Pizza shops are popping up all over the country. With the constant growth of the pizza industry and revenue opportunities, you need to set yourself apart from your competition. But how can your small pizzeria distinguish itself beyond making the best pizza in your hometown?

Back in the ’80s there was a popular sitcom starring Tony Danza and Judith Light called “Who’s The Boss?”

On the first day of my summer job at Andy’s Drive-In restaurant, several things were burned into my 14-year-old brain:

When you treat employees like rock stars, they will treat your customers like rock stars, writes customer service expert Shep Hyken. That is what employee engagement is all about.

Halifax – One of Nova Scotia's most thriving sectors is having a hard time attracting and keeping workers this time of year, as students return to their studies, says the Atlantic vice-president of Restaurants Canada. CBC News reports. | READ MORE

Toronto – Uber Eats has launched in 30 new cities and towns in Canada, including Halifax, Winnipeg, Regina, Saskatoon and surrounding cities in Vancouver.

Mississauga, Ont. – Cintas Canada has published a white paper that highlights features to look for in foodservice garments, the benefits of renting versus purchasing uniforms and factors affecting the total cost of ownership.

Having a strong online presence is a crucial component of your overall marketing strategy. If you don’t have a well-designed online pizza marketing strategy, it’s now time to develop one.

Are you thinking of buying a pizzeria franchise? Not sure what to expect? To learn more about the relationship between franchisor and franchisee and what to expect as a new franchisee, we talked with franchise lawyer David Kornhauser of Macdonald Sager Manis LLP in Toronto, who has worked with franchisors, franchisees and franchisee associations across a variety of industries, including the food industry.

Chicago – The restaurant industry is experiencing one of the biggest shifts in consumer behaviour since the drive-through, and operators must adapt their off-premise business strategy, says a new industry study.

Edmontonr – A fire early Wednesday in the Edmonton commercial building that houses Maximo's Pizza and Donair caused an estimated $1.5 million in damage, Edmonton Fire Rescue Services says. CBC News reports. | READ MORE

Toronto – Restaurants Canada and BlueRover Inc. are partnering to provide a food-delivery system to Canadian restaurants.

Fornoteca's Duetto self-cooking pizza oven, fuelled by propane and on four caster wheels, is designed with restaurant patios and catering jobs in mind.

Snag, an online marketplace for hourly jobs in the U.S., has begun offering its recruiting services to employers in Canada.

Red Bull, known for its energy drinks, launched a line of organic soft drinks in early June.

Prolon, a commercial melamine tableware company, recently showcased its new colours and heat-resistant Micropure technology at the National Restaurant Association Show in Chicago in May.

After a new look for your restaurant's decor? Ceilume's new decorative thermoformed panels may be used to create dramatic and affordable effects on ceilings and accent walls.

Midea's new FlashGriller combines three cooking technologies and an intuitive programmable control centre.

ComplianceMate showcased the eHACCP industry’s first LoRa-enabled temperature sensor at the National Restaurant Association Show in Chicago.

Paytronix Systems has added to its online ordering app new designed to give businesses more control over their mobile experience and to get their mobile apps up and running quickly and cost effectively.

World Centric will debut its tree-free, plant-based, compostable pizza container for pizza takeout/delivery restaurants at the International Pizza Expo running March 20-22 in Las Vegas.

HealthSpace has teamed up with Keboola Data Services and Xotecx Solutions Corp. to make a quality control and customer experience app to improve food safety and customer engagement in restaurants.

Vancouver – Silver Chef Canada's goal is to provide funding and equipment rentals to hospitality businesses to help them grow and reach their potential over the next five years.

Pizza and bowling seem to go together. They are both fun, shareable experiences that are easily customizable. Bowlers can take their families, friends can join a league, folks young and old can enjoy a date night at the local lanes.

Justin Tanada, a sales trainer from Hamilton, Ont., loves pizza so much that he started an Instagram account dedicated to it. Known as Pizzatography the profile features photos and videos of pizza from all over the world.

The uniqueness of Maurizio Mascioli’s pizza has made his season-driven shop popular with locals and a must-do for visitors of Parry Sound, Ont., and surrounding area.

A beautifully prepared sweet treat is not only the perfect way to round out a pizza order, it can also boost sales significantly. We’re not talking about days-old packaged cookies here – we’re talking handcrafted goodies made fresh daily that will have customers spreading the word on your behalf.

If the people who work for you are excited about being there, it has a positive impact on the strength of your brand. Experiences are delivered by people – and your people are your brand, so you should want them to be in a good place. It’s great in theory but how does it look in practice?

When Marc Askenasi and Sam Hazan were kicking around a soccer ball together in the 1990s, they did not imagine teaming up in the pizza business.

Montreal – McGill Pizza of Montreal has been a student favourite since it was founded in the 1960s, and chef and owner Costa Deligiannis is making sure it keeps its nostalgic appeal. The McGill Tribune reports. | READ MORE

Most operators in the pizza business in Canada will tell you it’s hard to find – and keep – good staff. A good employee is like gold.

Wayne deGroot and Jocelyn Morwood-deGroot, the owners of Zen’Za Pizzeria in London, Ont., have been on a health and career journey and ended up right where they should be.

We forget sometimes that pizza is fun. It’s a sentiment not lost on Chip Foster, the Canadian fashion designer known for his premium jeans beloved by the likes of Robin Wright, Sarah Jessica Parker and Beyonce.

Pizza lovers are dining al fresco in rural Manitoba and it all began with a wood-fired oven named Hildegard.

Pizza King of Kamloops, B.C., has been doing its best to boost the morale of citizens displaced by recent wildfires in surrounding areas.

Boston – Researchers at MIT have discovered a way to break uncooked spaghetti noodles in two in a breakthrough that could have implications far beyond the kitchen, according to the school. The Boston Globe reports. | READ MORE

This pizza was known as Chef’s Choice until chef Wayne deGroot and wife and business partner Jocelyn Morwood-deGroot learned the owner of the highrise where they live and work in London, Ont., loves the pizza.

Toronto chef Massimo Bruno shares his recipe for a popular street food that has its roots in Bari, Italy

Troy, OH – Hobart, a manufacturer of commercial food equipment has announced the winners of both a custom-painted mixer and a food processor.

Ottawa – Canadian mushroom growers produced 132,556 short tons of mushrooms in 2017, up 1.3 per cent from 2016, and the price of mushrooms rose by 2.8 per cent, says a report from Statistics Canada.

The Great Canadian Apple Bacon Cheddar Pizza celebrates Canada’s 150th birthday. This craveable pie won the Seasonal Pizza Challenge at the Canadian Pizza Show in 2017

When it comes to pizza, crust is king. With all due respect to signature sauce and premium toppings, I doubt I’ll get much argument from operators. But the latest pizza research backs up this grand claim.

Here’s a pizza that just may just lay to rest any debate about pineapple on pizza.

Bainbridge Island, WA – A small pizzeria near Seattle, Wash., says it's maintaining a genuine piece of Klondike Gold Rush history – a sourdough starter that has been alive about 120 years. CBC News reports. | READ MORE

This week's episode of Bakers Journal This Week marks the launch of a new three-part series on sourdough baking. Part 1 features Karl De Smedt, communication and training manager at Puratos, who shares some key aspects of sourdough’s fascinating nature. Our sister magazine, Bakers Journal reports. | READ MORE

Troy, OH – Hobart will give away a Legacy HL662 mixer designed on a craft beer theme at the International Pizza Expo and, in a separate online giveaway, an FP150 continuous-feed full hopper food processor.

Having popular beverages on your menu can help grow your bottom line.

Generation Z, consisting of people aged 11-22, are looking for a healthy lifestyle, enjoy eating international foods and are open to digital learning through online videos and other sources, according to research from Mintel.

Lifestyle shifts such as older Gen Zers beginning post-secondary school and millennials starting families are having a significant impact on the foodservice industry, says a new report from research firm Technomic.

Vegan barbecue and snacking with beer are among four food and drink trends we can expect to see this summer, according to a new international report from Mintel. 

Toronto – While traditional meals such as lunch and dinner are by far the most likely occasions Canadian diners go out to eat, the country’s youngest consumers are driving interest in non-traditional times for dining out, according to new research from Mintel.

Toronto – The annual Chefs Survey's top 10 trends and top 10 up-and-coming trends were identified this week at a Restaurants Canada industry event.

Vancouver – Vancouver city council has voted to ban plastic straws and foam cups and takeout containers effective June 1, 2019 – six months earlier than initially proposed – making it the first municipality in Canada to ban the single-use disposable items. The Vancouver Sun/Canadian Press reports. | READ MORE

Toronto – A Toronto–based app connecting restaurants and bars to temporary workers will soon be expanding to the city's retail market, adding a new dimension to the growing gig economy  — and raising questions about how to protect the workers who depend on it. CBC News reports. | READ MORE

Denver, CO – Ardent Mills’ culinary team recently shared ideas for using premium flours and grains to add value to pizza.

Ottawa – An online platform called Transparent Kitchen is connecting diners to restaurants and the suppliers who provide their ingredients. Andrew Coppolino reports for CBC News. | READ MORE

Vancouver – Customers coming for the tasting menus at Vancouver's Cacao restaurant must pay upfront when booking online, the same way they would for a theatre performance, concert or hockey game. Will the trend catch on with diners? The Globe and Mail reports. | READ MORE