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Creating @StephEatsPizza

  • Writer: Stephanie
    Stephanie
  • Mar 26, 2020
  • 4 min read

Updated: Jul 26, 2020

I started my Twitter account in 2009. My very first bio still lives on today.


Pizza has always been my favorite food. Ask anyone. The only exception might be my mom mentioning my habit of eating a full bag of family-size chips at the kitchen table as a kid. Health first.


When I moved to New York, the first meal I went out for was a slice of Rocco's. I snapped a photo and posted it on my Snapchat. Multiple friends asked me how it was and I gave it a rating. Lightbulb!


I created the @StephEatsPizza Instagram handle before getting out of bed a few days later.

Since then, I have racked up 20 different slice ratings, mentioned 7 slices from out of NYC, and have a consistent engagement with my 638 followers (data as of 3/26/20).

Instagram is easy as pie (pun intended).



I created a format for my posts to promote a uniform and organized approach.


@StephEatsPizza Post Format

1. Photo of pizza slice/ sides

Typically this includes any unique settings or fixtures in the location. For some, it's a neon sign. For others, it's a simple close-up taken on my bed. It's important to me that I don't over-edit. I will only turn up the contrast or adjust the brightness if it makes the photo look the way I'm seeing it in person.


2. Location

Each post begins with the name of the restaurant, location, and Instagram handle if they have one. Represent.



3. Facilities, customer service, location, price point, portion sizing, etc.

This part is a bit situational. I'll mention how convenient it is to get to the location, if the employees are friendly or if it's more of a 'get-in-get-out' situation, and other relevant factors. One of my favorites was pointing out the Kardashian photo behind the register at Dona Bella's.



4. Slice description/ $

I grew out of listing prices for the most part. If it's a steal or not worth the dough (pun intended, again), I'll consider mentioning it. This section is typically a deep dive into each ingredient. Whether or not the bell peppers were crunchy, if the pepperoni stayed on, how well the slice stayed together upon folding.


5. Rating - out of 10

I get asked a lot about how I come up with the ratings.

Typically, I'll use something like 8.2 or 4.6 out of 10.

1 means garbáge. Joe's Pizza, the highest-rated on my page, is a 9/10.

I'll revisit previously-rated slices for reference often.

Towards the beginning of my ratings, I did re-rate slices to properly express my rating scale.


The first bite holds a lot of pressure! I'll zero-in to try and put my finger on exactly what I'm tasting, texture, and if it's lacking something. This process has taken away from mindless eating for me. I won't make a final call on the rating until the last bite.


6. Stars - out of 5 (overall experience)

I don't think anyone has caught onto this but I rate the entire experience with stars. I've never given out one star but I have given out 5.

I won't rate with any stars if I ordered delivery.


7. Suggested by

I have an ever-growing list of spots to check out. If I'm rating a slice that someone recommended, I like to give them a shoutout!


8. Tag restaurant

This is the most important step for me. I love giving exposure to restaurants! My follower count doesn't scream 'influencer' but I have had friends check out certain spots because of my page! I tag the restaurant in the photo, beginning sentence of the rating, and location. I also follow each restaurant I rate, if they have an account.



9. Hashtags

I like to use hashtags in a comment instead of the body of the caption, just for visual simplicity.


Growing a following

I started by following my personal friends, then pizza spots in NYC, then "foodie" (I HATE that word) accounts.

Following and engaging with other similar accounts resulted in my engagement statistics booming. I also get tagged in pizza photos at least once per week. I'm not sure who started that but it's fun!




Posting stories

I post on my story every few days.

  • Each story cover is designed via Canva. I told y'all- uniformity and organization.

  • I add locations around NYC on most posts for more exposure.

  • I share art and memes from other pages to further their exposure and if they re-share to their stories, their followers see me as well!


My stories:

  1. Donate (my Venmo username)

  2. ? & A (Q&A session from Nov 2019)

  3. Polls

  4. Laughs (memes, art)

  5. Sponsors (thanking people for donating)

  6. Non-NYC Pizza (slices eaten outside of NYC, thus not rated but still recognized)

  7. COVID-19 (updates for my followers)




Keep it consistent

It would be much more expensive if I rated as much pizza as I wanted to.

Groceries, rent, bills, household expenses, and transportation in NYC feels like my kneecaps are being smashed everyday so prioritizing spending money on pizza can be tough.

I have had incredible sponsors, some that I know, some that I don't, help keep my page alive with donations (Venmo: @Stefunnyruiz, if you're interested).

If I'm about to spend money on eating out, my first step is to find nearby slices.

Keeping my followers entertained and experiencing as many slices I can is what it's all about.




Keep it real

Above all, I'm 100% genuine on this page.

I've had friends worry that restaurant owners are gonna come after me for poor ratings. I answered questions about where I'm from in my Q&A. I've even talked about having an anxiety attack just before grabbing some 'za.

I value privacy but it's also important to stay true.

@StephEatsPizza is an opinion page! How can I be successful with it if I'm not straight-up?







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©2020 Cheph Steph | New York, NY

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