Around The Industry

Aussies Set Pizza Record
Australia can nowbrag about a new pizza world record! According to www.news.com.au, “It’s for the world’s longest line of pizzas, beating the previous record set in the United States by just one metre.” It was only three weeks prior that the record smashed by the Aussies was initially set in Fort Rustico, Florida in the United States. That record was 220 metres of pizza.

The event took place in historic Leichhardt in Sydney’s innerwest and used 826 freshly cooked pizzas, stretching 221 metres according to www.news.com.au. The article went on to say that it required 25 chefs, 500kg of flour, 250 litres of tomato sauce and 350kg of mozzarella cheese to complete the task. OzHarvest, a food rescue organisation in Sydney, was the recipent of all the food once the Guinness World Records certified the event as a new record. The article at www.news.com.au also said that the Italian cruise ship company Costa Cruises sponsored the event, donating $10 for every metre of pizza to the children’s charity, Variety.

1300 Dominos Spells More Pizza
Australian owned and operated pizza maker Domino’s Pizza Enterprises Limited (”Domino’s”) announced a new number for pizza ordering, 1300 DOMINOS, making them the first major pizza company in Australia to use a phone name.

“This project has been in development for nearly 12 months and the decision was only taken after extensive test marketing and research. Instinctively it made sense, switching to 1300 DOMINOS means our brand and our direct customer link will become synonymous,” Marketing Director Allan Collins said.

“To ensure we had conclusive proof that 1300 DOMINOS increased customer recall, we conducted test marketing in regional NSW late last year using local store marketing, packaging and television advertising in the area. In just ten weeks we saw results - the awareness of 1300 DOMINOS was higher than 131 888, we experienced an increase in calls to 1300 DOMINOS and the market also experienced sales growth.

“This improved recall was even more significant when we took into consideration the residual branding of 131 888 that existed in the test market area.”

Phone Names Marketing CEO Jack Singleton said this is proof that often the simplest marketing initiatives can be the most effective.

“Names are easier to remember than phone numbers, Domino’s knew that logically their name was easier to remember than 131 888. I was impressed by their ability to approach the process with the necessary rigour, but when the evidence was conclusive, they were quick to activate it nationally,” Jack said.

Domino’s existing number 131 888 will remain connected indefinitely, whilst residual marketing collateral remains in the market.

Hell Expanding in Australia and Abroad
From an article on www.stuff.co.nz by JON HOYLE - The Dominion Post

Hell Pizza is expanding their foothold in the northern hemisphere and starting to extend their turf in Australia according to an article that appeared at Stuff.co.nz. After selling the New Zealand rights to Hell in 2006, they have launched their brand in Canada and Ireland and are expanding in Australia.

In the article Mr McMullin said that after just over a year, Hell Pizza’s pilot restaurant in London had passed the taste test with local people and Australian and Kiwi expatriates, and Hell expected to open another two stores this year.

The master franchisee in Australia opened the third Hell Pizza outlet in Brisbane in August. The agreement requires 30 outlets to be established in three years. Once the Queensland market is developed, Hell will move into New South Wales and Victoria, followed by the other states. Hell receives a payment for the master franchise, a one-off payment for each new store opened and royalties of 1%, the article said.

Though there is no shortage of those seeking franchises, the biggest hurdle for expansion in London is the scarcity of good sites and 10- to 15-year leases. Mr McMullin said London had the potential for up to 150 Hell restaurants and Britain could absorb up to 600.

Stuff.co.nz quoted Mr. McMullin in the article: “The quality of pizza over there is pretty poor, and service is also pretty patchy. Our food is quality and service is a high standard, but it’s still done with a bit of Hell attitude.”

Hell’s New Zealand rights were sold to TPF, New Zealand franchise holders of Burger King, for about $15 million. At the time, the chain had expanded from four outlets in 2002 to 66, with sales of $55 million as reported in Stuff.co.nz.