November 10, 2008

Industry Headlines

U.S. Military veteran opens his second little Caesars Pizza store

Little Caesar Enterprises, Inc. today celebrates the grand opening of U.S. veteran Martin Lorenz's second store in Fort Myers at 3501 Fowler Street.  Less than 18 months ago, Lorenz became the first U.S. veteran to open a Little Caesars location under the Little Caesars Veterans Program. "Since applying my benefit from the Little Caesars Veterans Program and opening my first location in Fort Myers, I have been looking forward to expanding in the area with a strong brand," said Lorenz. "I am excited to be growing my business for my family and the Little Caesars Veterans Program has made it possible."

Since the program launched nearly two years ago, interest has remained high in the Little Caesars Veterans Program. Currently, 45 veterans collectively are applying credits and benefits to help them grow their Little Caesars businesses. To date, 2,400 inquires have been made about the program. Several veterans have also opened second stores and many are expected to open their stores under the program in the coming months.

"I've enjoyed growing my Little Caesars business, and I encourage other veterans to explore the opportunity to transition into a second career with Little Caesars. The response from veterans to the program has been extremely positive," added Lorenz.
In fact, Tony Ceppaluni, a U.S. military veteran recently opened his first Little Caesars store in North Port, Fla., after first learning about the opportunity of owning a Little Caesars pizza restaurant from Lorenz.

"With talented veterans such as Martin joining the Little Caesars team and opening more stores, the Little Caesars Veterans Program continues to grow and provide veterans with business ownership opportunities," said David Scrivano, president, Little Caesar Enterprises, Inc. "Providing benefits to veterans is a critical first step toward their becoming entrepreneurs, but the fact that they are starting to build their second stores really demonstrates the strength of the program."

Prior to becoming a Little Caesars pizza store owner, Lorenz honed his professional skills in the real estate industry. Earlier, Lorenz worked as an engineer with General Motors in Detroit. Throughout his career Lorenz developed a strong appreciation for providing quality products and services to his customers. When he learned about the training and ongoing support Little Caesars offered, Lorenz was convinced the Little Caesars franchise opportunity was right for him.

Created on Veteran's Day 2006 to thank individuals such as Lorenz for their service, the program provides veterans with career opportunities when they transition to civilian life or seek a career change. The Little Caesars Veterans Program provides honorably discharged service-disabled veterans who qualify a benefit of up to approximately $68,000. It grants honorably discharged, non-service-disabled veterans who qualify as Little Caesars franchisees a benefit of up to $20,000.

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

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CiCi’s Pizza Hires Real Estate Veteran to lead efforts to secure locations for expansion

CiCi’s Pizza has hired retail real estate veteran John W. Baldwin to head its real estate team, the company announced this week. With more than 15 years experience in both franchise and corporate retail real estate, Baldwin, 45, will focus first on strengthening CiCi’s real estate team.

“The goal of CiCi’s real estate team is to be the best-in-practice real estate department in the franchise retail restaurant industry,” Baldwin said. “I have already begun the restructuring of CiCi’s real estate team and am rebuilding the team from the ground up with professionals from both inside and outside the company.”

Originally from Canada, Baldwin has headed the U.S. real estate teams for the development of several well-known national retail brands, including Starbucks, La Quinta Hotels and Valvoline Instant Oil Change. He also has experience in international rollouts, opening stores in Shanghai, China.

“As we continue the aggressive expansion plan that calls for us to open store number one thousand by the end of 2010, we needed to bring on a real estate executive who has the experience and skills to compete for the number of prime locations CiCi’s needs,” said CiCi’s Pizza President and CEO Craig Moore. “John is that person.”

Founded in 1985, CiCi's Pizza is a family-oriented buffet concept. Since opening its first restaurant in Plano, Texas, CiCi’s has grown to almost 650 restaurants in 30 states. 

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Fat Tony's Italian Pub announces Pizza-For-A-Year contest winner

Jeff Miles, a Wilmington resident and student at UNCW, last week claimed his prize of Free Pizza for a Year from Fat Tony's Italian Pub.  Estimated value of the grand prize is well in excess of $1,000.

Voting in the "Beer for President" contest conducted in the restaurants and on a website, www.VoteBeer08.com, paid off for Miles.  He picked the winner, Fat Tony's Haunted Pub Brew, which made him eligible for the grand prize.  The contest culminated with the national presidential election on Tuesday night.

The Beer for President campaign introduced Wilmingtonians to "candidates" which were easier than most to rely on.  "We can always rely on great food, service, and especially beer at any Fat Tony's location.  This is why Fat Tony's is THE pub in Wilmington!" said a jubilant Miles, who cast his vote along with an overwhelmingly large group of local followers.

Other finalists for the office of Beer for President included Yuengling, Sam Adams, and Guinness. The original field of 24, which corresponded to the diverse collection of 24 draft beers offered in the pubs, was narrowed over the course of the 8-week contest.  Not once did one of the candidates lose its head.

Fat Tony's Haunted Pub Brew is an American Pale Ale honoring the haunted history of the local restaurant chain's downtown location.  Its tap handle of pirate-turned-skeleton stands out among the lineup, and the citrusy pine flavor and aroma of its hops goes particularly well with the menu at Fat Tony's.  The Haunted Pub Brew running mate in the contest was the "Special", a crowd pleaser pizza available at Fat Tony's.

Fat Tony's Italian Pub, a unit of Marzini Restaurants, LLC, has two Wilmington locations and specializes in homemade Italian food and a diverse selection of 24 draft beers in a fun pub environment.
 

Buca di Beppo awards Allentown resident trip for four to Italy 

Buca di Beppo, widely-recognized as the place to celebrate anniversaries, birthdays, holiday parties and other special occasions, has announced the grand-prize winner of its 15th anniversary sweepstakes. Judith Mellman, resident of Allentown, Penn., was selected from among nearly 40,000 entrants to win a magnifico trip for four to Italy.

"If there is one place I've always wanted to go, it's Italy," said Mellman, a longtime guest at Buca di Beppo's Allentown location, upon learning of her prize. "My grandfather was Italian, and I've always wanted to learn more about my roots. First, I have to get a passport!"

From July 14 through August 10, guests were invited to enter a contest for a trip for four to Italy as part of Buca di Beppo's 15th anniversary celebration. The night Mellman entered the contest, she was enjoying a birthday dinner with her family at Buca di Beppo in Allentown.

The nine-day tour will take Mellman and her guests through five of Italy's great cities: Rome, Pisa, Florence, Verona and Venice.

"Buca di Beppo has always been the place to celebrate special occasions with friends and family," said Jim Macchitelli, Vice President of Marketing. "We enjoyed treating our guests to a special menu and party favors during our anniversary, and now Judith has won the very best prize -- the trip of a lifetime, a tour through Italy's greatest cities."

BUCA, Inc., headquartered in Minneapolis, owns and operates 88 highly acclaimed authentic Italian restaurants under the name Buca di Beppo in 25 states and the District of Columbia.

U.S. Military Veteran opens pizza franchise under Little Caesars Veterans Program

Little Caesar Enterprises, Inc. has announced another store grand opening under the Little Caesars Veterans Program as former United States Army Helicopter Pilot Warrant Officer Tony Ceppaluni opened a new store in North Port, Florida.

"I am honored to be part of a program that recognizes U.S. military veterans and the sacrifices put forth to protect and serve our nation," said Ceppaluni. "The Little Caesars Veterans Program gives me the opportunity to start my own business and provide families in the area who are looking to stretch their dollar with a high quality product at a great value."

Entering the United States Army in 1975, Ceppaluni's fascination with military aircraft led him to join the Army flight program where he served for nearly 10 years as a helicopter pilot warrant officer. In 1985, Ceppaluni was honorably discharged and transitioned to civilian life and became a full-time real estate broker in Florida while continuing to fly small planes as a hobby. During this time, Ceppaluni spoke with Marty Lorenz, a U.S. military veteran and Little Caesars franchise owner, who introduced him to the idea of owning a Little Caesars pizza restaurant. Ceppaluni researched the brand and was impressed with the brand's positive image, proven business model and the innovative Little Caesars Veterans Program. Within six months, Ceppaluni was ready to begin a new phase of his professional career as a Little Caesars franchise owner.

"Little Caesars is a natural fit for my military background," said Ceppaluni. "I look forward building my Little Caesars business and giving back to my community and creating a positive team environment with my crew."

The Little Caesars Veterans Program was created to thank veterans for their service and provide them with career opportunities when they transition to civilian life or seek a career change.  Honorably discharged service-disabled veterans who qualify are eligible for a benefit of up to approximately $68,000. It grants honorably discharged, non-service-disabled veterans who qualify as Little Caesars franchisees, such as Ceppaluni, a benefit of $10,000.

Since launching on Veterans Day 2006, interest has remained high for the Little Caesars Veterans Program. Currently, more than 30 veterans have been approved to become Little Caesars franchisees and more than 2,000 inquiries have been made about the program. Several more U.S. military veterans are expected to open stores in the coming months under the program.

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

Papa Murphy’s Launches Philly Cheesesteak Pizza

The hunt for the perfect cheesesteak will have fans of the Philly favorite running to Papa Murphy’s Take ‘N’ Bake Pizza stores. The company today announced the launch of the Philly Cheesesteak Pizza, topped with all the necessary elements of its famed sandwich ancestor. Papa Murphy’s freshly-made Original Crust is layered with authentic cheese sauce, thinly-sliced strips of steak, fire-roasted onions and peppers and shredded parmesan.
 
“This recipe was more than three years in the making, with many people instrumental in its development,” said David Gardner, director of research and development at Papa Murphy’s. “Of course no one receives more credit for the launch of this pizza than our customers. They guide us every step of the way on every product we bring to the market.”

The limited-time-only pizza is available in select stores nationwide, with prices starting at $10.99. Like Papa Murphy’s other signature pizzas, the Philly Cheesesteak Pizza takes 10 to 12 minutes to bake in customers’ home ovens.
 
Papa Murphy's is the fifth-largest pizza chain in the country and the pioneer and leader of the take 'n' bake pizza segment. Papa Murphy's operates over 1,000 franchised and corporate-owned locations in 31 states and Canada. 

 Papa Bello sells area representative rights to develop mid-Atlantic region

Papa Bello Enterprises has announced that the company has sold an area representative agreement to the Pastore Food Corporation to develop several states in the Mid-Atlantic region. Under the contract, Pastore's holds the rights to establish and expand Papa Bello franchises in the states of Pennsylvania, Delaware, and the District of Columbia.

The Pastore Food Corporation entered the Italian food industry by opening a grocery, produce and deli store in the year 1912 in Baltimore, MD. The company is currently evaluating several potential franchise sites and anticipates opening their first store in the beginning of 2009.  A minimum growth of 40 new stores throughout the region is included in the agreement terms.

"My family has been in the food and restaurant business for almost 100 years and we're known for our quality of food, and the attention we give our customers," says Frank Pastore, President of Pastore Food Corporation. "When we came across the Papa Bello concept, we were so impressed with their organization and high standards of quality, we decided to change the course of our company indefinitely. We already feel like part of the Papa Bello family, and are excited to build out the brand in the Mid-Atlantic region."

Founded in 2005, Papa Bello Enterprises is a Las Vegas, NV based corporation that owns, operates, and franchises Italian style eateries in the United States.  The company currently has 19 stores in operation and has a master lease agreement with Wal-Mart. 


Papa Romano’s Pizza and Mr. Pita to open first unit in Colorado
Papa Romano’s Pizza and Mr. Pita, two Commerce Township-based restaurant chains, finalized a lease to open their first location –  a co-branded unit – in Boulder, Colorado. The new restaurant, which will feature the foods of both Papa Romano’s Pizza and Mr. Pita, is slated to open in February 2009 and represents the first of 100 locations the two chains plan to open in Colorado.

A lease was completed for a 1,920 square-foot site located at 13th Street in the University Hill district.  Area Developer Jeff Marcus and Partner Jim Odle, both of Brush, Colo. are franchisees.

Papa Romano’s Pizza offers premium, fresh, made-from-scratch traditional and specialty pizza, as well as breads, salads, chicken, subs and pasta.  Mr. Pita is known for its quality, fresh ingredients and provides a healthy and tasty alternative to typical fast food.

Founded in Michigan in 1970, Papa Romano’s Pizza operates 46 restaurants in Michigan and Texas. 

XLT Ovens wins Little Caesars’ 2008 vendor award, becoming only vendor ever to win two years in row 

XLT Ovens set a new standard with its Little Caesars’ 2008 vendor award, winning for the second year in a row and becoming the first vendor to do so.
 
XLT was recognized for their excellent work at the Little Caesars business conference. Only five vendors won main awards at the recent conference at the Motor City Hotel and Casino in Detroit.
 
Blue Line President Matt Illich told the crowd how impressed he and Blue Line Equipment Manager Dick Martin were on their last visit to XLT headquarters. Illich said that XLT deserves the award recognition based on investing millions to support Little Cesars’, innovation in manufacturing and continually training team members to better support the Little Caesars system.
 
Illich also said that XLT Ovens, manufactured by Wolfe Electric, has held pricing for the last five years in support of the Little Caesars Hot & Ready $5 pizza program. “By supporting the continued success of the $5 price point, XLT Ovens remains a partnered vendor to the Little Caesars system,” he said.
 
Wolfe Electric, the parent company, was founded in the mid-1940s by Roy Wolfe. The four-generation company first manufactured consumer and commercial fan systems and refrigeration products.