A 17-year-old has opened a pizzeria in Cardiff aiming to make pizza more affordable - selling two twelve-inch pizzas for just over £10. A Cardiff resident himself, Joshua Steer has been working on the takeout business idea for more than a year.
With 10 different pizzas on the menu, plus the option to make your own, Pizza Boy started after Joshua said he found first hand that pizza prices were "extortionate". The teenager started his apprenticeship in the catering industry at 16 and ended up working full-time at Sage Deli in Cardiff Market.
His job allow Joshua to open his takeaway based in the Cathays area of Cardiff between 6pm and 10pm from Thursday through to Saturday. He rents out a kitchen space on Crwys Road where he makes the pizzas, and said that all the profit he makes is reinvested back in the business. For the latest Cardiff news, sign up to our newsletter here
Selling his pizzas on delivery apps including Deliveroo and Uber Eats, Joshua offers options include two 12" margherita pizzas for £10.95, two pepperoni pizzas for £13.95 or a range of toppings including a green pesto base with sun-dried tomatoes and mozzarella, or meat feast at £14.95 for two.
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Talking about how he came up with such affordable prices for the pizzas, he said: “I’ve calculated all my bills and expenses, how much it costs to make a pizza and how little can I charge for the pizza. I’m not doing it for the money. I’m doing it for the experience - to run my own business and create good quality Italian pizza.”
The number of “teentrepreneurs” (teen entrepreneurs) spiked during the pandemic. In 2021 Companies House released data that showed the number of teenagers in the UK with their own businesses had gone up to 700% in 10 years. At the time, there were 10,264 UK teenagers aged 16-19 who had set up their own companies. A study by GoDaddy found that entrepreneurs aged 18-24 soared from just 1.7% pre-pandemic to 8.6% % in the two years after the Covid-19 outbreak.
In a saturated market with tough competition and a full-time job, Joshua said: “It’s not easy. You have to work very hard. It is not for the faint-hearted.” Working full-time under the age of 25 restricts Joshua from any grants he could apply for as a young entrepreneur. Talking about these restrictions, he said: “It’s a bit of a challenge especially since a lot of people can’t quit their job with the hope that their business will be successful.”
As a 17-year-old running the pizzeria on his own and without a team, Joshua said: “There was a lot of disbelief. People just sort of thought I was joking but there's so much to do, our hygiene records, and inspections. We have to stay on top of the paperwork. Because I’m so young people just thought I’m not capable of running a pizzeria or running a successful business, but that is inaccurate. I am a hard worker and will clock in the hours to make it work.”
Asked about how he came up with the name ‘Pizza Boy’ he said: “Generally stressing for months but then I thought I’m just a boy trying to make pizza so Pizza Boy.” Joshua added: “I’ve had massive support from other business owners, especially from the likes of Cardiff Market. Little things like lending their hand, giving me talks about hygiene and other checks. I’ve had no lack of support.”
Now, three months after the opening of his first pizzeria, the young entrepreneur is looking forward to running his own business and learning things practically. Asked for a message to young entrepreneurs like himself, he said: “Just do it. Whatever you want, whatever sort of area you want to open your business in, find other people who are successful in that area. Chat with them, get an idea about how it works and have a go. Everything is a learning curve.
"People understand that it's okay to make mistakes. You don’t have to be successful in your first year, or the first month, you just have to be successful along the way.”
