4. Toby's Original Little Italy Pizza

Competitive Advantage

• Toby's is said to have some of the best pizza in St. Petersburg by reviews and travel magazines and has made the top ten list by numerous sources, such as Big Seven Travel.
• It placed first on a Viewers' Choice list from a poll by a local news station.
• The company's success is credited to its authentic New York family recipe that has remained unchanged since the company opened 45 years ago.
• Toby's is able to produce pizza every 15 seconds, giving it a competitive advantage in supplying its customers with quality products quickly without long wait times.

Strengths

• Toby's Little Italy is stated to have its process "down to a science and churns out pies every 15 seconds during peak hours".
• One strength revealed by customers' reviews is the company's short wait times.
• A theme of the reviews is that the pizzas are practically perfectly made. Other reviews also rave about the Philly Cheesesteaks and subs.

Weaknesses

• The company only has one location.
• Bad reviews were hard to find, however, one common issue the reviews revealed was that the restaurant is often busy and without available seating, so customers sometimes have to take their food to go.
• A couple reviews reveal that people from New York expect a much thinner crust than they received.

Revenue

• The company does not disclose annual revenue and it is not publicly available or estimated.

Footprint

• Toby's Little Italy Pizza has one location in St. Petersburg, Florida.

5. Pizzeria Gregario

Competitive Advantage

• The company's dedication makes it a rarity as it is one of a "handful of pizzerias" in the country that uses 100% stone-milled grains or that mills fresh grains in house, and this contributes to their competitive advantage.
• The company uses the "highest quality olive oils and animal fats", it does not use any refined sugars, and its animal proteins are sourced locally and regionally.
• The Tampa Bay Times designated Pizzeria Gregario as one of Tampa's "7 up-and-coming culinary destinations", and USA Today named it the number 1 place to get pizza in Tampa Bay.

Strengths

• Greg Seymour, the owner, crafts his own biodynamic sourdough that is better for overall gut health.
• The company's sources produce from within 100 miles of the restaurant and use local meat vendors that use humane, sustainable methods.
• All of these characteristics appeal to the community and the customer base has grown mostly by word of mouth.  
• The company's "farm-to-table" offerings are said to be the best option in Safety Harbor by AirbnB customers.
• Reviews that were not five-stars still gave rave reviews about the taste and quality of the pizza and salads.

Weaknesses

• The company only has one establishment.
• The only reviews that were not five stars reveal the weaknesses of the company to be its service and wait times.
• Bad reviews include views that the food was overpriced and the restaurant had bad customer service, in addition to being self-serve.
• One review stated the self-service style and long wait times made the experience feel like they were being sheep-herded through a feeding line with a staff that lacked customer service.
• Some reviews imply or state that there is a feeling of pretentiousness surrounding the establishment.

Revenue

• The company is private and does not disclose their revenue. The estimated annual revenue is $247,996.

Footprint

• There is one location in Tampa Bay, Florida.

WAT MONGKOLRATANARAM

Competitive advantage

•  Wat Mongkolratanaram's competitive advantage is the fact it is a unique restaurant situated in a Buddhist temple. It provides an alternative dining experience.

Strengths

• The restaurant's strength is in its health offering, as it provides healthy brothy noodle soups and tiny coconut custards. It also offers sticky rice with mango (a dish "teetering on the knife-edge of perfection, creamy, salty, sweet, and tart at once").
• An additional strength is its steady source of revenue, as it is a favorite for those studying at UC Berkley.

Weakness

• A perceived weakness of the restaurant is that it only serves Thai brunch from 10 am to 1 pm every Sunday.
• Additionally, it is staffed by temple volunteers and does not operate to make money. The meals are paid for with temple tokens which are exchanged for cash before entering the temple.

Revenue

• As it is situated in a Buddhist temple, the restaurant is non-profit.
• The waiters in the restaurant are volunteers, and the money people give in exchange for tokens only covers the cost of ingredients for meals served.

Locations

• Wat Mongkolratanaram is located in different Buddhist temples across the country.
• The two primary locations are Tampa, Florida, and just outside of San Francisco, California. 

EDDIE AND SAM'S

Competitive advantage

• Eddie and Sam's competitive advantage is in its offering. The restaurant's specialty is a classic New York-style pizza with slices that are wide and foldable, complemented by a thick and flavorful crust.
• The iconic crust has been attributed to the minerals in New York City tap water that they use to make the dough.
• The restaurant "imports New York waters in order to bring authentic New York pizza to our Florida family."

Strengths

• One of Eddie and Sam's strengths is that it targets customers of all ages who are interested in purchasing pizzas for a personal in-store dining experience, catering, delivery, and making orders online.
• Pizza orders can also be customized to feature special messages.
• Additionally, it offers a range of New York specialties, including chicken rolls, chicken parmigiana wrapped in a pizza dough, sausage onion, cheese calzone, stuffed veggie rolls, and stuffed meat rolls.
• The restaurant has a 4.6/5 rating on TripAdvisor, and is considered by many to serve the best pizza in Tampa. Customers praise the pizza flavor, the service, and the size of the servings.
• Finally, another strength for Eddie and Sam's is its extremely affordable pricing — pizzas from $7.50, pastas from $5.99, and salads from $3.25.

Weakness

• The restaurant's perceived weakness is that it is sometimes considered overrated by those who have tried the New York-style pizza in New York.

Revenue

• There is no publicly available data on revenue for the restaurant.

Locations

• Eddie and Sam's has only one location in Tampa, Florida. 

Research methodology

Ohana Cafe

• The company's website can be accessed here.

• This company is a true competitor because it offers brunch just as Noble Crust does. It is located in the same locality as Noble Crust. The price point of the brunch ranges from $9 to $15 just as the case of Noble Crust. For instance, Ohana Cafe offers Da Kine bowl, brown rice topped with organic black beans, at $9.99, while Noble Crust offers the same at $12.
• Just like Noble Crust, they offer fresh salads and veggies.
• It also targets customers of all ages who are interested in purchasing brunches for personal in-store dining experience, catering, delivery, and/or making orders online.

• Ohana's Cafe value proposition is offering of brunch that is full of veggies and gluten free, hence attractive to vegetarians, vegans, gluten-free-ers, and paleo folks. They have a unique touch of classic Hawaiian dish which was popularized in the 1940s.
• Ohana's Cafe also has most of their fruits and vegetables organically grown, the proteins are always antibiotic, hormone, and nitrate free, and the dairy products are organic and/or hormone free.

Wat Mongkolratanaram

• The company's website can be accessed here.

• This company is a true competitor because it offers salads just as Noble Crust does. The Aragula salad offered by Noble Crust is close to the green papaya salad that this company offers. It is located in the same locality as Noble Crust. The price point of the brunch ranges from $5 to $11 just as the case of Noble Crust.

• The restaurant offers to its customers healthy brothy noodle soups and the tiny coconut custards. It also provides sticky rice with mango (a dish teetering on the knife-edge of perfection, creamy, salty, sweet, and tart at once).

Eddie and Sam’s

• The company's website can be accessed here.

• This company is a true competitor because it offers pizza just as Noble Crust does. Eddie and Sam's offer extra toppings as Noble Crust does. The toppings in their pizza include pepperoni, onion, mushroom, fresh garlic, sliced Italian sausage, sliced homemade meatball, banana pepper, jalapeno pepper, black olives, green olives, ham, pineapple, anchovies, feta cheese, extra cheese, artichoke hearts, spinach, green pepper, roasted pepper, and breaded eggplant.
• Both offer Bianca and Roasted Mushroom Pizza.
• It is located in the same locality as Noble Crust. Depending on the sizes, the price ranges from $2 to $45 just as the case of Noble Crust.
• It also targets customers of all ages who are interested in purchasing pizzas for personal in-store dining experience, catering, delivery, and/or making orders online and have special texts.

• The value proposition of Eddie's and Sam is the offering to the customers classic New York style pizza characterized by its wide, foldable slices with thick, flavorful crust. The iconic crust has been attributed to the minerals in the New York City tap water that they use to make the dough. Eddie & Sam's N.Y. Pizza imports New York waters in order to bring authentic New York pizza to our Florida family (Source 6)

Toby's Original Little Italy Pizza

• The company's website can be accessed here.

• Toby's Original Little Italy Pizza is a true competitor because it offers pizza and salads just as Noble Crust does. It offers extra toppings as Noble Crust does. The toppings in their pizza include pepperoni, onion, mushroom, green pepper, extra cheese, and breaded eggplant.
• It also targets customers of all ages who are interested in purchasing pizzas for personal in-store dining experience, catering, delivery, and/or making orders online and have special texts.

• The Value proposition for Toby's Original Little Italy Pizza is that it serves the customers with one of the best New York style pizza and subs.

Pizzeria Gregario

• The company's website can be accessed here.

• Pizzeria Gregario is a true competitor because it offers pizza just as Noble Crust does. It offers extra toppings as Noble Crust does. The toppings in their pizza include pepperoni, onion, mushroom, fresh garlic, sliced Italian sausage, sliced homemade meatball, extra cheese, spinach, green pepper, roasted pepper, and breaded eggplant.
• Both offer "bread and butter" and "olive and pita".
• It is located in the same locality as Noble Crust. Depending on the sizes, the price ranges from $2 to $18 just as the case of Noble Crust.
• It also targets customers of all ages who are interested in purchasing pizzas for personal in-store dining experience, catering, delivery, and/or making orders online.

• It's value proposition is using 100% stone milled grains or milling fresh grains in house.
• Pizzeria Gregario also provides its customers with healthy and authentic pizza, given that they use only the highest quality olive oils and animal fats. They also do not serve any refined sugars.

Lee’s Grocery

• The company's website can be accessed here.

• Lee's Grocery is a true competitor because it offers pizza just as Noble Crust does. It offers extra toppings as Noble Crust does. The toppings in their pizza include pepperoni, onion, mushroom, fresh garlic, sliced Italian sausage, sliced homemade meatball, banana pepper, jalapeno pepper, black olives, green olives, ham, pineapple, anchovies, feta cheese, extra cheese, artichoke hearts, spinach, green pepper, roasted pepper, and breaded eggplant.
• Both offer Bianca and Roasted Mushroom Pizza.
• It is located in the same locality as Noble Crust. Depending on the sizes, the price ranges from $8.99 to $21 just as the case of Noble Crust.
• It also targets customers of all ages who are interested in purchasing pizzas for personal in-store dining experience, catering, delivery, and/or making orders online.

• The value proposition is that it provides its customers with pizzas that are stone baked. It also offers wings and craft beer.
• The customers also get to enjoy specialty pizzas such as Deadman's Party, Hanging Garden, Don't Stand So Close To Me, The Message, Bring The Noise, and Minor Threat.

Trip’s Diner

• The company's website can be accessed here.

• Lee's Grocery is a true competitor because it offers dinner, salads, and pasta, just as Noble Crust does.
• Both offer meatballs and Parmesan truffle fries in their dinner servings.
• It is located in the same locality as Noble Crust. Depending on the servings, the price ranges from $10 to $12 just as the case of Noble Crust.

• The value proposition is providing its customers with high quality pancakes, which Trip’s call hubcakes because of their hubcap-like size.

Research Strategy:

1. "Noble Crust Eatery Completes Second Expansion Phase In St. Pete"

• This article talks about the completion of the second phase of Noble Crust​'s expansion project in the Gateway neighborhood in St. Petersburg. The restaurant at 8300 4th St. N. obtained the rights to build its new parking lot on 84th Avenue North, which once had foreclosed properties.

2. "tbt* ultimate bar guide: boozy brunch"

• This article outlines the best places in Tampa Bay to have a boozy brunch. Noble Crust is mentioned because of its drink buckets, midday cocktails and Southern and Italian influenced meals. It also has a suitable ambiance, with a shaded patio, a bar overlooking the open kitchen and large tables for socializing.

3. "7 Most Mouthwatering Pies To Try During Tampa Pizza Week"

• This article covers the Tampa Bay Pizza Week, which took place in March and had Noble Crust as one of the participating restaurants. Noble Crust's Noble Pig Pizza is highlighted as one of the must-try pizzas.

4. "It’s midnight, and these Tampa Bay chefs are about to throw down"

• This article talks about Midnight Chef Fight, a multi-week chef-driven competition in the Tampa Bay area that aims to raise funds for local charities of the competing chefs’ choice. Chef Rob Reinsmith of Noble Crust has been one of the competing chefs in this competition.

5. "Dishes and Wishes for Make-A-Wish"

• This article talks about the Dishes and Wishes event which supports the Make-A-Wish Foundation. As part of the event, Tampa Bay’s best restaurants serve dishes and help to grant kid's wishes. Noble Crust was one of the participating restaurants.

6. "Tampa Bay Restaurant Week 2019 makes dining at local restaurants more affordable"

• This article covers Tampa Bay Restaurant Week 2019, where local restaurants offered affordable three-course meals between June 13 and June 23. Noble Crust was one of the participating restaurants. 

7. "Local Restaurants in Tampa with the Best Holiday Gift Card Deals"

• In this article, 813 Area provides a list of local restaurants in Tampa with the best holiday gift card deals in 2018. Noble Crust had a deal where if customers picked gift cards over $50, they got a $10 bonus card.  

8. "Locals weigh in on what makes Tampa Bay great before Final Four guests arrive"

• In honor of the NCAA Women's Final Four coming to Tampa in April 2019, 10 News asked locals to fill out a "Best of Tampa Bay" bracket. Noble Crust was mentioned among the four best restaurants.

9. "The 10 'Best Overall Restaurants' in St. Pete, according to OpenTable diners"

• OpenTable, an online website where users make reservations and provide reviews, recently released the Diners’ Choice list for 'Best Overall Restaurants' in St. Petersburg based on more than 400,000 reviews. Noble Crust was included in this list, with nearly 1,400 reviews that mentioned its fresh seafood, southern fried chicken, signature pizzas and fat pasta dishes.

10. "Strawberry Restaurant Week" 

• This article talks about the Strawberry Restaurant Week, where several Tampa Bay restaurants served menu items featuring Florida strawberries for a limited time. Noble Crust in St. Petersburg was one of the participating restaurants.

Research Strategy:

Personal Biography

• We were unable to obtain any information regarding his education and family.
• Tj made a donation in September 2018 to the National Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) Association, that shows he supports neglected children. He also supports 'Feeding Tampa Bay', a non-profit that provides meals to those in need in West Central Florida.
• Tj Thielbar supports Tampa Bay Rays Major League Baseball.
• Tj has social media accounts on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. He has 17 followers and 17 likes on Twitter and has 298 connections on LinkedIn.

Professional Biography

• Tj was a former National Culinary Supervisor for Hops Grill and Bar in the early 1990s. He was also a founding member of Bonefish Grill that opened in January 2000 and he left in 2014 to begin Noble Crust pizza.
• Currently, he is the owner of Noble Crust pizza where has been working since January 2014.

Research Strategy

Company's Origins

• Noble Crust Pizza opened in 2014 on the northwest side of 4th Street and 83rd Avenue in St. Petersburg.
• Two of the founding partners came up with the idea of the restaurant after working for a long time at Bonefish Grill. Moreover, other than conceiving the idea, the two put a lot of effort, time and money for the restaurant to take off.
• According to the restaurant's financial consultant, the founders wanted a location near Fourth Street from the beginning because they knew it would have amazing windows and everybody driving by could see right in.
• The 3,300-square foot location in St. Petersburg is as a result of a renovation of a 1920s structure that was originally meant to be a service station.
• By opening the restaurant and adding a little Southern soul to Italian seasonal dishes, the founders were able to add a wonderful new experience to traditional Italian dining.
•  Rob Reinsmith, who is Noble Crust Pizza's executive chef, spent a good number of years working in New York alongside great chefs after which he returned to Tampa Bay and assisted in the opening of the restaurant.
• Chef Reinsmith together with his team normally change the restaurant's menu depending on what is in season and come up with creative and delicious dishes making it hard for customers to note where "Italian ends and Southern begins".

Growth

• Noble Crust Pizza opened its first location in 2014. Since then, the company has grown and opened in another two locations.
• Therefore, Noble Crust Pizza is currently open for business in three locations, St. Petersburg, Wesley Chapel, and Carrollwood.
• The second location at Wesley Chapel was opened on 15th July 2017.
• The third restaurant at Carrollwood is a 3,200-square foot location that was also opened in 2017, but on December.
• In addition to opening three locations, Noble Crust Pizza also obtained the permission to use the space from closed properties that were located on 84th Avenue North for its expansion.
• The restaurant used this space to build a new parking lot with 88 spots, a retention pond, as well as a vinyl fence on the perimeter that faces 5th Street North to give the neighboring community some privacy.

Noble Crust Pizza Founding Partners

•  Tim Curci was one of the founders of Bonefish Grill and Hops Grill and Bar.
•  Tj Thielbar was also a founding member of Bonefish Grill as well as a former National Culinary Supervisor for Hops Grill and Bar.
•  Chef Rob Reinsmith works on creating the restaurant's menu and is a founding member of Parm NYC.
•  Jeff Strouse is the restaurant's financial consultant and he has a background in law and accounting.

Locations

• The first Noble Crust Pizza location is the restaurant at 8300 4th street N. St. Petersburg, Florida, 33702.
• The restaurant at Wesley Chapel is located at The Shops at Wiregrass and the exact location is 28330 Paseo Drive Wesley Chapel, Forida, 33543.
• The third restaurant is located at 11618 N. Dale Mabry Highway Tampa, Florida, 33618.

Headquarters

• Noble Crust Pizza headquarters is at 8300 4th St. N. St. Petersburg. Other than having a restaurant in that space, the company also has an office there.

Products

• Noble Crust Pizza has menus for dinner, brunch, vegetarian, delivery, Saturday brunch delivery, and wine+beer+cocktails.
• The food menus feature a variety of dishes that blend Southern cooking with Italian flavors ranging from seafood, pasta, and salads to pizza.

Competitors

• Some of Noble Crust Pizza competitors include Ohana Cafe, Eddie and Sam’s, Toby's Original Little Italy Pizza, Pizzeria Gregario, Lee’s Grocery, and Trip’s Diner.

Research Strategy