Pizza King Podcast: Real Talk for Pizzeria Owners & Operators

In this Takeout Tip, I share a line I picked up at the Pizza Power Forum that hit me hard: “Create conversations, not campaigns.” Most operators treat social media like a flyer, posting specials and …

Learn how to cut costs in your pizzeria without cutting quality. In this episode, Tyrell Reed shares three proven strategies every operator can use: portion control to keep food costs in line, smart …

Cheese is the biggest cost in your shop, and if you’re not tracking it, you’re losing money. In this Takeout Tip I show you how just one extra ounce per pizza can cost nearly $6,000 a year. 

Today’s e…

In this episode of The Pizza King Podcast, I sit down with Matthew Zeiss, better known online as @swedza, the creator of Holy Hot Honey. Matt shares his journey from growing up on Long Island to movi…

In this Takeout Tip, Tyrell Reed explains how clear expectations on day one improve pizza shop training and team performance. Learn a simple way to set non-negotiables with new hires and build a stro…

Most restaurants don’t fail because of bad food. They fail because of poor leadership. In this episode, Tyrell Reed shares lessons from his California Restaurant Show session Lead the Shift, includin…

The California Restaurant Show 2025 brought pizzeria owners, restaurant operators, and the pizza industry together under one roof. Hear my highlights from the event, leadership lessons from the stage…

What can a pizza operator learn from a guy who's built and scaled 12 online brands to over $10 million in sales — without a warehouse, storefront, or full-time staff? 

In this episode, I sit down wit…

In this episode of The Pizza King Podcast, I break down what it’s really like to sell your pizza shop after 23 years in the business. From running seven Westshore Pizza locations to navigating the em…

I used to think Gen Z was just entitled and lazy—until I realized I needed to shift how I lead. In this episode, I’m breaking down what’s actually working inside my pizzeria to lead and connect with …

In this episode, I sit down with Ryan Giffin, founder of Commercial Kitchen Stop, to talk shop — literally. Ryan and I dig into everything from smart kitchen design to saving real money when you're b…

In this episode of The Pizza King Podcast, I’m joined by Eddie LeBon and Joel from Thrive POS — not to sell you on their system, but to pull back the curtain on what it’s really like choosing the rig…

What do you do when you buy all the pizza equipment, start your buildout… and the guy who promised to train you ghosts you? If you're Brian Nittayo, you hit the Pizza Expo, meet Tony Gemignani, hustl…

Think opening a pizzeria requires half a million dollars in the bank? Think again. In this episode, I'm breaking down what it really costs to start a pizza shop from scratch—whether you're hustling …

What’s up, fam. It’s just me on the mic today—and I want to talk about something that’s got a lot of operators stuck. 

Systems. 

Not the clipboard, corporate kind. I’m talkin’ real systems that give yo…

Paul Cody, owner of Pie Trap Pizza in Covina, CA, joins the show for a no-filter conversation on leadership, culture, and turning passion into purpose. From sneaking a fryer into a 400 sq ft kitchen …

How Pizza Magnets Took Over the Internet (with Todd from Popp’s Trophies)

What started as a small-town trophy shop turned into one of the pizza industry’s most viral success stories. In this episode, …

What’s up, Pizza Fam!

This episode’s a little different—I took it all the way back to the beginning. Why? Because the question keeps coming up: “T, how’d you get started in this pizza game?” And with …

In this episode of The Pizza King Podcast, Tyrell Reed sits down with the energetic and inspiring Joey Karvelas, co-founder of Karvelas Pizza Company. Joey shares the story of how he turned a $19,000…

In this episode, I’m giving you my full recap of the 2025 Pizza Expo in Las Vegas. From my 4 a.m. flight out of Tampa to the non-stop action on the show floor, this trip was packed with energy, conne…