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From Guinness record setter to Oscars night: How Big Mama's is turning fame into fortune
How does a company capitalize on its fame and turn old news into something lasting and sustainable?
February 25, 2015 by Nicole Troxell — Associate Editor, Networld Media Group
The story goes something like this: Armenian immigrant brothers Aro and Allen Agakhanyan, with seed money from their mother, opened their first pizzeria, Big Mama's & Papas, while still in high school at Herbert Hoover in Glendale, California, taking English as a Second Language classes.
The brothers, along with their mother Mariam and sister Ano, arrived in America from Soviet Armenia in 1985 with only a few hundred dollars, after the death of their father. A true American success story, the brothers managed their own shop while learning English and balancing the demands of high school.
Twenty years and 20 stores later, Big Mama's 200-slice, 54-inch pizza won the Guinness Book of World Records award for the world's largest deliverable pizza in 2012 and hit its height of fame when called upon to deliver pizza to Ellen DeGeneres at the 2014 Oscars.
The company's "fifteen minutes of fame" (more like 180 seconds) saw its pizza delivered on national television to the likes of Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, Kevin Spacey and Meryl Streep. TMZ estimated the free ad space to be worth more than $10 million.
It's been one year since the event, seen by millions, and the 2015 Oscars passed by Sunday where new news, scandals and gossip have taken center stage. But things have changed a lot for Big Mama's & Papa's and though its moment in the sun has passed, the company itself is not old news, and is in fact, venturing to new frontiers.
How does a company capitalize on its fame and turn old news into something lasting and sustainable? Pizza Marketplace spoke with Big Mama's President Lou Franson to see how the company stays relevant and what's in its future.
Pizza Marketplace:How have things changed for Big Mama’s and Papa’s since appearing one year ago on the Oscars?
Franson: It’s been a fairly significant change. The day after the Oscars I got a call for help because Aro and Allen immediately started getting calls for franchise development. So we formed separate franchise company with them as partners and signed our first international agreement with BinHendi Enterprises of Dubai, United Arab Emirates to open multiple locations. We're opening our first two stores in Dubai and Saudi Arabia and then moving on to Kuwait.
The other thing that changed is that Aro and Allen struck a really good deal for 11 Smart Cars with re-engineered tops for delivery that will hold the Giant Sicilian because it’s bigger than the car. The store had one smart car it used and decided to obtain more because the Smart Car fits into our contemporary Southern California brand. From a marketing perspective it’s a great item.
From a cost-benefit analysis it's also good because its 50 cents a mile for every mile delivery drivers drive their car, so instead of paying those fees, the smart cars will allow them to make a profit over a two year period due to the fuel efficiency.
The cars are also going to have the same technology Uber has. For example, customers can look on their cell phone and see where delivery driver is.
The third thing that's changed is that we've contracted with an interior designer to take brand to next level to give it the Southern California "cool" feel.
And this year we contacted the LAPD who provide security for Oscars and fed the entire team for free.
Pizza Marketplace:How have sales changed since the Oscars?
Franson: We've had a very big bump in sales since the Oscars. We're tracking ahead of last year close to double digit comps.
Pizza Marketplace:How has the company capitalized on its fame since that time?
Franson:We're using those variables in new and innovative ways to set ourselves apart from competition.
Our pizzas are one aspect that set us apart from the competition. All three are bigger than typical pizzas and great for big family and corporate events, and we have unique items like the Egg Gondola pizza with eggs, bacon and sausage. We’ve also slimmed down our menu to make it easier to order.
We've also used social media very aggressively. And recently Miley Cyrus took picture of herself with Giant Sicilian and posted it on her Facebook page, so we can use those opportunities as a good jumping off point.
For example, right now we're updating our website, which should go live in the next two to four weeks.
Pizza Marketplace: How is the company going to stay relevant and fresh when Oscars fame has faded?
Franson:We're expanding on the Southern California "cool" direction. That's actually one of the things that attracted Dubai. They were looking for a California brand, something that seemed like classic California, and they saw us at the Oscars and contacted us.
Pizza Marketplace: How can you use this experience in the future to continue growth and what are some lessons the company has learned?
Franson:When we joined forces we realized we needed to have more structure. We're also working effectively to appreciate each other’s strengths and it's really worked well. We've earned what it takes to execute the brand on broader perspective, not just L.A.
