From Red Carpet Catastrophe to Delicious Success

How to Handle the Rollercoaster Ride of Building a Business

Whenever I receive a late-night text from a friend and see the word "Pizzana,” my stomach instinctively does a nervous flip. Pizzana, my Michelin Bib-awarded Neapolitan pizza concept, is about to open its 7th location, but just because it’s a growing, thriving business doesn't mean that everything always goes perfectly. So when I see that name pop up on my phone, I brace myself for the worst—someone’s order must be taking an eternity, or perhaps it was incomplete. I may sound a bit paranoid, but after almost two decades in the restaurant and retail industry with Sprinkles and Pizzana, I've learned that people rarely text you late at night just to say "Great Job!"

Even so, I always want to hear if something's off, so I tell my friends to let me know. Sure, negative feedback can sting, but it's a golden chance to make things better. I'm always looking to tweak and improve my business, and criticism is key to that.

So you can imagine my delight (and relief) when I received this message from a friend late one evening last week:

“… I have to tell you what just happened. My sister and I ordered pizza to be delivered from your Sherman Oaks location about an hour and a half ago but Postmates canceled the order five minutes before they were supposed to deliver it. I decided to call the restaurant and ended up on the phone with your general manager. After she tried to help us get it delivered through another app (we couldn’t because we live .7 miles outside their delivery zone) she asked her restaurant staff if anyone would be willing to drive it out to us. And… someone is now on their way with our order! She also said she would call about our original order that had been mysteriously canceled and take care of it on our behalf. I just wanted you to know, because that is some of the most incredible customer service I’ve ever seen in my entire life! Great employees are a reflection of great management and leadership. Well done …🤍"

NIGHT MADE!

I was so proud of my team and couldn't wait to share the accolades company-wide. They had turned an unfortunate situation around—not even one of their making—and created a customer for life. But this moment of pride was more than just a pat on the back for my team; it was a testament to the journey we've been on as a company. As I sat down to thank our manager and her team for going above and beyond, I couldn't help but reflect on the growth we've experienced since our earliest days. It's moments like these that remind me of the power of pushing through challenging times and the importance of always striving to do—and be—better.

Picture this: It's 2018, and Pizzana's first Academy Awards night in business. In entertainment-obsessed Los Angeles, red carpet viewing parties are a celebrated tradition, and we anticipated a bustling night for takeout. We felt fully prepared - we had staffed up, increased inventory, fired up the extra oven, and folded hundreds of boxes. Let the orders begin!

And they did. But very quickly, the steady stream of incoming orders turned into an all-out deluge. In spite of all our preparation, we were now drinking from a firehose, overwhelmed by demand. And, in the heat of the moment and a desperate desire not to disappoint any customers, we made a critical error—we did not shut off orders. Instead, we kept allowing orders to come in, burying ourselves deeper into the weeds.

The kitchen was in a frenzy, chefs and staff racing around, trying to keep up with the relentless demand. Pizzas were flying out of the ovens, but it wasn't enough. By the time we realized we were in over our heads, it was too late. Orders had piled up, running three hours late, some never even got out the door. What’s worse? Everything was so mixed up, we couldn't even track who had received what.

After the barrage of orders came the torrent of texts - directly to me. Friends, acquaintances, people who had planned their entire Academy Awards viewing parties around our pizzas, were frustrated and letting me know. "Where's the food?" they asked. "The show's almost over, and we have nothing." My phone became a lightning rod of dread, each message a reminder of our big, fat fail.

On a night when our restaurant should have been celebrating a record sales day, we found ourselves in damage control mode. Instead of toasting to our success, we spent the entire next day reaching out to every customer with an apology. Not only did we refund every last order, but we also issued gift cards on top of it. It took our whole team to untangle the complex web of customer service issues. What should have been a triumphant evening left us disheartened, demoralized, and financially in the hole.

Here’s the thing: every embarrassing failure has the potential to be either a dead end or fuel to get better. We could have stewed in our misery, denied our faults, pointed fingers, or even given up. Instead, we took swift action to correct our mistakes, learned from the experience, and moved forward. We faced the consequences, distilled the lessons, and gradually built a team that is equipped and willing to go the extra mile, quite literally..

Remember, every setback is an opportunity for a comeback. Keep pushing, keep learning, and keep growing. Embrace your failures. They're not THE END; they're just the prologue to your successful sequel.

Also…shameless plug: the Academy Awards are just around the corner, and I promise we've come a long way since that fateful night in 2018. If you're in LA, Dallas, or Houston, consider celebrating the Oscars this year with Pizzana take-out. And for those anywhere else in the US, you can have our award winning pizza shipped via Goldbelly. I highly recommend our world-famous Cacio e Pepe and our classic pepperoni - available in either regular or gluten free!

Ciao for now!

XO,

candace

.