![]() ![]() Pizza Rita also offers a free pizza to anyone who buys an unsatisfactory pizza from any competitor. Since Papa John's paid for the printing and distribution, Pizza Rita now had a free promotion at Papa John's expense. Because Pizza Rita has always accepted competitor's coupons, they welcomed the promotion. Pizza Rita showed no fear in the attempt to grab their customers. Now when students purchased sodas they had an incentive to try the new pizza giant in town. They placed small stickers with free pizza, cheese sticks or soda offers on every fourth bottle of Coca-Cola sold in vending machines at the school. Papa John's promotional strategy went right into the heart of the student population. The location they chose made them a new and convenient alternative to the established Pizza Rita location. By placing their store near the high school, they could then begin to target this customer base with promotions aimed directly at the students. This was a strategy they used to attract hungry teenagers from the high school, who happen to be some of Pizza Rita's best customers. ![]() First, they positioned their store in a former Little Caesar's building near Pizza Rita and North Central High School. Papa John's used two aggressive strategies in an attempt to gain a foothold in Pizza Rita's territory. We let our customers, service and employees do the talking for us." What helped Brian win the battle against his new competitor was applying his policy and using Papa John's mistakes against them. "We do $1 to $1.4 million a year and we didn't get here with arrogance or rolling over to die when some of the bigger chains came to town. "Papa John's arrogantly came in here believing they could march in with the success they were having in other areas of the country and outsell us smaller independents," says Brian. In this time, they have seen several pizzerias, such as Little Caesar's, Pizza Time, Pizza Haven, Roxy's and Stuft Pizza, come and go. Doing what you say you will do and providing great service and food on a continual basis is the policy Brian says they have lived by for the last 11 years. Guess what? The outcome was Papa John's taking a shot right between the eyes from one of the David's of the pizza industry.īrian and June Dickmann, owners of two Pizza Rita stores in eastern Washington, know what it takes to win against a competitor that has sent many other less prepared pizzeria owners to bankruptcy court. Pizza Rita in Spokane, Wash., heard that one of the Goliath's in the pizza industry was coming to their turf and accepted the challenge. Remember that Goliath was beaten by a precisely placed stone from wee David. Papa John's is coming! Just the sound of this brings fear in the hearts of some pizza store owners. ![]()
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