Giorgio Taverniti

Giorgio Taverniti has run Frank’s Pizza House for 25 years, 20 of those from its current location on St. Clair Avenue West in Toronto. One of the oldest establishments in the city, its original store opened in 1965 and the pizzeria has been in the Taverniti family since 1990. Giorgio is eager to share the many ways he has learned to innovate-or-die as a long-thriving independent in the competitive Toronto market.One of those strategies is promotion through social media.“At first I was afraid to put myself out there,” Giorgio says. Since taking the leap into social media marketing, however, he has found ways to have success marketing on social media, which he credits with recent spikes in business growth.Frank’s Pizza House has won accolades from local media for its calzones, delivery and, of course, its pizza.Giorgio, a graduate of George Brown College’s culinary management and Italian culinary programs, helped found a popular pizza-making workshop at the college and ran it for three years, a venture that opened his eyes to the strong interest among customers in the tradition and the story of pizza.The busy operator, husband and father of five is happy to help others discover the benefits of promoting their pizzeria brand on such networking sites as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. As a testament to his coaching skills, he has helped his wife, who runs a law firm, target new business by reaching out online.