Have you ever attended a pizza trade show? If so, would you recommend attending one and why?

Stan Miller — Yes, I do attend shows. It’s a great way to meet people in your industry, advertising, equipment, suppliers and other operators like yourself.

Bruno Tini — Yes. Highly recommend. Not only is it a forum for all us pizza guys to exchange information, but it’s a place where you can see all the old stuff revamped, see new ideas and equipment that are released and the vibe one gets just from being with people on the same level is unmatched.

Jim Savoia — Yes, I have, and I would recommend for all operators to do the same at any time there’s a chance. When you have the opportunity to meet and greet other operators and learn all that's available from the sources, you can only grow your business. Each person, food or equipment is worth the trip to any trade show.

Brad Rocco — Yes, I regularly attend as many pizza trade shows as I can. I would strongly suggest attending as many as your schedule permits. There is no better way to see what is current in our industry. Whether you’re looking for new equipment, new promotional ideas or food products, you can find it all in one place at one time. We also compete with our pizza when given the chance. Some pizza trade shows also have pizza competitions.

Do you send direct mail? If so, how often and how much do you spend on direct mail?

Stan Miller — Sometimes. It’s rare and I should do more.

Bruno Tini — Just started on this one. Not established yet, but I am comfortable to spend around 1 percent, being $350 per week.

Jim Savoia — No we have not. Our location has been priced by Val-Pak with a cost of $299 to $500. We purchased our first ad with them in August 2005. However, we have had tremendous response from newspaper ads.

Brad Rocco — In general we do send direct mail very often. It is quite expensive. We do participate in mass direct mail products like Money Mailer or Val-Pak. Those are much more affordable and accomplish the same goal, that is to reach a customer or potential customer via the U.S. mail.

What is the most successful direct mail piece you have ever sent?

Stan Miller — The Green Book.

Bruno Tini — Introductory offer to our new store; “One FREE Small Pizza Of Your Choice…Just fill in the details to redeem...”

Jim Savoia — Our location has seen rapid growth the last three months. We continue to deliver the highest quality product we can produce, along with service to our customers that is outstanding!

Brad Rocco — We do direct mail occasionally. Most P.O.S. systems have direct mail capabilities. Our most successful direct mail promotion is our Preferred Customer Holiday Gift. We mail a Holiday Gift Certificate to our top 200 customers at the end of the year. Our computer can determine who these customers are and print mailing labels for our direct mail piece. We get an incredible response, almost 80 percent. It firms up customer loyalty and is well worth the time and effort.

How have sales been for you for the past three months?

Stan Miller — Sales have been regular. We always take a dip in the summer.
Bruno Tini — Sales descended to an acceptable low. Now we are seeing a mildly ascending trend back to the highs, indicating great trade ahead.

Brad Rocco — Our sales are up 4 percent over last year. Summer, of course, is our slowest period. Our sales increase significantly in the fall.

- PMQ -