CiCi's founder, Croce, selling pizza chain to management team

September 17, 2003

COPPELL, Texas -- CiCi's Pizza founder, president and CEO, Joe Croce, 44, announced on Feb. 3 he will sell his company to six executives on July 1.

CiCi's to add 25 units to St Louis area

September 17, 2003

ST. LOUIS, Mo. -- Dallas-based buffet chain CiCi's Pizza wants to add 25 stores in and around St. Louis over the next six years.

CiCi's Pizza franchise group appoints Speck as chief people officer

September 17, 2003

DENVER -- Pizza PALS of Denver, a CiCi's Pizza franchisee group, has announced the appointment of Mike Speck as its chief people officer.

California Pizza Kitchen announces quarterly revenue increase

September 17, 2003

LOS ANGELES -- California Pizza Kitchen Inc. revenues increased 16.2 percent to $87.9 million for the second quarter ended June 29 from $75.6 million during…

CPK broadening new menu in November

September 17, 2003

LOS ANGELES -- Seeking to boost dinner business, California Pizza Kitchen will add fish to a new menu expected for rollout in November.

Analyst concerned public pizza companies didn't hedge cheese costs

September 17, 2003

DES MOINES, Iowa -- Pizza companies -- especially larger ones -- should have protected their profits by hedging milk futures and options, said John Glass, an…

California Pizza Kitchen CEO resigns, site reassessments underway, stock price falling

September 17, 2003

Citing "poor real estate choices" and a growth strategy needing revision, officials of California Pizza Kitchen told analysts listening to a second quarter…

Large California Pizza Kitchen shareholder halves stake

September 17, 2003

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Ronald Baron, one of the largest shareholders of California Pizza Kitchen (CPK) stock, halved the number of his common shares in the…

Back to the futures

Dairy industry watchers believe the only way to smooth out the bumps in the cheese price cycle is to lock prices in long term.

Pizza delivery driver keeps cool, disarms kidnapper

September 17, 2003

GREENVILLE, S.C. -- A man was charged with kidnapping and weapons charges on Sept. 16 following the abduction of a pizza delivery driver who happened upon an…

O'Donnell takes CEO spot at Sbarro

September 17, 2003

MELVILLE, N.Y. -- Sbarro Inc., the pizza-centered Italian restaurant chain based here appointed veteran restaurant industry executive Michael P. O'Donnell…

SpeedLine chosen as POS provider for T.C. Luigi's Pizza

September 16, 2003

LYNDEN, Wash. -- Phoenix-based T.C. Luigi's Pizza, a six-unit delivery-carryout franchise company, has chosen SpeedLine as its exclusive POS provider.

222 Pizza Express struggles, cuts staff, postpones new menu

September 16, 2003

VANCOUVER, B.C. -- Struggling with debt and slow sales, 222 Pizza Express CEO Sarbjeet Mandair wrote in a recent investor release that his company is pursuing…

Japanese cook named Naples' best pizza maker

September 16, 2003

NAPLES, Italy -- A Japanese man took this year's title of best pizza maker at an annual pizza festival held here.

Shoe-mounted address locators for pizza delivery to be tested by Domino's UK

September 15, 2003

Hoping to reduce delivery times and errors, Domino's UK & Ireland will test shoe-mounted directional assistance devices before year's end.

Papa Gino's pizza chain kicks off Tailgate Meal for football season

September 15, 2003

DEDHAM, Mass. -- Papa Gino's is kicking off the football season with its new "Tailgate Meal."

2Q, half-year Pizza Hut sales rise in Australia, New Zealand

September 15, 2003

WELLINGTON, New Zealand -- Fast-food franchisor Restaurant Brands reported sales at its 138 Pizza Hut stores were up strongly in the first half of the year.

Fox's Pizza Den's 9/11 special raises $9,800 for firefighters

September 15, 2003

PUNXSUTAWNEY, Pa. -- To commemorate the second anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the U.S., Fox's Pizza Den franchisee Scott Anthony…

$17 million settlement ends ''97 pizza delivery driver murder turmoil

September 14, 2003

NEWTON, N.J. -- The families of two pizza delivery drivers killed in a 1997 ambush have settled lawsuits against the pair's killers, burglar alarm companies…

Nick-N-Willy's pizza offers wheel deal to boost franchise sales

September 14, 2003

LONE TREE, Colo. -- Nick-N-Willy's World Famous Take-N-Bake Pizza is offering its area developers a wheel deal in hopes of boosting franchise sales.