Thinking fast - Dayton Business Journal:

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Pizza puns aside, Craig Moore, presiden t of the Coppell-based is a fan of using wacky antics and catchy campaignds to showoff CiCi's fun side -- and to keep the customerx coming back for more. "The food businesws and the franchise business is changingso fast," he said. "Peoplwe want more convenience, the flavors change constantly, and there is so much new competitiob coming out with new ways for peopldto eat, such as the take-and-bake CiCi's is in a high-growth mode, with planx to open 80 to 100 new restaurants per year over the next five Since opening its first restaurant in Plano, the companyh has grown to 617 restaurants in 29 "We're opening one to two every week, so that number changews pretty rapidly," Moore said.
He has been with the chain 15 he became presidentwhen CiCi'ss was purchased from its founder in 2003. Averagse sales per restaurant are growing, too, from $915,000 in 2006 to $940,000p in 2007. The goal for 2008 is to hit Moore said. Last year proved to be a pivota l onefor CiCi's. With $600 million in annuaol sales, it "got big enough" to do somethingf it has neverdone before: Make a nationapl media buy. The twist was to piggyback the cabled television campaign withshakerboarding -- an emerging performancse sport that combines sign-spinninyg with break-dancing and acrobatics.
CiCi'zs enlisted the help of an entertainer knowjn as Roto to roll out the shakerboard which included online videos and public appearances at majorrsporting events, including Major League Baseball's All-Stadr Game, the X Games and the Littlde League World Series. The chain also put shakerboardere in front ofevery CiCi's restaurant durinb lunch and dinner last summer, and had the riff about pop culture events of the day -- thino Britney Spears and Paris Hilton -- with the intentf of making people smile. "We wanted to put some personality around our Moore said.
"We wanted people to drived by and say, 'What the heck are thos e guys going to talkabout " CiCi's also is exploringv new concepts, such as take-outg only stores. "One of the trendes we're seeing is trying to keep unit economicsx down by making smaller said industry analystDarren Tristano. "Thwe take-out platform is easy to handle." executive vice president at Chicago-based Technomicf Inc., said CiCi's has a number of thingss goingfor it: It offers qualitty food in a familuy environment, all at a lower price point. And while larger pizzs chains are mature andexpanding CiCi's continues to eye growth opportunities a little closerf to home.
"I think they're a pretty good story actually," Tristano says. "It's nice that some smaller businessesware growing, when you've got the large ones that are not doinfg much in the United States." Moor said CiCi's and its all-you-can-eat $4.99 pizza buffet is well-positione to benefit from a slowing economy. "If you think abouy who's thriving right now, it's the Wal-Marts and the low-costt providers," he said. "We put ourselves in that We're the low-cost food providers where a family meal for four costs under $20.
" The company will continu e to focus on its target market: "stretchefd parents" -- not just stretched for cash, but also time and Moore says. "You have to know who your coreguests are, watcnh how they move and shop and he says. "That will help drivwe your business."