Hey there— Alex here,
Yesterday morning I spoke with two of my best buds in the industry, and it had me reflecting on this unspoken thing that all 3 of us deeply feel when we talk about our food, people and problems.
Passion, is defined by a strong and barely controllable emotion. Passion for pizza is obviously something you need to survive in this industry, but anyone with an ooni can be passionate about pizza. It must go beyond the dough and the oven.
This strong and barely controllable emotion must be put into everything to truly be great. Without this enthusiasm, the failures, and hurdles of running and owning a business will eat you alive. Passion, confidence, and obsession are most likely the three factors that lead anyone to believe that opening a restaurant is a good idea. Anyone without these qualities, I would argue, is not going to be the most successful restaurateur, lawyer, vet, bus driver, or policeman.
I’ve talked to a lot of people in the industry, and it’s easy to tell which ones are destined for greatness. I can feel how far they are willing to go to make their dreams a reality just by listening to the way they speak about their devotion to the craft and everything it comes with. I can feel someone’s obsession; you can taste it in conversation.
My advice to anyone getting into the restaurant industry is if you aren’t passionate about this business, ALL of this business—keep the ooni blazing in your backyard and find something else. Without passion, this industry will burn you to a crisp, and not the New Haven style.
“Find what you love and let it kill you”
– Bukowski
Love, crust, and pizza dust,
Alex
