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SAVED BY THE SICILIAN (AND SMART MARKETING)

As restaurateurs, Vincenza and Margherita Carrieri-Russo learned how to stand on their own two feet a long time ago. But if they ever need a little help, their beloved father, veteran restaurateur and pizzaiolo Vincenzo CarierriRusso, is never far away. In fact, he’s the executive chef at their fine-dining Italian restaurant, V&M Bistro, in Wilmington, Delaware. And his decades of pizzeria expertise came in handy when the pandemic hit and V&M was forced to pivot to carryout-only. “We made the transition quickly,” Vincenza says. “We turned our entire fancy restaurant into a full-blown old-school pizzeria overnight, and we kept adapting every day.”

A key item on V&M’s revamped menu was a Sicilian pizza that was once featured at Vincenzo’s own pizza shop, Zino’s, which thrived for three decades before closing 12 years ago. The Sicilian pie proved an instant hit with V&M’s customers, scoring local media coverage as well as attracting new fans to a restaurant that previously limited its pizza offering to 10” pizzettes.

“You will do whatever it takes to save your business during these very uncertain times,” Vincenza says. “Why bring back the Sicilian pizza? It was something different and new to offer, and Dad saw this as the perfect opportunity and time to re-introduce it…And yes, the Sicilian pizza gave V&M Bistro a heartbeat again.”

On one Friday night this summer, they sold so many $25 Sicilians that they ran out of dough by 7 p.m. and other family members had to come in to make more as the orders kept pouring in.

But smart marketing has also helped keep V&M’s doors open. “We maintained a consistent presence online and at the restaurant location,” Vincenza says. “We even raised the volume of our music on the exterior part of the building… to create ‘noise’ and let customers know that we were open for takeout. We posted videos of food and of cutting pizza, capturing all the senses, even the sound of pizza being cut. We posted videos of our new setup outside so our customers knew what to expect…And we introduced our V&M Market and started selling cheese, sauce, fresh breads, desserts and much more.”

Renowned for their craft cocktails, one of Margherita’s specialties, the sisters also opened the V&M Barlour featuring boozy ice cream-to-go, with flavors like Whiskey Chocolate Hazelnut, Rum Pina Colada and Vodka Mint Chocolate Chip, all made in house.

“We had to maintain relevance, so the goal was to constantly generate ideas and introduce them quickly,” Vincenza says. “And that is what we have been doing almost every day…My sister and I were taught there is no such thing as a bad idea. If it works, great. If it doesn’t, keep on moving.”

Seeing Double At Pizza Hut

Pizza Hut doubled down on value in August with the introduction of the Double It Box, which offers two medium-size pizzas in the same box. The Plano, Texas-based chain debuted the offering with two medium onetopping pizzas for $12.99, equating to less than $1 per slice. Customers can also order a Double It Box special with a one-topping pizza and a specialty pizza for $15.99, or two specialty pizzas for $18.99. The company said the new promotion helps families, office colleagues and roommates resolve their arguments about which toppings to order on their delivery or carryout pizzas. “We get it—the whole family is home now more than usual, trying to navigate the new normal,” said Pizza Hut chief marketing officer George Felix. “Even when you decide that it’s pizza night, the negotiations on toppings can be fierce. With the new Double It Box, there’s no compromise needed—a pizza for the kids and a pizza for the parents, so everyone at the table has the power to choose the topping they want for less than one dollar a slice.”

Designed For Delivery

When consumers get tired of ordering pizza (hard to imagine, but it happens), they often go for tacos or burgers instead. But those items usually don’t deliver well, which has become a crucial factor in the age of COVID-19. Domino’s claims to have solved that problem with a pair of new specialty menu additions: the chicken taco pizza and the cheeseburger pizza. Priced at $11.99, both pies were designed with delivery in mind. The chicken taco pizza features American cheese, taco seasoning, grilled chicken, onions, green peppers, diced tomatoes, provolone and cheddar cheese. The cheeseburger pizza boasts a ketchup-mustard sauce, American cheese, beef, onions, diced tomatoes, shredded provolone and cheddar cheese. “Now, friends and family who are craving a taco or cheeseburger on pizza night won’t be disappointed,” said Art D’Elia, Domino’s executive vice president and chief marketing officer. “Domino’s new taco and cheeseburger pizza are sure to satisfy everyone.”

It’s not always obvious what can and can’t be recycled. But the corrugated packaging industry is committed to making recycling as easy as ordering your favorite toppings. Eat pizza. Remove any leftover pizza (we won’t judge you for not eating the crust). Recycle the box. Insulated. Recyclable. Extraordinary.

Learn more at boxesareextraordinary.com

SURVEY: THE NO. 1 PREFERRED PIZZA PROVIDER

Domino’s might be the largest pizza chain, but customers in nearly half of all U.S. states would rather get their delivery/ carryout pies from Little Caesars, according to an August study conducted by international market research firm TOP. “Since the spread of COVID-19 on U.S. shores began in mid-March, Little Caesars has been the preferred provider for residents in 24 states,” the TOP Data Pizza Report survey found. “No other pizza place comes close, with Papa John’s leading the way in just nine states and Domino’s in seven.”

TOP is a global network of 12 data-driven marketing agencies specializing in different fields. The company’s study found that overall visits to pizza chains have declined by 20% since the pandemic began, including a 6% drop for the Detroit-based Little Caesars.

But Little Caesars’ emphasis on value—including its standard $5 Hot-N-Ready pies—still has strong appeal for consumers struggling to make ends meet in the COVID-19 crisis. The company has focused on menu innovation over the past two years as well. In addition to a plant-based Impossible Supreme Pizza (featuring meatless sausage from Impossible Foods) launched in 2019, Little Caesars introduced a unique limited-time menu item, called Slices-N-Stix, in August. It’s a combination of four pepperoni slices and eight cheese breadsticks in a single pie, sold for $6.

As part of its enhanced business model, Little Caesars began offering delivery via DoorDash in January and last year added contactless pickup in stores around the country. The chain’s Pizza Portal is a method in which customers can place orders online and retrieve their pies from a kiosk with heated compartments, eliminating the need to interact with employees.

“It seems likely that Little Caesars’ low prices and unique ‘Hot-N-Ready’ business model, which can completely eliminate human interaction from the pizza pickup, are key factors in the Detroit-based chain’s pandemic pizza-wars success,” TOP notes.

According to the TOP survey, Little Caesars is the preferred pizza provider in Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah and Vermont.

“The cost-effective approach to dining, partnered with minimal human interaction, has been at the top of a lot of American menus this year, and the results from our pizza report indicate that little has changed recently,” TOP said in a summary of its survey.

OCTOBER RECIPE