Charles Morrison is CEO of Pizza Inn, the buffet chain primarily based in The Colony, Texas. Ranked No. 19 on our annual listing of The usa’s Best 100 Pizza Firms, Pizza Inn reported greater than $150 million in gross sales ultimate yr. Morrison, a former director of strategic making plans at Pizza Hut and previous president of Steak and Ale, used to be appointed president and CEO of Pizza Inn in December 2007.
PT: What have been the main demanding situations you confronted while you took over as CEO simply over a yr in the past?
CM: The most important used to be simply our thought and the way we had to make it extra related to a broader target audience, that means each on the subject of shoppers and franchisees alike. We rolled out a brand new thought in Denton, Texas, the place we re-integrated supply again into the idea that and put extra of a nostalgic really feel again into Pizza Inn. We had moved clear of that through the years. The brand new prototype has been a perfect luck.
PT: With the exception of the prototype’s a hit release, what do you imagine to be the most important accomplishments of the ultimate yr?
CM: We carried out a back-to-basics program with our franchisees that integrated the whole thing from provider execution to the dough and the standard of our product. It’s been very a hit.
PT: Does this financial system choose buffet ideas?
CM: Completely. I believe our thought specifically can climate this financial typhoon rather well. For $5.99 generally, plus a drink, we provide a lot of fresh-made pizzas on two kinds of crust, thick and skinny, plus brand new salad and truffles — which we name ‘Pizzerts’. All that comes at an excessively horny value — plus youngsters devour unfastened on Tuesdays in a lot of our eating places. We really feel like our affordability and our top of the range make an excessively robust price proposition.
PT: How did Pizza Inn have a good time its fiftieth anniversary in 2008?
CM: We celebrated it via bringing again our famed mascot, Jo Jo. He’s going to seem within the eating places as we migrate to switch the feel and appear of them. Our shoppers and franchisees alike had been very occupied with him coming again. We will get numerous play out of him.
PT: What number of shops do you propose to open in 2009?
CM: I believe within the subsequent yr you’ll see us convey extra corporate owned shops and extra franchised shops into play. I haven’t given any steering on that but on the subject of a bunch, however we’re occupied with the brand new feel and look and we’ll upload a lot of new shops sooner than our fiscal yr ends, which is in June. I believe the brand new eating place prototype can be a catalyst, and I wait for that you just’ll see numerous new shops opening someday.
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