Fans Are Tattooing This Pizza Brand’s Logo On Their Skin for a Year of Free Slices

Mike Burns took over the &pizza chain just as the brand was losing its edge. He quickly revived its cult following, bringing back the tattoo promotion that drew 2,700 fans and the Pi Day weddings where couples tie the knot — literally, with dough.

Watch now to learn about turning customers into superfans, empowering staff, and building a brand that breaks the rules.

Sponsored by:

• TOAST AllIn1 Restaurant POS

Chapters:

[02:14] - No Office, No Problem: First Days on the Job

[07:59] - Pizza Tattoo Promotion

[09:22] - Pi Day Weddings and Dough Knots

[13:42] - The “Positionless” Executive Team

[35:02] - Mike’s Tech Stack

SPONSORS:

RESTAURANT INFLUENCERS IS PRESENTED BY TOAST —

Restaurant Influencers is brought to you by Toast, the powerful restaurant point of sale and management system that helps restaurants improve operations, increase sales and create a better guest experience.

• Toast AllIn1 Restaurant POS

Episode Links

&Pizza Online

&Pizza Instagram

&Pizza TikTok

&Pizza Facebook

Dickle Pizza Online

Mike Burns LinkedIn

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Key Takeaways:

Culture Is the Brand: &pizza’s revival wasn’t just about improving operations. Mike Burns focused on rebuilding the culture that originally made the brand special, bringing back bold traditions like customer tattoos and Pi Day weddings.

The Basketball Coach Playbook: Burns runs his leadership team like a positionless basketball squad. Titles are flexible, conflict is encouraged, and promoting from within is the default, not the exception.

Fans as Family: From thousands signing up to tattoo the logo to couples marrying in the shops, &pizza’s customers aren’t just consumers. They’ve become a loyal, passionate community that fuels the brand’s momentum.

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ABOUT MIKE BURNS —

Mike Burns is a high-impact senior executive with a track record of growing sales, increasing profit, and building high-performing teams. He specializes in turning around underperforming organizations through a disciplined approach focused on training, culture, and streamlined operations. As CEO of &pizza, Burns has led the brand’s revival by reconnecting with its cult customer base, revamping operations, and promoting a bold, culture-first leadership style. Previously, he held senior leadership roles at Bojangles and other major restaurant groups, bringing deep experience across both national brands and regional favorites.

ABOUT RESTAURANT INFLUENCERS —

Restaurant Influencers is a weekly video podcast series presented by Entrepreneur Media and Cali BBQ Media. Every week host and restaurant owner Shawn Walchef (@shawnpwalchef) talks with business leaders like Shaquille O’Neal, Rob Dyrdek, Emeril Lagasse, Mayim Bialik, Jon Taffer, Robert Irvine, Toast co-founder Aman Narang, and more, about their secrets to Smartphone Storytelling, marketing, branding, and how to show up where customers are engaging online.

Published by Entrepreneur Media

Produced by Cali BBQ Media