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Reality Bites: Pizzeria Makeover Show in the Works? Reality Pizza

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Reality Bites: Pizzeria Makeover Show in the Works? Reality Pizza

Posted By: Pizza Expert
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Restaurant social marketing expert Craig Agranoff has the recipe for the next great reality show

There are more than 70,000 pizzerias in the United States, and the average Joe will eat nearly 4,000 slices of pie in a lifetime.

But with the majority of us being pizza loyalists – sticking to one or two authentic joints that consistently deliver the goods – what happens to all other pizzerias that fail to distinguish their product or marketing?

Dusty pizza boxes get Duct-taped across the windows. And when the neighborhood loses, the cardboard pizza chains and frozen pie purveyors gain.

Craig Agranoff is only a pizza loyalist in one sense: He likes good pizza. But Agranoff, who’s reviewed more than 800 pizzerias dotted across the country on worstpiza.com, has the refined pie palate and marketing savvy that uniquely suit him for the job. Whether he’s walking into new school fusion joints or old school pizzerias, by the time he drops a quarter in Donkey Kong and starts sampling slices, he knows if the business is legit or will soon be belly-up.

The unique expertise of Agranoff – a pop media pundit and regular TV commentator – combined with his never-ending quest for the perfect slice make him the perfect vehicle for a new reality-style pizzeria makeover show.

Think Bravo’s “Tabitha’s Salon Takeover” meets Anthony Bourdain’s “No Reservations.” Whether a pizzeria is a legit Sicilian shop that can’t connect its brand with a younger demographic or a hoity toity bistro serving ho-hum vegan pies, Agranoff has a plan that will deliver.

“I find it unbelievable that there isn’t a show wholly dedicated to making over pizzerias considering how big a role they play in our lives,” said Agranoff, whose Pizza Experts marketing firm has received national news attention. “We have their number on speed dial, we’ve always got a slice or two in the freezer and we know the delivery guy’s whole back story. Plus, what goes better with a tasty slice than entertaining TV?”

The ideal show format would have Agranoff visiting struggling pizzerias from coast to coast to revamp the menu and marketing strategy. Whether the slices taste like they’re stolen from under the heat lamp of a bowling alley snack bar or the shop lacks online ordering capability, Agranoff will troubleshoot the feature business’ shortcomings.

“Ordering and eating pizza in a national past-time,” Agranoff said. “It should be an easy, enjoyable experience – for both the customers and the pizzeria. And if it’s not, it’s the type of before-and-after makeover that will make for fresh entertainment.”

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