Beginning your mobile wood-fired pizza business is an exciting and fun venture. For many of our clients, this is their first time moving into a realm where they are the boss. Many of them are not in a position to have a full-time staff running their business while they are off sipping pina coladas on the beach — yet.
In many cases, your staff may very well be just you and your family or a friend. After you get started however, you will be in a place to make that extra hire. Let’s explore a little more on how we can do that…
You will have to do some research on the competitive wage market in your area. The internet is a great place to find out what similar jobs are paying. And if you aren’t keen on relying on the internet for data, everyone knows someone who works in the pizza industry – just ask them.
Take into account that foodservice jobs tend to not pay a substantial amount per hour, so it will be very important to find other and creative ways to satisfy employees. Creating a positive and fun work environment is one of the most important of these. A lower wage in the beginning with performance based pay raises in the future (with timely reviews) is always an incentive for your employees as well.
Remind your staff of the money they will save just by eating whatever you are cooking that day. Two meals a day averaging $10 a meal means they are saving more than $90 a week!
Finding these employees can be easy as well. Your local high school and colleges will always have people who are looking for extra money. If you have the time, visit any location where customer service is highly encouraged. Coffee houses, movie theaters, or even other restaurants are a good start to fill those needed slots.
Keeping your staff happy with tips is always a great incentive for employees. Many people will be willing to take a lower wage if they know they are going to be “tipped out” after every event. If you have employees who are happy with their jobs and their pay you will have lower turnover rates. Turnover can be very expensive because of the need to retrain new employees and the inconsistencies it can bring to your product and work culture.
