How a Mom of Two Opened a Pizzeria and Boosted Online Sales to $10,650 a Month by Copying Big Chains’ Tactics

That mom of two is me, and after increasing my pizzeria’s online revenue to $10,650 a month, I don’t plan to stop there.

It’s because now I know I can compete with the big chains, grow my customer base, and do it all while running my small family business.

And looking back, it’s crazy to think I was skeptical about using the same online marketing tactics that big chains rely on.

I thought their success was out of reach for someone like me, running a small pizzeria with limited resources.

Yet, when I discovered that I could apply their digital marketing strategies to my own business, the results spoke for themselves.

But I’ll admit—my first attempt wasn’t as successful as I’d hoped.

For any restaurant owner who hasn’t been able to crack the code of online sales, chances are you’re making the same mistakes I did.

Let me explain.

But first, I want to explain how I went from running a promising new pizzeria to nearly closing my doors, and what made me realize I needed to change course—fast.

I’m a 37-year-old mother of two young kids, and just a year after giving birth to my second child, I opened a pizzeria in Richardson, Texas. 

I had no prior experience in the restaurant business, but things were looking good at first. My physical orders were growing steadily, and the community loved our pizzas.

But then COVID hit. Practically overnight, my dining room went empty. I had to pivot quickly to delivery apps just to keep the business going.

The online orders did start coming in, but the margins were razor-thin. Between app fees and reduced profits, I barely broke even, even though online demand was rising. 

The worst part was that I still had to pay rent for my physical location, which wasn’t generating any income at the time.

I knew that if I continued down this path, my pizzeria wouldn’t last more than six months.

I had to act fast.

I always thought restaurant websites were just for displaying contact information, but here’s what made me change my mind.

For the longest time, I didn’t think a website could do much beyond listing my menu, hours, and phone number. 

I figured most customers would either call in or just walk by and place their orders in person.

Then, during the pandemic, another restaurant owner in the area shared something that completely changed my perspective. 

He told me his website orders had skyrocketed during the lockdowns, and the best part? His profit margins were much higher than he ever expected.

That got me thinking: maybe I had been underestimating the power of online orders.

I Thought My POS System’s Online Ordering Page Would Solve Everything—But It Didn’t.

Once I discovered that my online sales could actually be profitable, I contacted my POS provider, Toast, to set up an online ordering page.

They got it up and running within a week, but it didn’t go as smoothly as I expected. 

The default design they gave me didn’t reflect my brand at all—it looked generic and uninviting. 

Worse yet, it wasn’t even integrated into my main website, where I was already getting traffic from Google searches.

Still, I hoped for the best. Since I had decent website traffic, I did start seeing some new online orders trickling in. But it wasn’t nearly enough.

 The revenue from those orders wasn’t even covering my rent, let alone helping my business grow.

It left me wondering—what was I doing wrong?

Oversimplifying Online Ordering Was My Biggest Mistake.

I assumed having a basic online ordering page was enough, but I quickly realized that wasn’t the case. 

I noticed that other successful restaurants were integrating online ordering directly into their websites.

They had clearly visible “Add to Cart” buttons, and their pages were perfectly aligned with their brands, making the whole experience seamless.

Not only that, but they were actively collecting their customers’ email addresses and phone numbers, allowing them to promote repeat orders and engage their audience more effectively.

Seeing how far behind I was, I started Googling to find solutions. After exploring several options, I came across Air Platter. 

Intrigued by what they offered, I decided to book a free consultation with one of their marketing consultants.

With the Right Guidance, My Online Orders Took Off—and Continue to Grow.

Thankfully, I didn’t have to spend a fortune or try countless expensive services to figure out what worked best for my restaurant.

Instead, I used the service I mentioned earlier—Air Platter. 

They started by offering me a free website audit and walked me through the results during our consultation. 

They provided tons of actionable tips I could apply right away, but I decided to go with their full solution. Why? Their service starts at just $99, which was a much more affordable option, especially compared to competitors charging $400–$500. 

Plus, I’d already spoken to other restaurant owners using those more expensive services, and my conversion rates were outperforming theirs! 

Not only was I getting more new traffic from Google searches, but Air Platter also helped me collect thousands of customer emails and phone numbers, which now generate repeat orders regularly.

In total, I managed to boost my website’s online orders to an impressive 10,650 USD a month!

Elle