A Harris Poll revealed that pizza is most people's favorite comfort food in the United States. There is an ease and comfort of casually eating pizza for dinner with family, or warmth and social enjoyment of late Saturday night slices with friends, or even the solitude of pizza for one after a breakup. Pizza is there for you in all of its cheesy, saucy, doughy, warming magnificence. But what makes a particular slice exceptional? If you own a pizza place, pay attention to these tips for next level slices. 

1. Tomatoes
   Authenticity is the name of the game these days, and that can't be accomplished without fresh and fantastic ingredients. Using canned sauce on your pizzas is a shortcut, and not a good one. The best way to tap into the comfort food sensation is to make your pies as if they were homemade. Using whole ingredients that are as fresh as you can find will give you a competitive edge in flavor and customer satisfaction.

1. Wood Oven
   These ovens can be a bit tricky to operate, but the results are impressive. The smokey flavor brushes the crust, sauce, and toppings, imbuing your pizzas with a layer of flavor that other restaurants can't even fathom. As a caution, these ovens can heat up less consistently than gas, so monitor your pies more carefully.

1. Commercial Dough Mixers
   If you've ever eaten a slice of pizza from a chain restaurant and found yourself disappointed in the flavor, it might be because of the dough. Many pizza chains buy pre-packaged dough instead of using a dough mixer machine. There are a few reasons this is all wrong.
   
   First, it is often less expensive to buy commercial dough mixers than it is to constantly purchase prepackaged dough. The reason many chains don't do this is due to their need for consistency between different restaurant locations.
   
   Second, the flavor will be better. Frozen dough balls inferior in every way. Using commercial dough mixers will give you control over the fluffiness of your dough, the seasoning that you put in, the amount of yeast used, and countless other factors. Besides, using commercial floor mixers means you never have to freeze your dough, meaning it will be fresh, and your customers will be satisfied.

As a restaurant owner and pizza lover, you have a duty to your fellow Americans to provide the best pizza you know how to make. With the right tools like fresh ingredients, an industrial dough mixer, and a little practice, you'll be slinging slices with the best of them.