October 7, 2009

Industry Headlines

Pennsylvania Operator Hosts Annual Fundraiser

Scott Anthony, a Fox’s Pizza Den franchisee in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, held his annual “Pizza and Prevention” fundraiser to benefit the town’s volunteer fire department over the weekend. In addition to pizzas, Anthony also sells coupons that can be redeemed at a later date for those customers who can’t enjoy a Fox’s pizza on the date of the community event.

This year, Anthony says he sold 2,580 pizzas (including coupons for future sales) and was able to donate $24,963 to the fire department.

“This was our 8th annual Pizza & Prevention event in Punxsutawney,” he says. “In light of the events of 9-11-2001, we initiated this event in 2002 to recognize the fallen heroes of 9-11 and the volunteer firemen in our community. The purpose was to let the community know who these self-sacrificing individuals are and show appreciation for the unsung heroics they perform in the community at any given time. We priced our best selling pizza, the ‘Big Daddy’, at $9.11 and got the three volunteer companies to help out as workers, drivers, phone operators, etc.

“In 8 years, the volume of pizza produced on this day has grown 400 percent. As Big Dave would say, this is a 'Feel Good' event for all involved.  It is great for us to really be a part of our community, the fireman have fun and the community responds. Yes, it is a big donation on my part, but you reap what you sow. My business and profits have steadily climbed. My customer loyalty is at an all-time high.”

Guido’s Pizza Drives 1,500 Miles to Deliver Pizza for Wedding

Guido's pizza founder Shawn McGuire received a phone call from Clint Bryant, owner of Guido’s Pontiac franchise, and the message seemed simple enough: “We’ve got a delivery to make.”
And deliver they did.

McGuire and Bryant drove 1,500 miles to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, to deliver a Big G pizza with pepperoni, onions and banana peppers to groom Jeff Ringold and his bride, Kelly Nelson. Ringold and his friend, Jonathan Lawson, used to live near Guido’s Pizza in Pontiac, Michigan, and regularly enjoyed Big G pizzas together. Both men eventually moved to Florida and often longed for their favorite pizza. Lawson knew it was a long shot, but he wanted his wedding gift to be a Guido’s pizza, so he called Michigan.

“He wanted to know if we could freeze the pizzas and send them down,” said McGuire. “But we only serve fresh pizza, so we arranged to make it happen.”  

McGuire and Bryant first made sure the dough, cheese and toppings would travel and stay fresh for 24 hours.  After multiple phone calls they found a pizzeria near Ft. Lauderdale willing to open their kitchen.  
“It couldn’t have happened without Pizza Machine in Hollywood, Florida — they let us use their kitchen on the day of the wedding,” said McGuire.

 On Friday morning, September 26, the Guido’s van headed to Florida. McGuire and Bryant drove through the night to make sure they arrived with enough time for the dough to rise. After a quick lunch at the beach they did a dry run to make sure they could find the Ritz Carlton in Ft. Lauderdale where the reception was being held. While prepping the pizzas McGuire received a frantic phone call from Lawson. He said the hotel would not allow outside food. “At that point I was inexplicably calm,” said McGuire. “Our job was to make sure the groom got his pizza, nothing was going to stop us.”

At 11:00 p.m. the bride and groom were escorted from the reception to the front of the hotel for a surprise. The groom assumed his friend had found a local Guido’s franchise. Lawson said: “No buddy, they came from Michigan, happy wedding day!”

Guido’s Pizza has 10 Michigan locations.

CiCi’s Top Managers Set Sail

In recognition of sales growth, operational execution and guest service, 60 top CiCi's Pizza general managers were awarded a three-day, two-night Nassau, Bahamas cruise.

"We feel it is one of the best ways to demonstrate how important and  truly valued our team members are to the CiCi's brand," said Kyle Smith, Vice President of Operations at CiCi's Pizza. "The cruise was specially designed to celebrate team members by rewarding them for achieving their personal bests, which shine through in their restaurant’s performance. It's a way for us to say thank you to those who have put their heart and soul into this brand."

Part of the cruise program looks at how CiCi's managers "WOW"  their guests. Feedback is in the form of stories and comments from guests, recognizing service that goes above and beyond in providing the kind of customer service CiCi’s guests have come to expect.   

Additionally, CiCi's considered:
•        Positive sales growth
•        Operations performance
•        Mystery shopper scores
Last year, the top 60 managers who were honored on the cruise were  able to build sales at a rate eight times higher than the average CiCi's restaurant. These key managers also ranked in the top ten percent in their CRI Operations Index in 2008 and were the only group in the system that ranked positive in comp sales over the prior year.  

In addition, out of last year's group of 60 top managers, seven were  approved as operators, four are now operating a unit, one is  currently searching for his first site, one has already opened a new location as a first time franchisee, and one, Phil Santucci, was  selected to partner with CiCi's in his own franchise opportunity.  

The Loop Pizza Grill Announces Kids Eat Free and Senior Specials

The Loop Pizza Grill is making going out to eat even more affordable for families with free meals for kids and new discounts for seniors.

In October and November, the fast-casual restaurant is offering 10 percent off meals for seniors and free pizza and burgers for kids, 12 and under, at Loop Pizza Grill locations in Jacksonville, Florida, and Cary, N.C.

"We know that times are difficult, and when we welcome families into our restaurants we want to offer them the best meals at the best value,'' said Cathy Manzon, director of marketing at The Loop. "Even in today's economic climate, people want to go out and enjoy a great meal. The Loop is all about great food, great variety, and a great value."

Papa John’s teaming with Sony

Papa John’s is set to announce a partnership with Sony that will enable users to get hot delicious pizza delivered to their door between epic battles and high-speed races.

The ordering option is being promoted on the PS3 browser's main startup page, with a Papa John's button wedged snugly between the links to YouTube and the promo site for the GAMER movie. The Papa John's button leads to a PlayStation-specific version of its Website that features a slightly different layout and ads for games like PixelJunk Shooter and Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time.

Stevi B’s Celebrates National Pizza Month with Giveaway

Stevi B’s Pizza is celebrating October, National Pizza Month, by giving away one free medium to-go pizza to the first 100 customers at each of its 34 locations on Wednesday, Oct. 7.  

For those who don’t make the first 100, Stevi B’s will offer consolation prizes — coupons for “2 Can Dine for $10.99”.

“We are so confident that you’ll love Stevi B’s pizza, we want to give customers a chance to try our specialty pizzas for free,” says Matt Loney, president of Stevi B’s Pizza. “Now you can take your favorites from our buffet and bring it home for your whole family to enjoy.”

Pizza Fusion to Honor Fall Organic Harvest Season with National Free Pizza Giveaway

Pizza Fusion will be hosting a surprise national free pizza giveaway in honor of Fall Organic Harvest season. The nationwide giveaway will be hosted at all participating locations sometime in the next two weeks. Details on how to participate in the giveaway will only be available over the restaurant chain's Facebook fan page and Twitter page. Individuals interested in taking advantage of the giveaway are encouraged to become a fan of Pizza Fusion's Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/pizzafusion) and a follower of Pizza Fusion's Twitter feed (http://www.twitter.com/pizzafusion).

"Now is an ideal time to celebrate the bounty of the organic harvest", Vaughan Lazar, president and co-founder of Pizza Fusion, states.  "It's one of my favorite times of the year, when I can purchase fresh organically grown fruits and vegetables from local roadside stands, farmer's markets, and grocery stores. We hope to raise awareness for the season and the benefits of organic food while paying tribute to organic farming everywhere."

Papa Murphy’s to Open in Jacksonville

Papa Murphy's International, the country’s largest and fastest-growing take ‘n’ bake pizza chain, has set its sights on Jacksonville, Florida, as a key market for growth. Earlier this month Papa Murphy’s signed an Area Development Agreement with P4K Corporation that includes six new stores in the Jacksonville area over the next three years. The first Papa Murphy’s location in Jacksonville will be open by the end of 2009. For the past seven consecutive years, Papa Murphy’s has retained the title of “Best Pizza Chain in America” based on the annual Restaurants and Institutions “Choice in Chains” consumer survey.

 “Get ready to have a new favorite pizza, Jacksonville. The Papa Murphy’s Take ‘N’ Bake Pizza revolution has arrived!” said Hans King, who owns P4K Corporation. “Our customers will have the satisfaction of making something at home with the flexibility of preparing it quickly. Beyond the great food and value, we’ll also be creating new employment opportunities in the community.”
King is a recent transplant to the Jacksonville area. He played professional hockey throughout the U.S. and Europe for the past six years before founding P4K Corp. King grew up along the west coast where he ate Papa Murphy’s regularly. “It’s in my veins!” he said.

Extreme Pizza Opens in Newark, California

Extreme Pizza opened its doors to the Northern California community of Newark last week, making this its 12th franchise addition this year.

“Despite the sluggish economy that has affected businesses across the board this year, Extreme Pizza is garnering an exceptional amount of interest from potential investors and individual entrepreneurs,” says Jim Ryan, SVP of Franchise Development for Extreme Pizza. “Along with delivering high quality food products, our unique store concept and 15 years of solid business experience presents an extremely appealing opportunity to those looking to get behind a successful brand.”

Extreme Pizza has been honored with several awards and prestigious rankings this year, including the 2009 Inner City Awards, Restaurant Business Magazine’s Future 50 List and 2009 Best of the Best Awards by Bay Area Parent Magazine and Inc. Magazine’s 500/5000 2009 List.