washington Post, Meet Michael Lastoria). The first restaurant opened in 2012 on H street in Washington, D.C. Lastoria chose D.C. because it's "coming to of age right now... uncovering and expanding itself, one neighborhood at a time." (DC Inno, How &pizza’s Michael Lastoria Built a Movement That Goes Far Beyond Food)
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&Pizza has expanded from a single restaurant in 2012 to nearly 50 in 2018. Such growth is due to several aspects of the company, including its management style/work culture, restaurant aesthetic, neighborhood involvement, and Lastoria's focus on customer communication/satisfaction. 1: Restaurant Aesthetic - &Pizza's restaurants take on the same aesthetic regardless of location - murals and paintings cover the walls almost all uniquely painted by local artists, the counter is made of glass which artfully displays condiments, and almost all products are made by &Pizza, including drinks. 2: Work Culture - Lastoria refers to &Pizza employees as "the tribe". Each employee is part of "the family", culminating into &Pizza's tattoo initiative where any employee can receive a free ampersand tattoo. An app also tracks users' purchases, and high-rolling pizza buyers can receive a free pizza once their &pizza expenses crack 1500. 3: Company Mission/Neighborhood Involvement - Besides involving local artists in the creation of &Pizza locations, as well as hosting community events in its headquarters in DC, the company itself is on the forefront of the fight to raise the minimum wage. Lastoria explains his company's stance in an interview with BI: "The job of an entrepreneur, executive, or a business person isn't necessarily to just focus on shareholder values. It's to take care of the people who come and really devote their time and energy and life force into the company," 4: Customer Satisfaction - On every box of pizza is a 202 number, which, if texted, will reply to your questions and even converse with the customer. It's far easier than an online survey and immensely more fun. (Image pulled from Eater D.C. Forget Siri: Ask &pizza About Anything Via Text 5: Management Style - Employees at &Pizza stated that their managers are extremely personal, empathetic individuals. Management at &pizza embraces their CEO's "tribe" mentality, treating employees like family. A regional manager visits the Chinatown location every Wednesday.
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About AlexAlex "Warren" Taylor is an International Business major at UMD, College Park. ArchivesCategories |