As the teams from New Orleans and Indianapolis are huddling up to play the biggest game of the football season on Feb. 7 in Miami, the Pizza Hut team of more than 120,000 employees will be calling plays from the kitchens at over 6,000 restaurants across the country to fill pizza orders on the company’s busiest day of the year.

Pizza Hut is expecting a 50 percent increase in business for the big game over a typical Sunday –that means that Pizza Hut will receive over 1.2 million orders through online, phone, text and iPhone ordering.

To visualize all those orders for pizza, pasta and wings, the Pizza Hut research team pulled together some unique stats that demonstrate how a hungry nation of football fans gets fed:

• On game day, Pizza Hut will sell customers their favorite pizzas – to the tune of 1.7 million pizzas – enough to cover more than 45 football fields.
• If all of the Pizza Hut employees working were lying head to toe, they would stretch almost the entire distance between Miami and Key West, Fla. — equivalent to 28 football fields.
• Pepperoni is the favorite pizza topping—60 percent of Americans will be eating pepperoni on their Pizza Hut pizza during the big game. Italian sausage is the second favorite topping, followed by ham.
• Phone orders are the favorite ordering method, with over 80 percent of orders placed over the phone.

A Big Deal for the Big Game: Any Pizza Hut Pizza is $10

Because no big game party is complete without Pizza Hut pizza, this year Pizza Hut is offering fans a special deal – any pizza at Pizza Hut is now just $10. That means customers can order any size pizza, with any crust and any toppings for $10. The only exceptions are that double toppings are not available on this $10 offer, and Stuffed Crust Pizza is available for an additional charge. The Pizza Hut $10 offer will be available for a limited time and no coupon is required.

Fans also can add a little kick to their big game spreads with WingStreet wings, which offer eight delicious sauces for traditional, crispy bone-in or boneless varieties. For those looking for a twist on traditional fare, Tuscani Pastas from Pizza Hut are sure to be as big of a crowd pleaser as a fourth quarter touchdown.

Game Day Ordering Play: 20 Percent Off First Time Online Orders

More than 80 percent of the game day orders occur before halftime, so Pizza Hut recommends placing your order early. Fortunately, Pizza Hut offers more ways to order than any other national chain. Pizzahut.com is a convenient way to place your order up to a week in advance, and first time online customers will receive 20 percent off their online order. The Pizza Hut interactive iPhone App offers pizza lovers a user-friendly way to order their favorites time and time again. You can also order via text message, mobile Web, even through Facebook. For more information or to place your order, visit Pizzahut.com.

Pizza Hut delivers more pizza, pasta and wings than any other restaurant. The only pizza company to be named a top ten franchise in 2009 by Entrepreneur Magazine, Pizza Hut began 50 years ago in Wichita, Kansas and today operates thousands of restaurants around the globe. Pizza Hut, Inc. is a subsidiary of Yum! Brands, Inc. ( YUM). To check out what’s new at Pizza Hut visit Pizzahut.com.

Since NFL play began in August, Papa John’s has been “in the house” of football fans nationwide, with millions of pizzas delivered at stadiums and homes across the country. The first-time NFL sponsor will culminate the season by being in the house at The Big Game, with some special deliveries featured in a unique integration in the Super Bowl XLIV telecast on CBS on February 7.

As the Official Pizza Sponsor of the NFL and Super Bowl XLIV, Papa John’s will be featured in the Super Bowl telecast for the first time in company history. Near the two-minute warning of the first half, Papa John’s Founder John Schnatter will be featured in a 30-second broadcast enhancement, customized and themed for Super Bowl XLIV, celebrating the people who make the NFL and Super Bowl XLIV great — the latest installment in the brand’s “Papa’s in the House” ad campaign.

“As the quality leader in the pizza category, for years football fans have invited Papa John’s to be the guest of honor at their homes while watching the Super Bowl,” said Papa John’s Chief Marketing Officer, Andrew Varga. “This year, we are excited to be in the house as the Official Pizza Sponsor of the NFL and Super Bowl XLIV, and to be able to thank the fans and those behind the scenes who make the game great.”

From now through Super Bowl XLIV, Papa John’s will have exclusive offers and deals available at www.papajohns.com, including its Super XL IV Pizza – an extra-large pizza with up to four toppings for only $11.99, and its 1st and 10 Offer – any large pizza for only $10.

Headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, Papa John’s International, Inc. (NASDAQ: PZZA) is the world’s third largest pizza company. For nine of the last 10 years, consumers have rated Papa John’s No. 1 in customer satisfaction among all national pizza chains in the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI). Papa John’s also was honored by Restaurants & Institutions Magazine (R&I) with the 2009 Gold Award for Consumers’ Choice in Chains in the pizza segment, ranked first among pizza companies in the 2008 Brand Keys Customer Loyalty Engagement Index, and was named 2007 Pizza Today Chain of the Year. For more information about the company or to order pizza online, visit Papa John’s at www.papajohns.com.

Amidst one of the toughest years the restaurant industry has ever endured, Papa Murphy’s International today announced that its total U.S. systemwide sales grew to $630 million in 2009, up over 7% from 2008. The take ‘n’ bake pizza pioneer ended the year with 1,185 locations, opening 83 in 2009. Same-store-sales were up more than 2%, while most industry watchers estimated the pizza category to be down about 7%.

“There’s a lot to be proud of,” said CEO John Barr, commenting on 2009′s results.  ”We share this pride, of course, with our hundreds of franchisees, our field support teams and our vendor partners.  Franchisors don’t succeed unless their franchisees are successful, so I’m confident 2009 was a year that made everybody happy.”

In addition to the company’s stellar sales and store openings, 2009 highlights consist of:

• New territory. Franchising agreements signed last year equate to over 130 future stores, many in major markets new to Papa Murphy’s. They include Charlotte, North Carolina, Greensboro, North Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, and Savannah, Georgia.  
• More franchisees. Papa Murphy’s added 46 new franchise entity groups to end the year with 478 franchise owners in 34 states and two Canadian provinces.
• High satisfaction. Franchise owners rewarded Papa Murphy’s with extremely high satisfaction ratings in a survey conducted by Franchise Business Review. As a result, Papa Murphy’s ranked as one of the top food franchises for 2009.
• Top honors. For the seventh consecutive year Papa Murphy’s was named “Best Pizza Chain in America” in the Restaurants and Institutions “Consumers’ Choice in Chains” survey. On top of that, Pizza Today magazine crowned the company “Chain of the Year” for the fourth time.  And finally, Papa Murphy’s success qualified it as an Inc. magazine “Top 100 Food & Beverage” company and a Zagat “Top Food” and “Top Service” restaurant(1).

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 nearly 1,200 franchised and corporate-owned locations in 34 states and Canada. The Vancouver, Wash.-based company offers custom-made pizzas featuring high-quality fresh toppings generously layered on pizza dough that is made fresh each morning in each store.  By baking Papa Murphy’s pizzas at home, customers get to experience the home-baked aroma of a convenient, delicious meal that the brand is known for. In addition to handmade pizzas, the company offers a growing menu of take ‘n’ bake items, including Cheesy Bread, Cinnamon Wheels, and chocolate chip cookie dough. Papa Murphy’s has been voted “Best Pizza Chain in America” for seven consecutive years by consumers nationwide in the Restaurants and Institutions “Consumers’ Choice in Chains” survey and is a four-time recipient of Pizza Today’s Chain of the Year award, most recently in 2009. For more information, visit www.papamurphys.com.

• Restaurant Franchise Guide

Bain Capital, a leading global private investment firm, today announced the signing of a definitive agreement to acquire Higa Industries Co., Ltd.,  the long-time master franchisee of Domino’s Pizza in Japan. Bain Capital will acquire Higa Industries from its three current shareholders — Duskin Co., Ltd., Daiwa SMBC Capital, and Ernest M. Higa, the company’s founder and CEO. Financial terms of the private transaction were not disclosed.

Domino’s Pizza has been operating in Japan for 25 years under an exclusive master franchise agreement between Higa Industries and Domino’s Pizza International, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Domino’s Pizza LLC. Higa Industries currently operates 179 franchised Domino’s Pizza stores in Japan. Domino’s Pizza was the first pizza delivery chain in Japan and is today the world leader in pizza delivery with more than 8,000 stores in over 60 countries.

“Under the franchise agreement with Higa Industries, Domino’s Pizza has built a strong competitive position in the pizza delivery industry in Japan by leveraging its distinctive product, high quality service, and unique online marketing strategies,” said David Gross-Loh, a Managing Director at Bain Capital in Tokyo. “The strength of this position is evident when you consider that despite a tough environment for the restaurant industry, the company has achieved steady growth in both sales and profit in Japan over the last three years.”

“We look forward to working with the Higa Industries team to support the continued growth of Domino’s Pizza in Japan and further strengthen its competitive edge,” added Yuji Sugimoto, a Managing Director at Bain Capital. “We believe there are significant opportunities for store growth, operational improvement, and attractive new product introductions, all of which can be aided by our knowledge of Domino’s Pizza and the resources of its global operations network.”

Bain Capital has had a long and successful history with Domino’s Pizza. The firm acquired a majority stake in Domino’s Pizza in a private transaction in 1998. Domino’s Pizza, Inc. became a public company in 2004, and Bain Capital retains a significant minority stake in the company.

Bain Capital established offices in Tokyo in 2006, and has a team of 20 investment and operations professionals in Japan to pursue investment opportunities and work with its portfolio companies.  The firm has a strong track record of partnering with management teams and employees to build significant value.  Bain Capital has made investments in a variety of leading companies with principal or significant operations in Japan, including BELLSYSTEM 24, MEI Conlux, Sun Telephone, D&M Holdings, Toys “R” Us, and Burger King. The firm’s experience in the QSR and food service industry includes current investments in Dunkin’ Brands (Dunkin’ Donuts and other brands), and OSI Restaurant Partners (Outback Steak House and other brands).

The transaction is expected to close in early February.  Bain Capital has received committed financing for the deal from the Bank of Tokyo Mitsubishi UFJ.

About Higa Industries

Higa Industries is the master franchisee in Japan of Domino’s Pizza International, Inc. (www.dominos.jp).  Domino’s Pizza was the first delivery pizza chain in Japan, and has been operating in the country for 25 years under an agreement with Higa Industries, a privately held company.

About Bain Capital

Bain Capital, LLC (www.baincapital.com) is a global private investment firm that manages several pools of capital including private equity, high-yield assets, mezzanine capital and public equity with more than $65 billion in assets under management.  Since its inception in 1984, Bain Capital has made private equity investments and add-on acquisitions in over 300 companies around the world, including investments in a broad range of companies such as BELLSYSTEM 24, Sun Telephone, D&M Holdings, MEI Conlux, Stream International, Toys “R” Us and Burger King.  The firm has a team of over 300 professionals dedicated to investing in and supporting its portfolio companies.  Headquartered in Boston, Bain Capital has offices in Tokyo, Hong Kong, Shanghai, New York, London, Munich and Mumbai.