Article
The start-up and the old-timer: A tale of 2 pizza chains
Longtime pizza chain, Hungry Howie's and relative newcomer, MidiCi, take very different approaches to the category but still have something very fundamental in common.
June 27, 2016 by S.A. Whitehead — Food Editor, Net World Media Group
They're two very different pizza restaurants with two very different leaders in charge. At the 43-year-old Hungry Howie's chain, CEO Steve Jackson started his career with the brand delivering pizzas when it opened in 1973, but soon partnered with the owner to shepherd that single restaurant into a chain with more than 500 locations today. And through it all, Jackson has remained true to the original idea of a family oriented pizza place committed to the restaurant's trademark flavored-crust pizza.
MidiCi, on the other hand, is a newcomer to the pizza scene, although its CEO — Amit Kleinberger — has spent the last several years taking Menchie's, his fro-yo concept, from one store to more than 600. He believes that MidCi's flagship location can't be classified as a "pizza place," but rather a fine dining spot that focuses on serving authentic Neopolitan pizza in a posh atmosphere. And this is the approach he is taking to the six other soon-to-open locations for the brand.
While it may seem like Jackson and Kleinberger don't have much in common when it comes to running their businesses, it is clear that they are focusing on the same thing to connect with customers — nostalgia.
A mutual love for the authenticity of the past
Jackson said many of his customers today are the children and grandchildren of the chain's first customers, when it was a former burger joint turned pizza place in the 1970s . Now their kids and their kids' kids are coming back with their pals to hang out in the place where "Mom and Dad met" or the restaurant they always "Took us to when we were kids."
Meanwhile, Kleinberger is tapping into the love we all have for great food traditions — in this case, the tradition established by the creation of the very first form of pizza some 300 years ago in Italy. We speak, of course, of the Neopolitan first created in Naples in the 17th century as an embellished flatbread sold from street stands. His restaurants reflect the homage he pays to that past, and this nostalgia for the "old ways" is also paying off for this burgeoning chain.
Jackson, of course, agrees.
"I think there's something to be said for nostalgia — as a brand we've been around for 40 years now, which means that generations of
consumers have enjoyed Hungry Howie's and been introduced to it by their parents and so on,' he said. "From a branding perspective that's a great thing, but it's also a business advantage because everyone loves food that brings back memories. So while being the latest and greatest can have its advantages, being the tried and true brand also allows to you to plant a stake in the ground."
For Kleinberger, who is at the start of his brand's journey, the product and its ancient roots are a big part of the passion that drives him to plunge headfirst into a whole new restaurant category.
"MidiCi started with a love for Neapolitan pizza," said Kleinberger. "When I visited Naples, Italy, I fell in love with the culture and the art of Neapolitan pizza making. I saw Neapolitan pizza as having the power to bring friends together over real authentic pizza and, combined with my experience in franchising, I felt that we can bring this great product and share it with the world in a way no one has done before."
The path forward is driven by passion
With that baseline of passion propelling both men forward, they each are still very much on their own paths with their own ideas about how they define the best kind of customer experience. For Kleinberger, it's not about touting the idea of being a pizza place, per se, so much as being
a fine dining experience.
"We don't see ourselves in the pizza category," he said. "We, at MidiCi, have invented the 'fast-fine' category, providing fine dining quality Neapolitan pizza at a high-end environment at a casual price point. … All in all, our experience is unlike any other Neapolitan pizza in the country where our guests can go on a date and have a nice dinner. This makes us stand out from the rest of the pizza category."
As a fellow who has been in this particular restaurant category for a long time, Jackson said defining and knowing your concept is key to success, just as is the idea of always evolving that concept.
"There are a few keys to success," he said. "First, you need to understand your concept and your customers and how they're tied together. Once you know you have an idea that will appeal to the public you really need to go in and work out all of the kinks — building that balance between affordability and profitability, evaluating what tools and equipment are necessary to success but won't break the bank. …
"I've stayed energized by always looking ahead — whether that's the next franchise location or taking a calculated gamble by introducing a new IT system to help track and give access to consistent data across our network of stores."
For Kleinberger, the very idea that his is just one approach among many in this restaurant category is cause for celebration. In fact, he revels in both the creativity and the competition between the brands.
"The pizza category is a great category where many can compete and we love competition," said Kleinberger. "In fact, we believe that the only way to becoming No. 1 is by having a No. 2."
About S.A. Whitehead
Pizza Marketplace and QSRweb editor Shelly Whitehead is a former newspaper and TV reporter with an affinity for telling stories about the people and innovative thinking behind great brands.
