Robert Cino does not claim that his pizzeria is the only one in this part of New Jersey that uses a wood-burning oven. But he says that his 1,600-square-foot restaurant Ah’Pizz, which he has been gradually opening with two partners since February, is the only one using it correctly.

“Other people are cooking their pies at 500 degrees,” said Mr. Cino, 23, of Scotch Plains. “I cook mine at 1,000 degrees, which gives them that great, smoky flavor.”

It also cooks them fast. “It takes me a minute to stretch a pie, then 90 seconds in the oven,” said Mr. Cino, who trained and worked in pizzerias in Italy. “That’s it.”

If there is a downside to such efficiency, it’s that Ah’Pizz — pronounced something like “appease” — does not accept phone orders.

“I care about every pie — I’m not going to have them sitting around here losing their taste,” Mr. Cino said.

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Papa John’s International, Inc. (NASDAQ: PZZA) today announced the promotion of company President and Chief Operating Officer Jude Thompson to co-Chief Executive Officer, along with Founder and Chairman John Schnatter.

“I am delighted that Jude and I will continue our work together, now as co-Chief Executive Officers,” commented Schnatter. “This appointment recognizes the partnership we have developed since I rejoined the day-to-day management of the company in December 2008, and allows us to divide CEO-level responsibilities in a way that our Board agrees plays to our respective strengths.”

Mr. Schnatter will continue to focus on the company’s sourcing of ingredients, distribution, product quality and serving as brand spokesperson, while Mr. Thompson will be responsible for all other aspects of the day-to-day running of the business.

“John is the face of this brand and is passionate about delivering a superior-quality product to our customers,” commented Thompson. “I am excited about continuing to work alongside John, as well as with our franchise and corporate operators and management team, to continue to move our brand forward.”

Mr. Schnatter created the Papa John’s concept and has served as Chairman and CEO, or in other executive capacities, since his founding of the company in 1984.

Mr. Thompson joined the Papa John’s Board of Directors in 2008 and was appointed Papa John’s President and Chief Operating Officer in April 2009. From 2006 to 2008, he served as Senior Vice President of WellPoint, Inc., and President, Individual Business, of Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield.

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. For more information about the company or to order pizza online, visit Papa John’s at www.papajohns.com.

The Humane Society of the United States will address Domino’s Pizza executives at the pizza company’s April 28 annual shareholder meeting in Ann Arbor, Mich.

Domino’s is the world’s second-largest pizza company, reports Pizza Marketplace. The delivery-carryout chain is based in Ann Arbor, Mich., and has more than 8,726 units in 60 countries. Domino’s did approximately $6.9 billion in system-wide sales in 2008.

“We’re asking the company to implement some very basic but important animal welfare improvements, similar to what many top food companies have already done,” says Kristine Middleton, corporate outreach manager, who will be addressing the executives. HSUS is a shareholder of the pizza company.

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Domino’s Pizza, Inc. (NYSE: DPZ) announces the following webcast:

What:  First Quarter 2010 Earnings Conference Call

When:  Tuesday, May 4, 11:00 a.m. Eastern

Where:  www.dominosbiz.com

How:  Live over the Internet.  Simply log on to the Web address above.

Contact:  Lynn Liddle:  (734) 930-3008

The Web Cast will also be archived on the Domino’s web site for replay.

About Domino’s Pizza^®

Founded in 1960, Domino’s Pizza is the recognized world leader in pizza delivery. Domino’s is listed on the NYSE under the symbol “DPZ.” Through its primarily locally-owned and operated franchised system, Domino’s operates a network of franchised and Company-owned stores in the United States and over 60 international markets, and in March 2010 celebrated the opening of its 9000^th store worldwide. The Domino’s Pizza® brand, named a Megabrand by Advertising Age magazine, had global retail sales of over $5.6 billion in 2009, comprised of nearly $3.1 billion domestically and over $2.5 billion internationally. Domino’s Pizza was named “Chain of the Year” by Pizza Today magazine, the leading publication of the pizza industry. In 2009, Domino’s ranked number one in customer satisfaction in a survey of consumers of the U.S. largest limited service restaurants, according to the annual American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI).  Domino’s has expanded its menu significantly since 2008 to include Oven Baked Sandwiches and BreadBowl Pasta ^TM, and recently debuted its ‘Inspired New Pizza’ – a permanent change to its core hand-tossed product, reinvented from the crust up with new sauce, cheese and garlic seasoned crust.

Calling all moms! This Mother’s Day, UNO® has some wonderful surprises in store: delicious ‘N’awlins’ inspired menu items from their New Orleans Jazz Festival of Flavors — available for a limited time — activities and goodies for kids, and a memento for Mom all make UNO the perfect choice for both Mom’s special day and the preceding week.

From May 4 through May 9, participating UNO locations will be distributing a Mother’s Day activity page and crayons to young guests. The coloring activity sheet incorporates a coupon for a free kid’s Make Your Own Pizza on their next visit. Each child can draw a picture and give their artistic creations to their mother as a special, personalized token of their appreciation.

On Mother’s Day, May 9, each participating location will offer to take digital photos of the family. Families simply need to give their name and mailing address to the photographer, and a keepsake photo of this time-honored day will be mailed to them within a few weeks.

For a limited time before and during Mother’s Day, UNO will be offering some delicious new entrees that Mom will love, including savory Chicken Sausage Gumbo, Voodoo Bones, Jambalaya Deep Dish Pizza, Creole Shrimp on Fresh Pappardelle, Blackened Chicken Fettuccine, and the iconic New Orleans dessert, Bananas Foster. In addition, UNO will feature its regular menu, for which it was honored as the healthiest chain restaurant in America by Health magazine.

Every parent knows the feeling of having a bored, unhappy child ruin a restaurant meal. From crayons at the table to interesting decor to a unique dining experience that keep kids engaged and happy, dining out with young ones in tow is about more than just what is on the menu. UNO ranks among the Best Family Restaurants (Parents’ list of the 10 Best Family Restaurant Chains).

One of the most popular activities for kids at UNO is the Make Your Own Pizza option: children are given aprons, thin-crust pizza dough, sauce, and toppings. From those, they can make their own delicious creations, which are baked and brought back to the table for dinner.

For more information on Uno Chicago Grill, visit www.unos.com.

Based in Boston, Uno Restaurant Holdings Corporation includes over 160 company-owned and franchised full-service Uno Chicago Grill restaurants located in 25 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, South Korea, the United Arab Emirates, Honduras, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.  The company also operates a fast casual concept called Uno Due Go®, a quick serve concept called Uno Express®, and a consumer foods division which supplies airlines, movie theaters, hotels, airports, travel plazas, schools and supermarkets with both frozen and refrigerated private-label foods and branded UNO products.  For more information, visit www.unos.com.

Little Caesars Pizza, PepsiCo, and Columbia Pictures today announced “Your Ticket to Kick It,” a national scratch-off game promotion, in anticipation of the release of Columbia Pictures’ The Karate Kid. This promotion includes national marketing components and offers Little Caesars customers across the country a chance to win a year of movie tickets, pizza, and Pepsi-Cola beverages, among other prizes.  The film, starring Jaden Smith and Jackie Chan, will be released in theaters everywhere on June 11, 2010.

“Little Caesars pizza, Pepsi, and The Karate Kid make the perfect combination for family fun,” said Linda “LJ” Jaworski, senior vice president of Marketing and Communications, Little Caesar Enterprises, Inc. “Little Caesars Pizza is excited to bring this promotion to our customers for the chance to win great food and entertainment.” 

Little Caesars customers will receive a “Your Ticket to Kick It” scratch-off code card by visiting participating Little Caesars restaurants and purchasing a fresh HOT-N-READY® pizza with any Pepsi, Diet Pepsi or any available product in the portfolio. The promotion begins on April 26 and continues while cards last.  Customers simply scratch off their card to determine if they have won the grand prize of a year’s worth of movie tickets, Little Caesars pizza, and Pepsi-Cola beverages (awarded as 48 movie passes and 12 Little Caesars® gift cards each good for one HOT-N-READY® pizza, an order of Crazy Bread® and Crazy Sauce® & one two-liter Pepsi-Cola product), or other prizes including individual movie tickets, movie posters, The Karate Kid merchandise, or discount coupons for Little Caesars and Pepsi products.

Two varieties of collectible mini movie posters with a re-print of Jaden Smith’s signature will be available at participating Little Caesars restaurants beginning May 18.

“We’re proud to work with Little Caesars on this exciting program and pleased to deliver access to such a great property,” said Margery Schelling, CMO PepsiCo Foodservice.  “The chance to win prizes associated with ‘The Karate Kid,’ which promotes confidence and leading an active lifestyle, will delight the whole family.”

Communication elements to support the promotion include print, broadcast, and Web presence along with in-store point-of-purchase materials. Social media will also play a large role in the promotion through Little Caesars’ and The Karate Kid‘s Facebook and Twitter pages.

Promotion details and official rules are available at participating Little Caesars locations. There is no purchase necessary to receive a “Your Ticket to Kick It” scratch-off code card.  Customers can request a scratch-off code card without purchase by mailing their request to the address included in the official rules available at participating Little Caesars locations.

In Columbia Pictures’ The Karate Kid, 12-year-old Dre Parker (Jaden Smith) could’ve been the most popular kid in Detroit, but his mother’s (Taraji P. Henson) latest career move has landed him in China.  Dre immediately falls for his classmate Mei Ying – and the feeling is mutual – but cultural differences make such a friendship impossible. Even worse, Dre’s feelings make an enemy of the class bully, Cheng.  In the land of kung fu, Dre knows only a little karate, and Cheng puts “the karate kid” on the floor with ease.  With no friends in a strange land, Dre has nowhere to turn but maintenance man Mr. Han (Jackie Chan), who is secretly a master of kung fu.  As Han teaches Dre that kung fu is not about punches and parries, but maturity and calm, Dre realizes that facing down the bullies will be the fight of his life.  The film is directed by Harald Zwart.  The screenplay is by Christopher Murphey.  Story by Robert Mark Kamen.  The film is produced by Jerry Weintraub, Will Smith, Jada Pinkett Smith, James Lassiter, and Ken Stovitz.

The PepsiCo Foodservice Division integrates the relevant units of Pepsi-Cola and Frito-Lay together with Quaker, Tropicana and Gatorade in the United States and Canada.  Rooted in PepsiCo’s “Power of One” principles, PepsiCo Foodservice leverages the scale and breadth of the corporation’s brands to provide a unified voice to its customers and deliver competitive advantage in the fast-growing foodservice and vending channels.

Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) is a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America (SCA), a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Sony Corporation. SPE’s global operations encompass motion picture production and distribution; television production and distribution; digital content creation and distribution; worldwide channel investments; home entertainment acquisition and distribution; operation of studio facilities; development of new entertainment products, services and technologies; and distribution of filmed entertainment in more than 130 countries.  Sony Pictures Entertainment can be found on the World Wide Web at www.sonypictures.com.

Little Caesars Pizza founders Michael and Marian Ilitch opened their first restaurant in Garden City, Michigan in 1959. Little Caesars added more stores in the world in 2009 than any other pizza chain and today is the largest carry-out chain internationally with restaurants on five continents. Little Caesars is growing in prime markets across the country, and is offering strong franchisee candidates an opportunity for independence with a proven system. For the third year in a row, Little Caesars was named “Best Value in America”* of all quick-serve restaurant chains. In addition, Little Caesars offers strong brand awareness with one of the most recognized and appealing characters in the country, Little Caesar.

In addition to Little Caesars Pizza, Michael and Marian Ilitch’s companies in the food, sports and entertainment industries include: the Detroit Red Wings, Olympia Entertainment, Olympia Development, Blue Line Foodservice Distribution, Champion Foods, Ilitch Holdings, Inc., Uptown Entertainment, Little Caesars Pizza Kit Fundraising Program, and a variety of venues within these entities. Michael Ilitch owns the Detroit Tigers. Marian Ilitch owns MotorCity Casino Hotel.

For more information about Little Caesars and available franchise opportunities, visit www.LittleCaesars.com or call 1.800.553.5776.

* “Highest-Rated Chain – Value for the Money” based on a nationwide survey of quick-service restaurant consumers conducted by Sandelman & Associates, 2009

Have a fixation for fresh dough? A fervor for fresh-packed, vine-ripened tomato sauce? A passion for pepperoni? Or are you just one of the millions of Americans who love pizza? If so, Papa John’s wants you to help create its next menu item!

Papa John’s International, Inc. (NASDAQ: PZZA) is asking its loyal customers to share their ideas for the next great specialty pizza as part of the company’s first ever “Papa’s Specialty Pizza Challenge.” Could it be the “Portabella Mushroom-anator,” the “Jalapeno Jamboree,” or the “The Slice is Right?”

Whatever the name and combination of superior-quality ingredients, Papa John’s is offering the contest winner a “slice” of the sales in return for the top recipe, which will be featured in the future as a Papa John’s offering alongside other Specialty pies like: The Works, Tuscan Six Cheese, Garden Fresh, The Meats, BBQ Chicken and Bacon, Hawaiian BBQ Chicken, Spinach Alfredo and Spicy Italian.

“We hear every day from customers who have a favorite combination of ingredients and there is usually a story behind it,” said Papa John’s chief marketing officer, Andrew Varga. “Our customers know that better ingredients make a better pizza. Now they have the opportunity to put their creativity on display for the right to have their pizza offered alongside ‘The Works’ and ‘The Meats,’ and also to claim a slice of the sales of that pizza as well.”

Beginning today through June 14, participants can enter “Papa’s Specialty Pizza Challenge” through Facebook at www.facebook.com/papajohns. Consumers will be asked to create and name their very own specialty pie on Papa John’s 14-inch never frozen original hand-tossed or thin crust with sauce, cheese and a combination of up to seven Papa John’s better ingredients, including:

• Fresh-Packed Tomato Sauce: Made from vine-ripened tomatoes, which go from the vine to the can in an average of six hours
• Cheese made from 100 percent mozzarella
• 100 percent Real Meats: Bacon, Beef, Ham, Grilled Chicken, Pepperoni, Sausage, Spicy Italian Sausage
• Fresh-Cut Vegetables: Onions, Green Peppers and Roma Tomatoes
• Other high-quality ingredients: Including baby portabella mushrooms and black olives grown in the rich soils of southern Spain

But Papa’s Specialty Challenge isn’t just about recipes. Participants must also share in 250 words or less what makes their pizza so special for a chance to win. Judging criteria throughout the contest will include:

• Overall appeal
• Taste of the final product
• Creativity of the name
• Interest of the pizza’s story

All entries will be featured in a gallery on Papa John’s Facebook page, from which “Papa” John Schnatter himself and his team of experts will choose ten semi-finalists. Those ten recipes will then be tested and tasted by Schnatter and other judges at company headquarters in Louisville, Ky. Schnatter, who personally developed many of the specialty pizza combinations currently offered by Papa John’s, will trim the choices to his three favorite recipes, which will be showcased temporarily on Papa John’s menu (August 2 – August 29), with the ultimate winner being the highest-selling pizza!

And because the stakes – a portion of sales dollars from the winner’s recipe – are so high and to assist with the sales of each pizza, Papa John’s is offering the top three finalists a marketing budget of $1,000 to help drive sales of their respective pizzas.

The grand prize winner will also receive free Papa John’s pizza for life as well as a chance to appear in a “Papa’s in the House” TV commercial. For more details on “Papa’s Specialty Pizza Challenge,” including official contest rules, visit www.facebook.com/papajohns.

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 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.

An Overland Park man trying to pay for a trip to Las Vegas earned several hundred dollars by wolfing down more than 300 square inches of pizza in an hour.

Randy Santel gorged himself on the 18-inch-by-18-inch square pizza, topped with hamburger, pepperoni and Canadian bacon. And he washed it down with a full drink, earning a $450 prize from a Jefferson City pizza restaurant.

Santel was the first person in two years to complete the challenge at the Pizza Haus restaurant.

To enter the contest, eaters pay $5. If they finish the pizza within one hour, they get a T-shirt, the money collected from past attempts and a free meal.

Jeff Caldwell, the owner of the Pizza Haus, said about 100 people have tried to down the 2.25-square feet of pizza. A Wall of Shame in the restaurant has pictures of nearly 70 people who have tried and failed.

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Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley’s office has cited the former owner of Domino’s Pizza franchises for wage and hour violations for the second time.

Brian Lebo and Mavnick Enterprises LLC, formerly doing business as Domino’s Pizza in Lynn, Randolph and Saugus, Mass., were ordered to pay more than $32,000 in restitution and fines over allegations of failure to pay wages in a timely manner, failure to pay minimum wage, failure to furnish a suitable pay slip or record for inspection, and failure to keep true and accurate payroll records.

Lebo and his company were previously ordered to pay more than $6,500 in August for violating the Massachusetts wage and hour laws.

“All workers are entitled under the law to receive the minimum wage,” Coakley said.

“It is troubling that this employer has violated the wage and hour laws for a second time. Our office is committed to holding responsible those employers who continue to disregard and violate the rights of their employees.”

Multiple complaints have been received by Coakley’s Fair Labor Division since Aug. 2009 from employees alleging that they were not paid the minimum wage while employed as pizza delivery drivers at Lebo’s Domino’s franchise in Lynn.

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Pizza Fusion, a pioneer in the natural and organic restaurant movement, today announced it will join forces with EarthEra, an initiative of NextEra Energy Resources, to create a groundbreaking new program designed to offset 100 percent of its service-related carbon footprint. As part of the effort, every Pizza Fusion transaction will help build new renewable energy facilities.

“Creating this partnership moves Pizza Fusion closer to becoming a carbon-neutral business while allowing our customers to be part of creating a sustainable, clean-energy future,” said Vaughan Lazar, president of Pizza Fusion. “We hope Pizza Fusion will become a model for businesses around the nation.”

Through the EarthEra Carbon Balanced Dining program, Pizza Fusion will acquire EarthEra® renewable energy and carbon offset products to balance 100 percent of the carbon emissions associated with its restaurants. In an industry-first, Pizza Fusion will offset its own delivery and customer dining travel emissions.

The innovative EarthEra program directs 100 percent of the revenues to the EarthEra Renewable Energy Trust, which uses all funds to construct new renewable energy facilities.

Carbon balanced dining will be offered at two Pizza Fusion Florida locations beginning today, with plans to roll-out the program to all Pizza Fusion restaurants incrementally in the next year. Pizza Fusion is also currently working on a plan that will establish criteria for acceptable supply chain sustainability practices from its vendors.

“We are pleased to work with Pizza Fusion to create this innovative program,” said Nathan Hanson, Vice President Power Marketing, NextEra Energy Resources. “We applaud Pizza Fusion for its continuing efforts to educate customers, reduce carbon emissions and help build a clean energy future.”

ABOUT PIZZA FUSION

Founded in the best interest of the individual and the environment, Pizza Fusion combines a fresh, organic menu with an industry-leading environmental approach to restaurant service in chic dining destinations built to LEED certification standards. Pizza Fusion specializes in a full-service approach to gourmet pizza, ciabatta sandwiches, salads, desserts, and organic beers and wines, all in their purest form – untainted by artificial additives, such as pesticides, preservatives, antibiotics and hormones. With numerous franchises opening across the U.S., Pizza Fusion is pioneering the organic and environmental restaurant movement as the most eco-friendly restaurant in America. For additional information visit: http://www.pizzafusion.com.

ABOUT EARTHERA

EarthEra, a program created by NextEra Energy Resources, North America’s largest producer of wind and solar power, provides companies and individuals the opportunity to reduce their carbon impact and participate in the development of future renewable projects. One hundred percent of the revenue from EarthEra product purchases are directed to EarthEra Renewable Energy Trust and used to build new renewable energy facilities in North America. To date, the Trust has over $23 million in commitments from leading organizations and forward thinking individuals across the nation. For additional information visit: www.EarthEra.com, www.NextEraEnergyResources.com.

Kings County District Attorney Charles J. Hynes, New York State Restaurant Association (NYSRA) Director of Operations Andrew Rigie and Councilwoman Letitia James today announced the creation of the “Safe Delivery Program” designed to protect restaurant delivery workers as they go about their business. The pilot program will begin with restaurants in Councilwoman James’ 35th District which consists of Fort Greene, Clinton Hill, and parts of Crown Heights and Prospect Heights, where there have been an alarming number of incidents where delivery people have been assaulted and robbed. Due to the attacks on delivery workers, some restaurants have suspended their takeout service because it is too dangerous. The plan is to expand the program state-wide.

Several deliverymen who have been victimized attended the press conference announcing the pilot program including Assami Semde, the 19-year old pizza deliveryman who fended off a gunman in East Harlem a few weeks ago who was trying to rob him of his pizza pies. He was accompanied by Frank Grecco, his boss and owner of Famous Famiglia Pizza.

District Attorney Hynes said, “Delivery men and women are put in dangerous situations as they are sometimes called to areas that are not well-lit or asked to make deliveries at late hours, they carry money, and they are alone. Predators have assaulted these workers and tried to rob them of their food and money. One advantage of these noisemakers is that it will distract offenders long enough that these innocent victims will be able to flee or at least notify police.”

The “Safe Delivery Program” will equip delivery people with patches for their hats, coats or bicycles so that the public is aware that these employees are part of the program. In addition, the NYSRA will provide delivery workers with cell phones with a built-in GPS system. The phones will be programmed to call 911 in case of an emergency. They will also carry a noisemaker which is an alarm worn on the wrist with a flashlight. When the noisemaker is activated, it emits a loud, piercing sound of 130 decibels. In addition, participating restaurants will have stickers in their windows, informing people that they are participants in the program.

According to the Myrtle Avenue BID Association, approximately 10% of their member restaurants in Fort Greene and Clinton Hill have reported that their delivery workers have been assaulted in the past. However, it is believed that there are more occurrences as these crimes often go unreported. There is currently no system in place to document it.

NYSRA Director of Operations Andrew Rigie said, “Restaurant delivery service is quintessential to New York City and is part of our culture. The recent reports of assaults on delivery men and woman are a concern for all the members of the communities where these attacks occur. The Safe Delivery program will help ensure the safety of these individuals and allow restaurants to deliver delicious meals to people’s homes.”

Councilwoman Letitia James said, “There have been repeated instances where restaurant delivery people in Fort Greene and Clinton Hill have been threatened and/or robbed. I have always sought innovative solutions to public safety issues and this Safe Delivery Program is the latest collaboration. I am pleased that we have been able to partner with District Attorney Hynes and the New York State Restaurant Association in developing this pilot program so restaurant delivery workers can be safer when working.”

The New York State Restaurant Association serves to protect, promote and educate their members to better serve the public and serve as a “legislative watchdog” on federal state and municipal levels. They have over 8,000 member units statewide which include caterers, college and university food service providers, contract feeders, country clubs, franchised restaurants, independent restaurants, purveyors and post-secondary students majoring in food service/hospitality management.

PizzaHut.com is announcing a re-launch, dubbed the “Virtual Flagship.”  The site features updates that make the consumer ordering experience faster, easier and more intuitive than the previous site.  Additionally, Pizza Hut announced that thanks to the success of the site, the company expects to hit $2 billion in online sales this year.

“The additions to the website provide an enhanced level of order customization that allows us to get customers’ favorites to them faster,” said Brian Niccol, Pizza Hut Chief Marketing Officer. “We’re excited about the new improvements to our largest and most successful storefront.”

The upgraded website functionality showcases the fun and ease of ordering online and includes the following features:

• Iconic Ordering: Visual cues guide customers throughout the ordering process, allowing them to see crust types and toppings as they customize their pizzas. Images of your items are added to your cart, ensuring there are no ordering mistakes.
• Intuitive Design: The site remembers who you are, allowing for two-click reordering. Returning customers will see their last order when first accessing the site, great for ordering your favorites each time with just a couple of clicks.
• En Espanol:  A new Spanish-ordering site is launching concurrently.  The Spanish site features the same great functions that the English site does, allowing our customers to order in their preferred language.

To celebrate the website launch, Pizza Hut gave one of its customers free pizza for a year.  The customer logged on the new PizzaHut.com and was later surprised with pizza for a year (in the form of Pizza Hut gift cards).  With free pizza for a year, this lucky customer will continue to be able to enjoy the new Pizza Hut online ordering experience.

Customers looking for a reason to check out the new website can also enjoy a great deal. Right now, Pizza Hut is offering any pizza for just $10. That means customers can order any size pizza, with any crust and any toppings for just $10.

For more information on Pizza Hut, log onto PizzaHut.com or interact with Pizza Hut at facebook.com/pizzahut and twitter.com/pizzahut. Ordering is also available through the Pizza Hut App, available from the App Store on iPhone, iPod touch and iPad or at www.itunes.com/appstore, and a video demoing the application’s features and functionality can be found at pizzahut.com/iphone.

Pizza Hut, America’s Favorite Pizza, 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 nearly 10,000 restaurants in more than 90 countries. Pizza Hut, Inc. is a subsidiary of Yum! Brands, Inc. ( YUM). To check out what’s new at Pizza Hut visit pizzahut.com.

We first wrote about Bricker’s intriguing iPhone app, Order Pizza, after it launched late last year. At the time, we questioned why anyone would decide to order a pizza through an iPhone app as opposed to simply making a phone call.

But Bricker tells us that things are chugging along quite nicely, noting in a follow-up that more than 50,000 people have downloaded the app since its debut last December. It also has consistently ranked in the top 100 apps in the lifestyle category in Apple’s App store.

To date, he says the company has processed about 25,000 pizza orders across the country. And he noted that the company has already sent pizza orders to one in eight Pizza Hut’s in the U.S., a solid achievement given that the pizza chain has its own popular iPhone app.

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Picasso’s Pizza, Western New York’s Premier Pizza and Santora’s Pizza are both entering the profitable world of online ordering. Picasso’s Williamsville, West Seneca and Lancaster Picasso’s locations, will be utilizing Click to Go®, an online ordering process created by Direct Technology Innovations of Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.

Santora’s Pizza Drive- In location in Depew, New York has also signed up for the program, which is designed to capitalize on the burgeoning online ordering marketplace.

Click to Go® Online Ordering is a virtual drive-thru that is accessible from any computer, laptop, PDA, or even cell phone. For as little as $1.37 per day, this user friendly program combines convenience with accessibility and improves order accuracy.

Besides offering an eclectic assortment of fabulous pizzas, Picasso’s also produces creative delicacies such as Cajun Bread Sticks and Giant Chicken Fingers. Santora’s Pizza Drive-Inn offers a wide variety pizzas, salads, subs and specialty Italian dishes. The pizzerias will also feature another DTI innovation: Swipe ‘N Go® for their credit card processing.

Michael Slominski, Vice President of Portfolio Management for Direct Technology Innovations (DTI), spearheads the Click to Go® program:

“Our company and its diverse offerings recently became the International Franchise Association’s (IFA) preferred vendor. The IFA is one of the oldest and most respected organizations in the world of franchising. The Click to Go® Online Ordering program is one of the many proven business solutions that helped them select DTI and Click to Go® for this distinction.”

Included in the many benefits of featuring online ordering are:

Jordi De Joseph, Director of Strategic Alliances for Direct Technology Innovations, is tasked with generating interest in Click to Go® via a seasoned team of national account executives:

” Any restaurant who seeks to experience an 18% to 20% higher average ticket should consider offering this value add service. It’s been proven time and time again that offering online ordering to a dining establishment’s existing website produces a palpable and measurable effect on your profitability. Ever heard of Papa John’s? They have already surpassed the $1 Billion mark with online ordering alone. ”

For more information on DTI and innovative merchant payment solutions, please visit directtec.com, clicktogo.com or contact Michael S. Slominski, Vice President, Portfolio Management at (800) 724-7000 Ext. 461.

The best way to grab the attention of the inner-city hipster is to look for all the world like you’re not trying to. That, at least, is the view of the people behind Hidden Pizza.

Since opening last Monday, this hot new restaurant in a Fitzroy laneway has been serving about 500 pizzas a night, served in sturdy bags made from hand-stitched recycled paper along with a glass of home-made lemonade in a recycled jam jar.

Cost: zero. But first, you have to find it.

There’s a Facebook page, lots of ”have-you-tried?” tweets and a sophisticated website, but no address or phone number. A note on the website tells would-be customers that ”finding the restaurant is easy, just look it up the way you would any other business”.

Most of the urban tastemakers being targeted by Hidden Pizza might imagine that means google, but they’d be wrong. For this whole enterprise is a marketing stunt for the distinctly uncool Yellow Pages.

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Does Salisbury need another pizza parlor?

Ask Harry Mentonis, the Brooklyn native of Greek heritage with a knack for Italian cooking. He quietly opened Mambo Italiano last week in the Mill Pond Village shopping center. Counting three major ingredients for a restaurant’s success, he says, “yes.”

“Pizza is an affordable product; in any kind of a recession, pizza is a survivor,” said Mentonis, whose eatery with a bricked, sidewalk cafe fills an empty retail space on an eastward branch off the bustling commercial trunk of North Salisbury Boulevard where mixed real estate uses are thriving.

“I have the right spot,” he adds. “And finally, the quality of a product is what separates you from someone else — and I use the finest ingredients on the market.”

Despite a soft opening, sizable crowds are finding their way to the shop that tosses fresh pie dough and blends fresh vegetables, fruit, meats or cheeses into menu selections that also include custom-made salads, crusty stromboli, calzones and sandwiches like roasted pork with provolone from Wisconsin.

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About 150 diners packed Pi Pizzeria in Kirkwood on a recent Saturday night while another 150 waited for tables to open. An hour-and-a-half wait is not uncommon, and customer counts hit 1,000 on peak days.

Owner Chris Sommers said he thinks his pizza restaurants have hit a sweet spot as people narrowed their dining options in the soft economy. “We’re still a very affordable way to eat out,” he said.

While pizza sales nationally dropped 6 percent last year, pizzerias in St. Louis see the pie growing, and many are scouting for new locations.

Sommers opened the first Pi in the Delmar Loop two years ago and added locations in Kirkwood and the Central West End last year. Pi’s deep dish and thin crust offerings are on the high end, with the average ticket for two people ranging between $30 and $50.

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America’s Incredible Pizza Company based in Springfield, Missouri announced today it will be distributing a unique seed card to its customers during “Earth Week” (April 19th-April 25th) at Incredible Pizza Company participating locations. The 100% made from cotton card has flower seeds embedded into the card. Customers can take the cards home, plant the seed card and sprout beautiful flowers just in time for the spring season.

The cards also contain a coupon valid for a free $5.00 game card valid April 26th through June 30th, 2010. Chris Brewer, Executive VP Marketing & Public Relations of America’s Incredible Pizza Company said, “This Earth Week promotion is a great way for us to present our “going green” message and the connection we want our customers to make with their children. Parents can communicate a positive environmental message to their children while they share time growing one of God’s most beautiful creations, plus the free $5.00 game card is a nice bonus for their next visit to one of our participating locations.”

Incredible Pizza Company is a nostalgic 1950s-themed facility featuring an all-you-can-eat buffet and over 100 stimulating video and redemption games, plus indoor attractions in a smoke and alcohol free, environment.

Additional information may be found online at: www.incrediblepizza.com

You always knew when the ice cream man was coming thanks to that familiar jingle blasting from the speaker on his truck. Like the bell ringing for Pavlov’s dogs, that chiming rendition of “London Bridges Falling Down” still makes us drool.

Two guys in Washington think the sweet smell of fresh cooked pizza will have people moving even faster.
 
Don’t be surprised if the aroma of bubbling hot  tomato sauce, pepperoni and melting cheese wafts through your window at work. A new roving restaurant called DC Slices began rolling through the four quadrants of D.C. Friday, peddling fresh-baked slices and whole pies straight from an oven in the truck. The price: $4 per slice, or $20 for a whole pie.
 
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Brami’s Kosher Pizza in Reseda bakes the impossible. Somehow stuffed inside a thin disc of malawach — a Yemeni flatbread as dense and flaky as a hundred layers of phyllo — is a pizza. Mozzarella oozes with each bite from between the crisp sheets of dough, bringing with it tangy crumbles of feta, diced tomatoes and briny green olives. At its edge, the crust is pinched into an almost pastry-like braid, sealed just well enough to contain that cheesy filling.

There are traditional kosher pizzas on the menu — rabbinically approved reproductions of the classics — but at Eli and Shelly Brami’s restaurant, the malawach pizza is a creation apart. It’s as Israeli as it is American, a unique melding of culinary concepts that reflects the cross-cultural pizza boom spreading across Southern California.

Just as certain city blocks contain the cuisines of a half-dozen different countries, pizza in Los Angeles doesn’t conform to one nationality — it practically circumnavigates the globe.

There are South American pizzas shaped by decades of Italian immigration and Croatian pizzas forged along the shores of the Mediterranean. Korean and Japanese corporations have taken to testing their unique interpretations of pizza on L.A.’s international appetite. And some foreign pies defy classification altogether, labeled as pizzas by restaurants and diners searching for a simple descriptor. It’s all part of the naturalization process.

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