This Week in Pizza - January 4

PMQ, Inc. The pizza industry's #1 business media source.

Living on borrowed time, Devin Cammack needed a heart transplant. He got something better: a Christmas miracle that started with a church play in Lewisville, Texas. To drive home the importance of helping strangers, the play called for a real-life pizzeria employee to deliver a pie in the middle of a performance. Chosen for the part without his knowledge, Cammack, a father of three, was called onto the stage and asked to talk about his biggest challenge: end-stage heart failure. What followed was an outpouring of emotion and generosity that led to the biggest tip of Cammack’s life. And then his doctor called with the best news of all.

Biz Tip: The 20 Principles of Underdog Marketing

It’s not the size of the dog in the fight—it’s the size of the fight in the dog. So says restaurant marketing guru Tom Feltenstein, who believes small independent pizzerias can triumph in the battle with the large chains. It starts with aggressive marketing tactics and discipline, especially when defending your home territory.

Learn the 20 principles of underdog marketing in this thought-provoking article at PMQ.com.

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Shake Up Add-on Sales at the Table With Menu-Roll and Menu-Caddy (Sponsored)

If your wait staff doesn’t push those add-on menu items, then Menu-Roll and Menu-Caddy does it for you. The patented locking-clip keeps your dessert or appetizer message in front of the consumer and the flexible design allows for interchangeability of pages. This marketing tool provokes customer interaction and impulse purchases, educates consumers and introduces new products. And it’s customizable with your company’s signature colors and logos. Specifically designed for pizza shakers and other condiments!

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How to Stuff a Christmas Stocking

Pat’s Pizza in Ellsworth, Maine, wasn’t kidding around when it touted its Ultimate Christmas Stocking contest last month. The Facebook promo gave away a stocking stuffed with more than $1,000 in holiday goodies—we’re talking gift cards to Starbucks, Walmart and iTunes, a free facial and half-hour massage, and an iPod tower, to name a few items. And the public liked what they saw, rewarding the promo post with 10,752 reactions, 7,240 comments and 6,828 shares.