OpenTube

He Built a Pizza Business That Sells Out DAILY — With Just 6 Menu Items!

Slice

803,451 views

Welcome to a behind-the-scenes look at Milly's Pizza in the Pan — where every detail is handmade, pre-ordered, and sold out before the doors even open. In this interview, we uncover the secrets behind one of the most buzzed-about pizza spots in Chicagoland.

📍 Location: Berwyn, Illinois: https://www.millyspizzachi.com/
🍕 Format: Limited menu, zero in-store transactions, 100% online
💼 Startup Cost: Just $40K
🔧 Equipment: Mostly used, sourced from Marketplace
👨‍🍳 Team: Only 3 employees
👨‍🍳 Owner: Self-taught, inspired by YouTube and bread makers

Looking to make more money at your shop? Download our latest worksheet and plan it out!
https://slice.com/blog/5-strategies-t...
Chapters:

00:00 - Selling Out Before Opening
00:15 - A Menu of Just Six Pizzas
01:06 - The Team and Daily Prep
01:57 - Why He Opened a Second Location
02:34 - Startup Costs & Using Used Equipment
03:14 - Rent and Keeping Costs Low
03:51 - Fixed Cost Advantage of Pre-Orders
04:25 - Minimalist Setup Philosophy
04:42 - Most Popular Pizza: "OnlyPans"
05:29 - Organic Press and Instagram Growth
05:43 - Kitchen Tour Begins
06:16 - The Hands-On Pizza Process
06:58 - Tweaking Dough Daily Based on Weather
07:33 - Learning from YouTube and Mentors
08:10 - Ghost Kitchen Origins
09:11 - Dough Techniques and Limited Fridge Space
09:56 - Pizza Assembly and Unique Baking Style
10:51 - Sauce and Cheese Choices
11:30 - Crafting the "OnlyPans" Pizza
12:17 - Scaling Without Losing Quality
14:10 - Streamlining Production at New Location
15:04 - Garnishing the Final Pizza
16:38 - Taste Test: Surprisingly Light and Flavorful

More From The Slice Community:
The Sauce: https://slice.com/community
Facebook: https://fb.com/slicepizzaapp
Owners Group: Facebook: pizzashopownersforum

Slice believes that local pizzerias deserve all the advantages of big chains without compromising their independence. Slice puts technology, marketing, buying power, and support to work for these shops, empowering owners to build profitable businesses and remain at the heart of our communities. Learn more at slice.com.

20 Comments

@kevinh3979 1 year ago

65 pizzas per location. Let's say average pie with possible drinks and toppings (taking into account some with added toppings): $33 to $37. So, $35 x 65 = $2300. x 2 stores = $4,600/day. x 5 days open/wk = $23,000. x 52 wks = 1.2mm per year gross. Let's say he's able to take home 15%. That's about $175k per year. Gets two days off per week and has help. Smart pizza man.

@JM-zt8vq 11 months ago

Low stress, no getting slammed by phone calls while trying to make pizzas, really a blessed kitchen

@Lashes.541 1 year ago

What a real no bull kind of guy, you can tell he is self made, the kind of pizza owner that if something breaks he will figure it one way or another. Pizza looks amazing, it’s unique and different creative ideas.

@SilentAttackTV 10 months ago

As an introvert, this seems like the perfect way to run a pizza business. And you don't need to stress about phone calls or getting things done quickly, you know exactly when everything needs to be done.

@ValdaPeacock 1 year ago

I love this .He could obviously sell a lot more but chooses lifestyle over work,really impressive

@Paulnopanic 1 year ago (edited)

I live 3 minutes away from this location 😂 definitely gonna have to try, cool to see the old Gina’s building put to good use

@chico510 1 year ago

On top of being a brilliant pizza guy, he's a very clear communicator

@itzkingxo548 1 year ago

I like how humble and real he is.

@TheUpgrade101 1 year ago

Dude grinded a ghost kitchen to build this! I fucking love that

@kc4699 1 year ago (edited)

what an excellent business model! so many people over invest and try to do too many things and try to make too much money or win awards too quickly. and for what? a super stressed out life? this guy's got it all figured out. mad respect.

@tylerofviolence 1 year ago

This guys is purest and master of his craft we love it.

@garywilson4597 1 year ago

I've been in the pizza business for 37 years (44 years total restaurant business). The Middleby-Marshall ovens he references are conveyor ovens, the same ones Domino's, Pizza Hut, Papa John's, etc uses. You load the pizza on one end and it runs through the baking chamber on a conveyor belt and comes out the other end completed. Although much less labor-intensive, the end product will be slightly different from the set-up he's using in this video.

@ComplacentMushroom 1 year ago

Native Chicagoan. This is quite literally the best in the whole city.

@forhike 1 year ago

What a humble person

@fruitaholics 10 months ago

In round numbers, that's about $400k/location revenue. If you've got 25% in food cost, 25% in overhead (he's probably below that given rent is $25k/year) and 25% in labor, he can get a nice paycheck AND good profit as an owner.

@FrithonaHrududu02127 1 year ago

its nice that he named his place after one of my cats.

@himanshuv.janbandhu6455 1 year ago

Man, he's so relaxed

@hamburglar83 1 year ago

Holy moly this pizza was good. Looks and eats like a piece of art.

@aeons7836 10 months ago (edited)

Ingredients mentioned: cheese - part skim galbani mozzarella and ricotta sauce - stanislaus, red pepper flakes, garlic powder, dried oregano, salt pepperoni - rosa grande peppers - peppadew peppers, calabrian chillis
Bake for ~10 minutes with cheese and sauce then again for 5 mins after adding toppings. Garnish after 2nd bake