January 15, 2009 (Coppell, Texas)… CiCi’s Pizza announces that they are sponsoring a Restaurant Business Conference which is open to include interested business leaders and entrepreneurs March 4-5, 2009 at the Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe Resort, Spa and Casino. While the first day will be closed for CiCi’s franchisees, addresses on March 5th are open to the public and will feature keynote presentations by industry experts Donny Deutsch of CNBC “The Big Idea” and Scott Young, Senior Vice President of Coca-Cola, with additional sessions on understanding “Obamanomics,” SBA lending, a commodity outlook, loss prevention and additional high impact seminars designed specifically for the restaurant industry.
“We need to work together to strengthen our industry,” said Craig Moore, president and CEO of CiCi’s Pizza. “The experts we have lined up have a wealth of information that we want everyone to have access to because this year, operators don’t have the funds to attend conferences without subject matter. It’s important to us, as an industry leader, to offer a powerful agenda that positions our industry to prosper.”
“Now is the time. The thing for 2009 is that you need to bet on you,” said Donny Deutsch, host of CNBC’s “The Big Idea.” “We can say “I cannot depend on the institutions, I have to depend on me.’ This day and age more than ever bet on yourself.” For those who are interested in being their own boss and do not see long range security in working for someone else, franchise ownership helps people get into business for themselves, but not by themselves. The support offered by a internal senior management team, such as CiCi’s, is a major factor in the improved success rate that is associate with franchising.
Kicking off the conference on March 4th, President Craig Moore and VP of Operations Kyle Smith will deliver the company’s vision for 2010 and 2011 to team members in attendance.
Day two of the conference, which is open to the public, will begin with Donny Deutsch delivering the keynote address at 8:30 a.m. Throughout the day, industry experts will give insight into how the new administration’s policies will effect the restaurant industry, SBA lending, a commodities outlook will be provided, research conducted on loss prevention will be presented and Senior Vice President of Coca-Cola Scott Young will wrap up the conference. Attendees are encouraged to visit the day long vendor fair and stay for a networking reception.
The conference is free of charge, and for those interested in staying at the Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe Resort, Spa and Casino, CiCi’s Pizza has secured a block of rooms at discounted prices. For more information about the conference and how to register, please call CiCi’s Franchise Sales Manager Angie Zimmermann at 972-745-9316.
Founded in 1985, CiCi’s Pizza is a family-oriented restaurant serving guests fresh pizza, pasta, salad and dessert, all you want for about five bucks and change. CiCi’s mission then and now is to exceed each guest’s expectation in food, service and cleanliness at an affordable price. Since opening its first restaurant in Plano, Texas, CiCi’s has grown to almost 650 restaurants in 30 states.
Industry professionals have taken notice of CiCi’s Pizza’s continuous growth and success. Nation’s Restaurant News has ranked CiCi’s number one for sales and unit growth in the pizza chain category for the past three years. In its recent 2007 ranking, Entrepreneur magazine designated CiCi’s as the top brand in the Italian restaurant franchise category. StartupJournal.com, The Wall Street Journal’s guide for entrepreneurs, ranked CiCi’s as one of the top 25 highest-performing brands in the nation and Franchise Today placed the company in the top 200 of all franchise concepts. Other honors include “Best in Value” award among national pizza chains in Restaurants and Institutions Magazine’s 2006 Consumers’ Choice Report and “Best Customer Service” from Corporate Research International in 2007, 2006 and 2005. For more information, visit www.cicispizza.com.
