Who's our No. 1? - Networld Media Group

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Menu Labeling Laws
When Congress passed the Healthcare
Reform Act that included a requirement
that restaurants display the nutritional
information of their menu items, many
pizza operators scratched their heads and
wondered how they’d comply. The pizza
segment is unique because of its variable,
customized options and delivery-heavy
operations. The National Restaurant
Association suggested that pizza operators
should be allowed to convey calorie info
by the slice, as opposed to the whole pie.
However, others believe it’s confusing for
consumers to only be given the number
of calories in one slice of pizza. The Act is
currently in front of the Supreme Court,
and a decision on how to move forward
with this piece of legislation is expected
sometime this summer or fall.
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C-store Competition
Convenience stores have capitalized on
busier, on-the-go consumers by improving
their food offerings, especially pizza. New
research by Technomic shows that more
consumers are taking advantage of the
expanding foodservice options available
at C-stores, many times at the expense of
quick-service restaurants. Some concepts
– such as Nashville-based Hunt Brothers
– are well positioned to capitalize on this
trend with a strong C-store presence,
but others are forced to compete with a
relatively new segment that tends to be
more conveniently located.
11 Couponing
In recent years, couponing has become an
enormous trend for people of all ages and
income levels. According to travel program
leapfrogpos.com
service JPS, shoppers saved $4.6 billion
with coupons in 2011, which is $500 million
more than in 2010. Coupons were big in the
pizza segment long before this became
a reality TV focus, however. Whether it’s
received in the mail, attached to their
pizza delivery box or scouted online,
consumers will hunt for a good deal before
choosing where to eat. However, Marla
Topliff, president of Rosati’s Pizza, warns
companies to avoid out-couponing each
other, which could compromise the quality
of food in favor of a better bargain. Instead
of marking coupons with expiration dates,
Topliff advises the use of phrases such as
“Limited Time Offer.” This way, you can
extend the offer without paying to send it
again, or end the offer at any time.
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Half Baked,
Take-and-Bake
If there is any doubt about the viability of
take-and-bake pizza, one need only look at
the Papa Murphy’s chain. Papa Murphy’s
has grown to more than 1,250 locations
over the past 30 years, all without having
a single oven in any of its stores. In recent
years, a number of other companies have
gotten into the act. Not only does takeand-bake
offer the consumer a delivery-style
pizza, it lets those consumers have it when
they want, without having to wait (or pay)
for delivery. Take-and-bake has one clear
advantage when it comes to marketing:
many states allow them to be purchased
with government-funded food purchasing
programs.
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Organic Ingredients
With an increasing number of scientific
studies linking pesticides to a higher risk
of cancer, attention-deficit/hyperactivity
disorder (ADHD), Alzheimer’s and other
diseases, consumer demand for organic
ingredients is expected to continue growing
at impressive rates. Sales of organic food
and beverages grew 10 percent year-overyear
in 2011, topping $31 billion, according
to the Organic Trade Association. Many
savvy pizzerias such as Denver-based
Organic Pizza Company, and Floridabased
Pizza Fusion and Truly Organic Pizza
are among the forerunners and others are
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