A Slice of the Pie: How to Build a Big Little Business

by Nick Sarillo

How does a suburban pizza joint end up profiled on national magazine covers and network TV news? ( The secret is not in the sauce.) When Nick Sarillo decided to open a family-friendly pizza restaurant in the suburbs of Chicago, people thought he was nuts. Having worked as a carpenter for much of his adult life, he lacked any formal experience in restaurants or in managing a small business. Everyone told him no one else would ever care about his place the way he did. They warned he’d have to work 20-hour-days and monitor every employee just to stay in business. But Sarillo saw things differently, and set out to run his business in a radically different way. Today Nick’s Pizza & Pub is one of the top ten busiest independent pizza restaurants in the country, with two locations that gross about six times the revenue of the typical pizza restaurant. And in an industry where most employees leave within less than a year, Nick’s annual turnover rate is less than 20 percent. How did he do it? The secret lies in Nick’s purpose-driven culture, in which every employee—from the waiters to the chefs to the managers—is equipped with the tools necessary to do their jobswhile also advancing the company’s overall mission. The result is higher sales, a dedicated team, and a big little business that is beloved by the entire community. In A Slice of the Pie Sarillo tells the story of how he built his extraordinary culture and shows how anyone can follow his methods. For instance, Nick’s managers engage the staff by tracking and rewarding unusual metrics, such as how many guests request a particular server or the average check amount of each carryout host. Likewise, team members of all ages and levels of experience are encouraged to express themselves, acquire new skills, and suggest ideas to help the business grow.
A Slice of the Pie will help transform even the smallest, simplest, and most ordinary business into a successful, high-performance organization.

Genres: Business, Entrepreneurship

253 pages, Hardcover

First published March 15, 2012

Reviews

[Donna · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is nonfiction on how to grow a small business. If you are thinking BIG, this is not the book for you. If you just want a "slice", then maybe this will be helpful.

This was very, very specific about one person's experience in moving their small business forward. Some of this can be applied to other business plans, but this is taste specific. It worked for him. Some of it was planned some of this came about as a happy accident.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nick's culture goes against what society says. I grabbed this book on my second day of being hired, and learned the Nick's culture. Between the orientation classes and the book, I grasped the mission of Nick's Pizza and Pub.

At first, I was wondering if the teaching was just lip service as many previous employers HAD been. From the first day of orientation to my 10th day of server training, the purpose has remained solid and used by all of the team members (from pizza makers to a bus boy).

I loved learning about his father, his childhood, and his heart of entrepreneurship. I appreciate his open dialogue with his team members, his community, and his desire to be a life long learner.


I was hired at the end of February.

After three months of "training" and over 115 hours of a combination of orientation, food runner, and server training, I am only allowed to take four tables per night. It is frustrating that I have not "mastered" my four tables and is very subjective as each server trainer has a different teaching style and "art". I have not made as much money as I though I would and am considering giving my notice. I would say that it's a great book that is full of potential, but I have walked a different walk in this his restaurant profile. I guess I am not the "A+" player that he is looking for, however, I wondered why that sign (His NOW HIRING sign) has been outside the restaurant for a straight year.
The 10 people I spent orientation with.......there are only four left. I wonder how that retention rate works today............Makes me think.......

[P Freeman · Rating 1 out of 5]

worst business book I've ever read.

[Dennis · Rating 2 out of 5]

The examples we're fine, but it wasn't very clear what he was trying to get us to learn. The chapters all talk about the same things without an objective or summary of learning. The culture tips are good, but the writing is bad.