Tony Palombino

When he opened Tony Boombozz in Louisville ten years ago, Tony Palombino knew he could compete with pizza chains by offering gourmet pizzas with premium ingredients. This niche proved lucrative over the years, and Boombozz gained a good reputation. He opened a second pizza place and, most recently, two full-service restaurants. Today, Palombino stays ahead of competitors Papa John's and Pizza Hut with variations like fajita pizza and whole-wheat crust.


Advice about competing with major chains:

"Try to be different, but not to an extreme. Try to find a niche. If you can go and find a concept that you think you can do better in an area where that concept does not exist I would say do it."

(from BusinessWeek Magazine)