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Cicis rebrands, expands despite pandemic

Cicis is undergoing a rebrand designed to take the company to the next level. COO and President Jeff Hetsel explains what's next for the buffet chain and what the company is looking for in a franchisee.

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February 7, 2022 by Mandy Wolf Detwiler — Editor, Networld Media Group

Cicis, a Coppell, Texas, brand, has 293 locations across the U.S. It is undergoing a rebrand designed to bring the buffet chain to the forefront of the pizza industry.

Pizza Marketplace talked with COO and President Jeff Hetsel to learn how the company is fairing in a new economy and what it looks for in a franchisee.

Q: Cicis is evolving. What's next for the company?

A: We are rebranding in the beginning of the year, bringing back the pizza challenge and launching a secret menu for specific locations and in March, we're celebrating our 37th anniversary. We plan to continue to grow and expand our footprint throughout the country in 2022 and beyond.

Q:Tell us a little more about the rebrand. What is it going to look like?

A:The rebrand is a renewed focus on our delivery and carry out business — enhancing and upgrading our game rooms, and digitization of our stores through the implementation of digital menu boards and implementing a birthday party system. We are also working to reduce the footprint of our restaurants and take costs out of the building and reimaging of the stores.

Q:You've got a pizza challenge … what does that entail?

A:The Pizza Challenge was an idea that came from the franchise community. A two-person team must eat the entire 28-inch pizza and finish two 32 oz. drinks within 60 minutes. With the Pizza Challenge, we can have fun as a brand. We are also going to make this a carry out option for our guests so they can take the party home with them.

Q: Tell me a little more about this secret menu.

A:Long time raving fans at Cicis know the cornerstone of our brand is the "if you don't see it on the buffet, we'll make it for you." The secret menu takes this a step further where we will have innovative flavor combinations the guests can explore our endless flavor combinations with a QR code.

Q: How has the pandemic affected the buffet business?

A:The impact of the pandemic has lessened every day. All the way through, we have done whatever it takes to keep the buffet business growing — from crew served buffet to masks in the stores. The blessing, if there is such a thing with COVID, is we rallied behind take out and to-go business and have seen a 30% increase in our carry out business. The dining room business is coming back strong, since COVID. Our dine-in sales are up 10% in Q4 2021 over that of 2019.

Q: What types of franchisees are you looking for?

A: Our ideal franchisee is committed to serving their community, financially qualified, has business operations experience and willing to be attentive at all times to the business.

Q: What are the requisites for franchisees? Are you looking for multi-unit operators especially?

A: We are selectively awarding franchise opportunities to people who meet a minimum net worth of $750,000 ($250,000 must be liquid), the ability to work full time in the business and holds business operations experience. We're certainly always looking for multi-unit operators, but aren't focused on growing with them solely.

Q: Where are you looking to expand? Why?

A: We are looking to expand across the country in Dallas, Houston, Austin, Georgia and Florida because we already have a strong presence in these areas and having distribution centers in Dallas and Atlanta. Therefore, these are geographically attractive to us.

Q: Will the menu change next year?

A: We are adding a few new menu options and LTOs in 2022. We recently introduced deep-dish pizza and a giant pizza offering for big groups and families. We are working on launching a stuffed crust pizza.

About Mandy Wolf Detwiler

Mandy Wolf Detwiler is the managing editor at Networld Media Group and the site editor for PizzaMarketplace.com and QSRweb.com. She has more than 20 years’ experience covering food, people and places.

An award-winning print journalist, Mandy brings more than 20 years’ experience to Networld Media Group. She has spent nearly two decades covering the pizza industry, from independent pizzerias to multi-unit chains and every size business in between. Mandy has been featured on the Food Network and has won numerous awards for her coverage of the restaurant industry. She has an insatiable appetite for learning, and can tell you where to find the best slices in the country after spending 15 years traveling and eating pizza for a living.

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