10/19/2026
One of the things you hear constantly as a business owner is that if you want to grow, you have to replace yourself.
And I get it. But what if I don’t want to stop doing the very thing I started the business to do?
Here are 5 reasons I’m not interested in owning 10 pizzerias.
1. I LOVE MAKING PIZZA.
I didn’t start Serpico’s to manage restaurants. I started because I wanted to become a great pizza maker. And the more I learn, the more I realize how much I still don’t know.
2. I’VE ALREADY DONE THE MANAGEMENT THING.
I spent years producing television, managing people, budgets, schedules, and personalities. I’m not particularly interested in recreating that career with mozzarella.
3. I WANT TO GET BETTER, NOT JUST BIGGER.
I spend a ridiculous amount of time thinking about dough, fermentation, and technique. I compete to challenge myself and learn from people who are better than me. That’s where my ambition lives.
4. I WANT TO BUILD A TEAM, NOT REPLACE MYSELF.
Of course I want Serpico’s to run without me. I’m training people to make pizza to my standards. But having the freedom to step away is different from making it my goal to never touch dough again.
5. MY DEFINITION OF SUCCESS IS DIFFERENT.
Make exceptional pizza. Earn a good living. Build a team that’s proud of its work. Have time to enjoy life. And keep getting better at something I love.
I have tremendous respect for people who build restaurant chains. I’m just not convinced that’s what I want.
Maybe I’ll feel differently in five years.
But right now, I’d rather become a better pizzaiolo than a better restaurant executive.
Not every successful business needs to become an empire.
I’m curious what other business owners think. Does success always have to mean getting bigger?
