August 11, 2008

Industry Headlines

Little Caesars Love Kitchen serves pizza to make difference in Southeast Michigan

The Little Caesars Love Kitchen will rolled into the metro Detroit area to provide fresh, hot pizza meals for more than 3,000 people yesterday and will be there through August 15th. The week began with the Love Kitchen providing high quality, fresh pizza to military members and their families at Selfridge Air National Guard Base's annual Family Fun Day and continue with stops at Detroit shelters and soup kitchens.

"Our brave military men and women dedicate their lives to serving and defending this country," said Louis Asher, Little Caesars Detroit-area franchisee. "Serving them and their families a fresh, hot pizza is just a small way we can say thank you for their service."

The 127th Wing, Michigan Air National Guard, oversees base operations at Selfridge Air National Guard Base, a unique military base that has been home to American military aviation since 1917. Selfridge is the most diverse military installation in the United States, with units representing the Air Force, Army, Navy and Marines, as well as Coast Guard and Border Patrol.

The Little Caesars Love Kitchen will then visit Capuchin Soup Kitchen and other area shelters to feed people in need in the Detroit area. A pizza kitchen on wheels, the Little Caesars Love Kitchen travels across the continental United States and Canada, meeting the needs of the hungry, the homeless and disaster survivors.

Local Little Caesars franchise owners and company regional offices donate all food and labor costs for the Love Kitchen servings. An estimated 50,000 Little Caesars franchise owners and employees have volunteered their time over the years to support the program in their local communities.

The Little Caesars Love Kitchen has fed more than two million people in 48 states and three Canadian provinces. While in the Detroit area, the Little Caesars Love Kitchen will also visit: Coalition on Temporary Shelters (COTS), 26 Peterboro & Woodward Ave.; Detroit Rescue Mission, 3535 Third Street; Fort Street Presbyterian Church, 631 West Fort Street and St. Peter Episcopal Church, 1950 Trumbull and Michigan Ave.

Little Caesars Pizza founders Michael and Marian Ilitch opened their first restaurant in Garden City, Michigan in 1959.

Chandler Brothers to begin franchising efforts

Dennis, Jeff and Scott Chandler, along with their father Lowell, announced last Wednesday at Chandler Brothers Hometown Pizzeria in Litchfield, Illinois, that they will sell franchises of a new business, Chandler Brothers Hometown Pizzeria.

"We're very excited about this new business we have formed," Scott said.

Currently, the Chandlers own restaurants in Litchfield, Hillsboro, Troy and Edwardsville. The two franchising units include Chandler Brothers Hometown Pizzeria -- a full scale casual dining, carry-out and delivery restaurant with banquet facilities and a game room-- and Chandler Brothers Hometown Pizzeria Express, a carry-out and delivery unit.

Dennis, Scott and Jeff formed their new corporation in August 2007, utilizing the help of Francorp of Chicago, one of the world's largest franchising consultants.

All three brothers reiterated the importance of being selective in granting a franchise.

"We're looking for folks who are going to work the restaurant and be very involved in the community," Dennis said. "That's how our dad worked his business here. We're not going to sell a franchise, we're going to grant or award one."

The restaurant in Troy, Illinois, will serve as the full-scale prototype, while the store in Edwardsville will be the prototype for the carry-out and delivery unit.

For now, expansion plans include Illinois, Missouri, Indiana and Kentucky, but the Chandler brothers hope eventually to take their franchise on a national level.

Their first pizzeria in Litchfield was started Aug. 8, 1972 by Lowell and Kathleen Chandler as a Monical's Pizza franchisee. The business was purchased by their sons Scott and Jeff in 2004, while Dennis opened the Troy location in 2005.

Papa John's unveils six-acre crop circle to tout new whole-wheat pizza

Now through Denver's first snow fall, the thousands of passengers who daily fly in and out of Denver International Airport (DIA) will be treated to an out-of-this-world sight, just outside their window. There, in an unassuming wheat field of Commerce City, Colorado, less than 30 miles from downtown Denver and a mile from DIA runways, Papa John's has crafted a six-acre crop circle promoting the company's 100 percent whole-wheat pizza crust made with Ultragrain flour.

A pizza topped with pepperonis (red mulch), green peppers (corn stalks), black olives (black mulch) and cheese (harvested wheat) is the focal point of the crop circle, complemented by a Papa John's pizza box in the upper right-hand corner and the words "New 100% Whole Wheat Crust Pizza" in the lower-right. The entire design is set underneath the term "America's Choice," a nod to the country's growing focus on the importance of whole grains and the upcoming Democratic National Convention in Denver later this month.

"We think the crop circle is a perfect visual for communicating Papa John's use of 100% whole grains to make our new whole wheat crust pizza," said Bill Van Epps, Papa John's president, USA. "We're very proud to be the first pizza company to offer a whole wheat crust pizza nationwide that combines great taste with the natural nutrition of whole grains. The benefits of whole grains are many, and we hope this sends a positive message to kids heading back to school, people flying in to Denver for the DNC and health-conscious consumers everywhere."

Papa John's - working with the Colorado Wheat Commission, the National Association of Wheat Growers, the Wheat Foods Council and ConAgra Mills, which produces Ultragrain for the whole wheat pizza crust - enlisted well-known earthworks artist Stan Herd to create the all-natural masterpiece, requiring 600 hours of work to be completed in just over three weeks.

"This was an incredible opportunity for me to showcase the beauty of a Colorado wheat field through the style of art I enjoy creating most," said Herd. "Fortunately, Papa John's was willing to allow me to lead the design of the image, which was important to me. And after I got the opportunity to meet the folks involved, I knew this was going to be an amazing project."

In May, Papa John's became the first national pizza chain to add a 100 percent whole-wheat crust to its menu.

Pizza Hut aswers America's call for natural foods With new pizza

Pizza Hut is introducing a whole new way to enjoy pizza by delivering a delicious tasting new pizza to the table featuring all natural ingredients. With sauce made from organic tomatoes, toppings free from artificial preservatives and a flavorful, multi-grain crust, the new pizza is so pure, so real, Pizza Hut chefs just had to name it "the Natural."

"While customers are increasingly seeking options for more natural foods, they still love pizza," said Brian Niccol, Pizza Hut CMO. "That's why we're offering the Natural. It allows us to stay on the cutting edge of food trends while delivering on the amazing Pizza Hut taste our customers expect and demand."

With the introduction of The Natural, Pizza Hut will be the first national chain to offer a pizza made with natural, yet familiar ingredients, such as natural pepperoni and Italian sausage, that doesn't compromise on taste and satisfaction. The new Natural pizza also features:

• Multi Grain Crust: Multi-grain crust baked from a blend of traditional pizza dough and five different whole grains, sweetened with a touch of honey and infused with olive oil. The new crust delivers eight grams of whole grains per slice, earning it a seal of approval from the Whole Grain Council.
• Organic Sauce: The Natural crust is topped with an original sauce made from organic, vine-ripened tomatoes and natural mozzarella cheese. The Natural is so good that it's easy to forget it is free from artificial flavors, colors and preservatives.
• Natural Toppings: Enjoy the new Rustica recipe with sliced Italian Sausage, marinated Roma tomatoes and fire-roasted red peppers. Or, choose from among other natural toppings including pepperoni, mushrooms, pineapples, green peppers, red onions and diced tomatoes.

The move to natural products doesn't end with the pizza -- it even extends to the box. The Natural pizza will be served in boxes made from up to 75% recycled material -- great news for anyone looking to add some "green" to their order.

This summer Dallas and Tampa residents can rediscover pizza by getting a first taste of The Natural before it is introduced to a national audience. A medium one-topping pizza is $9.99. The Natural Rustica pizza is $11.99.

As the world's largest pizza restaurant company with 6,200 restaurants in the United States and more than 4,000 restaurants in 100 other countries, Pizza Hut, Inc., is a subsidiary of Yum! Brands, Inc.

Marco's Pizza awards manager, vendor of year

Marco's Pizza (Marco's Franchising, LLC) presented awards for Manager of the Year and Vendor of the Year at its 30th annual franchise conference in June. Manager of the Year is Robert T. (Bob) Falk of Toledo, Ohio, who supervises the top-selling Marco's store in the country. The Neil Jones Food Co. (Neil Jones), Marco's tomato sauce provider, was named Vendor of the Year. Neil Jones, based in Vancouver, Wash., locked in Marco's truckload and transportation prices despite rising fuel costs.

"This year's award recipients represent the excellent customer and franchisee service we strive for at Marco's Pizza," said CEO Jack Butorac. "Our inaugural Manager of the Year award went to Bob Falk, whose management and customer service skills are integral to the success of the store that has been the top performer in our system for seven years in a row. Neil Jones, our Vendor of the Year, goes the extra mile for Marco's and its franchisees. They understand we are expanding into new geographical markets. Instead of charging more for 'frontier' deliveries to new store locations, Neil Jones invested in our growth by establishing set delivery prices."

alk has been part of the Marco's family for more than 20 years. He manages a Perrysburg, Ohio, store (629 W. South Boundary St.) owned by local resident George Williams. Falk supervises the store's customer service and employee training, helps to control food and labor costs and works to build sales.

The Neil Jones Food Co. has been canning vine-ripened tomatoes since 1915. The company expanded over the years to house a number of brands, but remains committed to service and quality. Neil Jones services the more than 170 Marco's stores around the country.

Jerry Henke Joins Middleby Marshall as Director of International Applications Support

Jerry Henke has joined Middleby Marshall as Director of International Applications Support effective immediately.

In his new position, Henke is responsible for the continued introduction of the WOW! Oven technology to top chain customers in the worldwide market.He will be working directly with these customers in their international locations. Henke will work extensively with the international division of The Middleby Corporation, Middleby Worldwide, to support key conveyor oven customers around the world. Jerry will report to Mark Sieron, Middleby Marshall president.

Henke brings more than 25 years of experience in the food service industry to his position with Middleby Marshall.

Middleby Marshall is a manufacturer of conveyor ovens.