From Soggy Rhymes to SEO Gold—Why Picking the Right Name Is a Make-or-Break Moment
We all know the drill. You’ve got a dream, a dough recipe that would make your Nonna jealous, 
and an oven that can cook a pie faster than those dehydrated pizzas from Back to the Future II (Google it!). But then, you hit a wall—the name for your new pizzeria.
It’s the one factor that can either make your business or break your reputation faster than a soggy slice left out in the rain. The name of your pizzeria is basically the first date, the first impression—there can be only one. It’s either going to make people say, “Wow, I gotta try that” or “I think I’ll get a burger instead.” No pressure, right?
Why Naming Your Pizzeria Is a Big Deal
You might think naming your pizzeria is like picking a name for your dog, but trust me—it’s much, much more. Your name is part of your identity, part of the branding/marketing package that tells the world what kind of pizza you serve, and more importantly, whether or not you’re worth the dough. A catchy, memorable name can stay with people long after they’ve had their first slice. It can make them feel like they’re part of a cool club—like they’ve unlocked some secret pizza society.
But a bad name? That can lead to all sorts of issues. You might think a name that rhymes is cute, but if it’s hard to pronounce, confusing, or just doesn’t fit your vibe, it can leave customers scratching their heads—or worse, running for the nearest big chain.
Case in point: “The Pizza Place.” Yeah, you read that right. Sure, the vagueness and ambiguity of this moniker might have worked in a small town in Indiana in 1973, when everything was groovy, glam rock and denim ruled the world (at the same time), and no one cared about naming conventions. But in the world of “click-and-order” and “brand identity,” that name is a one-way ticket to No-Man’s-Land. Or could it be SEO gold? That being said, I checked the interwebs, and there are some in Mt. Pleasant and Knoxville, Tennessee, so I’m leaning towards the latter.
Naming After Yourself or the Family: Good Idea or Pizza Pitfall?
Now let’s talk about the age-old debate: Should you name your pizzeria after yourself or your family? Is this a badge of honor or a one-way ticket to an overinflated ego that even the best pizza can’t fix?
On the one hand, naming your pizzeria after yourself adds a personal touch. It tells customers, “Hey, this isn’t just any pizza place. This is MY pizza place. I’m in it, heart and dough, baby.” If you’ve got a strong brand, a loyal customer base, and an interesting backstory, this can work wonders. Take “Todd’s Pizza” or “Giuseppe’s Pizzeria”—simple, memorable, and they often work because people are connecting with a name they can trust.
But there’s a flip side. If your name isn’t actually Todd or Giuseppe, you might just alienate customers or end up getting lost in the noise. It’s the difference between a “Mario’s Pizza” and a “Mamma’s Authentic Italian”—which name do you think feels more universally inviting? Plus, who wants to explain why there is no Todd every day?
A shining example of the benefits of using your own name is Taylors’ Pizza 
House in Endwell, New York. Owner and U.S. Pizza Team member George Taylor says, “I’ve learned over the years that helping people get to know you and your name adds credibility to your product. I always start off my social media with my name. Now people come into the shop now and call me by name all the time, even when I have never seen them before, as if we have been friends for years.”
USPT members George and Patti Taylor have kept the era of 1990s grunge and alternative rock “Alive” in Endwell, NY with the Pearl Jam Pizza
Another avenue for self-naming is putting a twist on it. Instead of fully claiming the pizzeria in the name, add some flair to it. Make the name in the title ambiguous and left to the imagination until customers find out you exist. A great example of playing with your name is USPT member Sean Dempsey of Danger von Dempsey’s in Aberdeen, South Dakota. His family’s namesake establishment, Dempsey’s Brewery Pub & Restaurant, will soon celebrate 25 years, but in 2018 Sean wanted to see if his success in the industry was just a by-product from his folks having built a quality local brand, or if he did indeed have the pizza prowess to stand toe to toe with 
some of the big names in the industry.
Enter Danger von Dempsey’s Pizza & Brewhäus and one of the craziest origin stories thus far. “I was called Danger due to an incident in Fargo, North Dakota, where I fell down a flight of stairs with a pint and somehow managed to not lose the pint,” Sean recalls. “One of my friends quipped, ‘We should call you danger!’ And so, it stuck.”
But it doesn’t stop there. “A few years later I discovered my Austrian relatives had a very distant trace to nobility, thus the ‘Von Dempsey.’ Putting 
it all together a few years later, as ‘Danger von Dempsey’s,’ made a fun, playful story while showing a big difference between the full-service 170-seat restaurant my parents had founded, and the 50-70 seat pizza places I have created. Plus, I figured, ‘Let’s go get some DVD’s!’ sounded like it could become a thing. And no, my middle name is not Danger, and yes, people do ask.”
Researching Before You Name Your Pizzeria—Does It Matter?
I know, I know—doing research sounds like something you’d do for a high school history project. But trust me, it’s more important than you think. Imagine trying to open a pizzeria called “Sicilian Style” only to find out there’s a trademark for that name, or worse, an entirely different Sicilian pizza joint in the same market already dominating Google searches. It might behoove you to learn from their success and dissect their brand name.
If you’re thinking of naming your pizzeria something clever, consider whether it’ll work in the long run. Will it be easy to remember? Can you get a good website domain? Can you pronounce it after three shots of espresso? Research is a key ingredient here.
A glaring example of this also comes from George Taylor in his first pizzeria-naming endeavor. “When we opened our first pizza shop back in 1995, we wanted to have a name that was easy to say and give the customer an idea of what we did,” he says. “We ended up calling it Freschott Pizza which was supposed to be pronounced Fresh-Hot Pizza.”
But, unaware of his own cleverness, George did more damage than good. “For years people called us anything but what was intended. I put the C in there to make it look like a name, and, by, golly it worked. People thought it had the pronunciation of a name and therefore felt they must pronounce it Fresk-Ott, and it drove me crazy.”
And speaking of name research, here’s another little pro tip if you are thinking of ever getting vehicles wrapped with your pizzeria’s name on them. Make sure the design, when all doors are opened, does not say something that’s NSFW. (You can Google that too, just don’t do it at work—it’s not safe.)
Best Practices for Naming Your Pizzeria
If you’re ready to tackle the naming game, here are a few strategies you should follow to make sure your pizzeria name isn’t a disaster in the making.
- Think about your audience: Who are you serving, and what kind of pizza are you slinging? If you’re aiming for an upscale vibe, names like “The Artisan Slice” work. For something more family-friendly? Go with “Big Joe’s Pizza Palace.” Your name should feel aligned with the atmosphere you’re creating.
- Keep it simple and memorable: Avoid names that require a PhD to pronounce. Keep it short, snappy and easy to recall. People don’t have time to Google your name every time they want pizza.
- Do your homework: Check for trademark issues, Google your name to see if someone else already owns it, and ensure it’ll play well on a sign and in your marketing. And for Pete’s sake, make sure it’s not something that makes people cringe.
Ultimately, whether you go big with a family name or create something totally unique, the name should reflect the vibe you want your customers to experience when they walk in the door.
Good luck, pizza dreamers. Your name could very well be your ticket to pizza stardom—or the subject of an awkward and possibly expensive conversation with your local trademark attorney.
