Q+A With Troy King, General Manager at Sauce Pizza and Wine

Smart Hiring with Sauce Pizza and Wine General Manager, Troy King

If you’re seeking a unique franchise opportunity in the restaurant industry, Sauce Pizza and Wine combines the convenience of fast-casual dining with the sophistication of elevated cuisine. In this interview, Troy King, general manager at Sauce Pizza and Wine, discusses what he looks for when it comes to hiring the right employees for his location, and why now is such a great time to be part of the Sauce Pizza and Wine family.

What does your role as General Manager at Sauce Pizza and Wine entail and what does a typical day look like?

King: I run the day-to-day operations within these four walls, which means I manage the restaurant and everything that is involved with it. A typical day begins with a lot of prep first thing in the morning before welcoming our guests. Once we’re open, it’s off to the races! Busy lunch and dinner service along with a lot of interaction between our staff and guests.

How do you find the right staff for your Sauce Pizza and Wine location?

King: While finding the right staff can be challenging, it’s important that you get the right people for the jobs. We are looking for people with a personality. Sure, we can train anyone to be a server, but finding the right people who want to buy into our culture, how we run things—those are key traits we look for in our staff. We are building a team that is a great fit for our restaurant, with our staff and management, and with our brand.

You’ve had some long-tenured employees at your location? How do you keep employees with you for such a long time?

King: We have had a lot of employees who have been here for a long time! I’ve had servers that have been here for five or six years. Like I said, it’s about finding the right people that fit and work well together. Yes, we sell pizza, but we’re also in the people business. I make sure we take care of our staff so that they can take care of our guests. Happy employees create happy guests.

We are very family-oriented, from the managers down. I make it a priority to know everything about my staff and who they are as a person. It’s important to acknowledge special moments that may be coming up and celebrate them. We try to have a good time here and strive to make everybody feel like they are home and part of the family.

What do you want your guests to feel when they walk through the doors of Sauce Pizza and Wine?

King: I want our guests to feel like they are coming to hang out at my house – welcomed, comfortable, and at home!

What’s your favorite item on the menu?

King: My favorite item on the menu is the panini. I probably have a Chicken Pesto Panini at least once a week!

Why is now an exciting time for someone to invest in a Sauce Pizza and Wine franchise?

King: We’ve been doing this for a long time and I believe we are at a point where we’re ready to expand and branch out. We have multiple restaurants that are doing great business and we’re ready to take that next step and make Sauce Pizza and Wine into a bigger brand. The growth potential is there, and this is a concept that could work well anywhere!

What makes for a good owner-operator of a Sauce Pizza and Wine location?

King: I believe there are two different types of owners when they buy a franchise. Some want to be very involved and influence the day-to-day operations. While others want to purchase a location, step back, and hire managers to run the restaurant.

I think if you want to be an owner-operator for Sauce Pizza and Wine, you must have a passion for what you do. You need to love the restaurant industry, love the day-to-day operations of working in a restaurant, and love dealing with people. This is very much a people job, as much as it is a food job.

Communication is also so important! Everybody needs to be sure they are delegating and managing each other correctly. We are constantly talking about what’s going on in the restaurant. We talk about what’s working and what might not be working as well. I’m also in constant communication with the management team above me. They’re reviewing me and letting me know what I’m doing right and what I’m doing wrong. It’s up to me to implement that feedback and do a better job with my restaurant.

What’s the most challenging part of running a Sauce Pizza and Wine franchise?

King: I think probably the most challenging part is consistency– from the food, to the service you give, to the people you hire. People want to come in the door week after week and see the same employees. Our guests build relationships with our staff. It’s also important to ensure that the food and service at this location is the same quality and taste as other Sauce Pizza and Wine locations.

How important is community interaction to your Sauce Pizza and Wine franchise?

King: We interact a lot with our guests in the community– many of them have been visiting us for years. They bring their kids at a young age, and before we know it, they’re in high school. What’s even more exciting is that they want to work here! They say, “Oh, you know, I’ve been coming here since I was six years old. I used to get the mac and cheese, and I used to beg my parents to come here!”

Many employees worked for us in high school, went off to college, and started their own families. Now they are coming in with young families of their own and starting that whole tradition over again.

It is an exciting time to join Sauce Pizza and Wine. We’re in a position where we can grow a lot, and there’s a bright future ahead of us. Not only here in the valley, but I think across the entire country.

Learn More About Franchising Opportunities with Sauce Pizza and Wine

Want to learn more about bringing the Sauce Pizza and Wine experience to your neighborhood? Complete our inquiry form and visit our research pages here.  Our franchise development team is excited to speak with you and provide more information about your interest in growing Sauce Pizza and Wine.