August 18, 2008

Industry Headlines

Gulfport Domino's Pizza breaks three world records in one day

Hot temperatures didn't keep customers away from the Domino's Pizza located on U.S. 49 in Gulfport, Mississippi, on August 2nd when they were offering customers 10-inch pepperoni pizzas for just $2. Thousands of people lined up -- not only to save some "dough" on the pizza they love, but also to help the local store break a world record.

Domino's franchise RPM Pizza, along with the local community, celebrated not only one, but three world record victories on Saturday, including:

• The number of pizzas sold in a single day. Domino's Pizza team members sold an astonishing 8,125 pizzas, trumping a former Domino's World Record of 5,382 set by a Domino's franchise in Australia.
• The number of pizzas sold in thirty minutes. The record previously held was 501, again by Team Australia, and RPM Pizza broke the record with 518 pizzas in 30 minutes.
• The number of pizzas made in a single hour by an individual.

The World Record for the number of pizzas made in a single hour, also a Guinness World Records attempt, was broken by RPM Pizza store manager, Donnie Rush, who made 142 pizzas -- 49 more pizzas than the existing Guinness World Records holder. He had to make and bake 12-inch pizzas to specification and was observed by three independent judges. Rush, a Bay St. Louis native, manages the Picayune Domino's Pizza store and has been training to make this dream a reality. To break the record, he had to make all 142 pizzas by himself with no help from other team members and without the use of machinery.

RPM Pizza had to bring in additional team members and extra product from other Domino's Pizza locations to handle such a hectic day. In addition to making and selling pizza, team members were brought on board to control traffic that began to build up on U.S. 49 and hand out cold drinks to customers waiting in line in the sweltering heat.

"It was all worth it," said Glenn Mueller, President and CEO of RPM Pizza. "Breaking three World Records in one day is an amazing accomplishment. When we broke the Australian record for the number of pizzas sold, we lowered the Australian flag which reminded us of the record we were determined to break, and raised the American flag to celebrate our victory. It takes a team to make this a reality and RPM Pizza has the best team around."

Founded in 1960, Domino's Pizza operates a network of 8,671 franchised and Company-owned stores in the United States and 60 international markets.

Cici's to offer free Pepperoni Flip for Olympic feat

CiCi's Pizza is offering a free Pepperoni Flip when an American diver flips their way to an overall perfect 10 in the finals of the 10-meter platform competition. The men's and women's final event airs on two nights, those hoping to score a flip should tune in August 21 for the women's finals and August 23 for the men's finals. During the final competition of the 10-meter platform event, if a U.S. diver receives a perfect 10 as an overall score - a rating that needs to be awarded by all the judges, Americans can visit their local CiCi's to get their free Flip on Monday, August 25, the day after the Olympics close between 2:00 and 5:00 p.m. One free Pepperoni Flip per party will be honored. CiCi's introduced the new Pepperoni Flip for $3.99 to guests earlier this year, it is similar to a calzone, filled with fresh pepperoni and a zesty combination of spices, parmesan and Romano cheese.

"The debut of CiCi's Pepperoni Flip has certainly scored a 10 with our guests. The Olympics provide a gold-medal opportunity to introduce our flip to the rest of America," said Craig Moore, president and CEO of CiCi's Pizza. "U.S. divers were shut out of a medal in the 2002 Olympics, so we are cheering for the home team."

Founded in 1985, CiCi's Pizza is a family-oriented restaurant serving guests fresh pizza, pasta, salad and dessert, all you want for about five bucks and change.

Marco's Pizza debuts online ordering

Marco's Pizza has announced the launch of its online ordering system. Hungry customers can now place orders on Marco's Web site at www.marcos.com for pick up and delivery.

Marco's online ordering system offers secure online payment and sends a confirmation e-mail when an order is processed. Customers can view Marco's menu and prices online, specify a pick up or delivery time and join Marco's E-mail Club to receive special offers and e-coupons. They can also set "favorite orders" for easy repeat ordering.

"Customer demand for online ordering reached a fever pitch recently," said Marco's CEO Jack Butorac. "Marco's always had fresh cheese and dough, and now we offer a fresh new way to order our delicious pizza. We've achieved stronger same-store sales growth than most of our industry over the past 18 months, without an online component. This new capability will pump up the volume on growth."

Marco's online ordering service is designed and provided by LetsGet.Net.

Among the stores that tested the service in the Tampa Bay, Fla., and Tempe, Ariz., regions, two percent of all orders were processed online - a significant number, considering the service was not promoted. Marco's also found that check order size was notably higher for online orders, and more than 90 percent of orders were for delivery versus pick up. Marco's expects the delivery preference to remain the same nationwide.

Marco's will roll out online ordering in store markets outside the testing regions over the next few months, and all new Marco's store locations will have the capability.

Marco's Pizza, headquartered in Toledo, Ohio, has grown from its roots as a beloved Ohio brand to operate more than 170 stores in 13 states.

Hunt Brothers Pizza launches new racing Web site

Hunt Brothers Pizza has announced the launch of a new racing themed Web site, www.hbpRacing.com. The site features racing updates, news, driver bios, a photo gallery and more to keep Hunt Brothers fans up to date on their favorite racing team.

"This is a very exciting time for our company as Hunt Brothers competes on racing's biggest stage," said Scott Hunt, senior executive of Hunt Brothers Pizza. "The racing Web site will allow us to share this excitement with our current consumers and increase our brand awareness among the 75 million people who follow NASCAR."

Hunt Brothers Pizza recently announced its continued partnership with Haas/CNC racing for the remainder of the 2008 NASCAR® season. The Hunt Brothers Pizza Chevy will take to the track in seven events including Daytona, Indianapolis, Bristol, Richmond, Talladega, Charlotte and Atlanta.

As a formal kick-off to this sponsorship, Hunt Brothers is launching a Free Fill-Up Sweepstakes. Beginning on August 23, 2008, visit www.freegasfreepizza.com to sign up for your chance to win free gas* and pizza** for a year.

"High gas prices and a downtrodden economy have many families in a bind," continued Hunt. "Hunt Brothers is proud to offer one lucky winner free fill-ups* and a Hunt Brothers pizza a week for a year."

The four Hunt Brothers--Don, Lonnie, Jim and Charlie--have been in the pizza business since 1962, and in business together since 1990. Hunt Brothers Pizza is the largest distributor of fresh dough pizza to the convenience store market, with over 6,000 locations in 27 states.

Pizza Fusion adopts organic restaurant certification

Fort Lauderdale, Florida-based Pizza Fusion recently announced their pursuit of independent, third-party organic restaurant certifications for all their restaurants upon receiving certification at their Fort Lauderdale, Florida, location. Quality Assurance

International (QAI), the third-party certifier conducting Pizza Fusion's certifications, verifies the strict standards set forth by the USDA's National Organic Program via on-site inspections to validate the use of organic ingredients and menu selections with consistency and integrity in the certification process. To date, Pizza Fusion Fort Lauderdale is one of only four restaurants in the United States to receive Organic Restaurant Certification.

"The Organic Trade Association sees this move as exciting news. Organic certification is a big step for foodservice operations, and helps meet increasing consumer interest in accessing certified organic products where they shop and where they eat," said David Gagnon, Interim Executive Director for the Organic Trade Association.

QAI's certification ensures ingredients are organic while providing verification of food preparation area management and comprehensive organic planning. This verification declares to restaurant patrons that Pizza Fusion upholds the highest organic standards and that the organic integrity of their menu selections is assured from seed to table. Pizza Fusion's adoption of Organic Restaurant Certification builds upon their industry leading approach to quality, including being the only restaurant chain to build all their restaurants to LEED certification standards.

"We chose QAI for their solid reputation for a high attention to detail and strict commitment to quality throughout the certification process," Vaughan Lazar, CEO and co-founder of Pizza Fusion, states. "QAI will be instrumental in sustaining our commitment to the organic authenticity of our food throughout our national expansion."

Oggi's Pizza & Brewing Co. opens new store in Eastlake, California

Oggi's Pizza & Brewing Co. has arrived in Eastlake, California. It represents the 19th restaurant in the Oggi's Pizza & Brewing Co. chain. It is owned by Joe Marcotte and Christian Herrera

The new restaurant features Oggi's extensive menu and all eight award-winning micro-brewed beers, with 14 taps total. With 22, 50" Plasma televisions including two 100" projection screens, guests can enjoy a beer on the spacious patio or let the kids loose in the game room.

Oggi's Pizza & Brewing Company franchise began in San Diego, California with the first store opening in Del Mar in 1991. Since that time, Oggi's has expanded in San Diego County to nine locations now with Eastlake opening, and there are eight in the Orange/Los Angeles/Riverside area. Oggi's also has two locations in Phoenix, Arizona.

Papa Bello announces area opportunities in Illinois

Papa Bello Enterprises has announced that the company has been approved for selling franchises in the state of Illinois. The state currently has nine stores available for construction within Wal-Mart as well as many stand-alone, in-line, and non-traditional locations.

Over the past three months, Papa Bello has opened three stores in Alabama, Colorado, and South Carolina, bringing the total number of operating franchises to 17, with four more stores under construction for this year. Papa Bello is currently seeking an area representative to develop the Illinois area and help expand the company's footprint.

Founded in 2005, Papa Bello Enterprises is a Las Vegas, Nevada, based corporation that owns, operates, and franchises Italian style eateries in the United States. The company currently has 17 stores in operation and has a master lease agreement with Wal-Mart.