208. The Explosion of Mattenga’s Pizzeria with Hengam Stanfield

Send us Fan MailThis week, Josh and Denise chat with Hengam Stanfield, co-owner of Mattenga’s Pizzeria in San Antonio, Texas. What started out as taking over a failing pizzeria in 2013 has grown into eight locations and expanding.  Hengam and husband Matt met in college, both aspiring engineers but soon realized they wanted to be in business for themselves. They entered the restaurant world without any experience in dining. They learned on the job from day one. They were able to apply their engineering mindset to establishing the systems to help their business succeed. In 2020, after considering selling their two-unit operation, Hengam and Matt decided instead to take their business to the next level and grow. Even amidst the pandemic, Mattenga’s able to grow by 20 percent that year. Hengam shares their growth strategy and what she is looking for in potential restaurant spaces. Mattenga’s staff is key to the pizza company’s growth. Hengam talks leadership and how important communication and team development are.  Hengam host the Making Dough Show on YouTube with over 500 episodes focused on restaurant business advice and tips. We get into a discussion about one of her episodes on Using AI in marketing.  Check out her Making Dough Show at https://www.youtube.com/@makingdoughshow/. Also on the  podcast episode:  Hengam’s drive to be a leader and educator in the pizza industry. Mattenga’s priorities are in the next year. Social media strategy. Learn more at https://mattengas.com/ and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/mattengaspizza/ .