Pizza Hut has a "restless" marketing department

An ordinary day at Pizza Hut begins with water, flour, ingredients, continues with clients and transactions and, at the end of the day, when there are no more clients, residual food is discharged, as the next day also begins with water, flour and ingredients.

“We actually begin with nothing, end with nothing, but daily satisfaction comes from more than one thousand clients,” Lucian Vlad, the vice-president of American Restaurant System, Pizza Hut operator in Romania, maintains. Pizza Hut today opens two more restaurants in Iasi and Bacau, an action included in a development strategic plan in partnership with Metro Romania.

Last year’s economic recession affected the evolution of Pizza Hut transactions in Romania, but the managers of this business offset losses by developing other system units.

Consequently, turnover increased by 10% in 2000 as compared to the previous year, though profit decreased by 5%. Business productivity continues to be directly related to the general economic evolution, says Lucian Vlad.

The upward turnover made the representatives of Pizza Hut feel at ease, as the public seems to have got accustomed with the concept of “chain restaurant.”

“It is just the future of restaurants in the world, as they provide food safety, efficiency, high quality ingredients and products to the clients,” Lucian Vlad considers. This year’s investments will amount to 1.5 million dollars, against 0.5 million dollars last year.

Pizza Hut does not consider itself a fast food, as not only the sped, but also the technology aiming to cook an appealing food is essential here. Pizza is actually a food tailored for anyone’s taste (there are vegetarian, chicken or pork pizzas) and an easy-to do and creative food.

“A steak is only a steak at a common restaurant. One cannot say,” look for a bigger, younger or merrier pig”. It is only a steak with vegetables.”

Pizza, an appealing and accepted food, is actually affordable for all the income categories. According to Lucian Vlad, the international profile of the Pizza Hut client points out that these restaurants are visited by young city professionals looking for a quick and tasty meal in a pleasant background, by groups of friends between 25 and 40 years old and by young families with children.

Moreover, Pizza Hut “restless” marketing strategy aims at new offers for the “heavy users,” namely usual patrons. “We always need to offer new things awarding fidelity. Novelty is important also for our staff, as changing and improving the recipes keeps lethargy away,” Pizza Hut manager thinks.

Pizza Hut staff comprises young people coming from an urban background, aged between 19 and 24 years, willing to learn everything from the very bottom.

Lucian Vlad considers that good atmosphere in the company is largely related to a young and active staff, as all those who manage the business are actually “some youngsters who have learnt everything here,” says the manager, adding that the salary is 25% higher than the average salary in the economy.