Pizzeria

Nearly half a century after entering the franchise business, Gatti’s Pizza has announced an aggressive expansion plan that will take it into 17 new states.  

There’s a new sneaker on the scene that promises to make a slam dunk — albeit not on the basketball court.    Called “Pie Tops,” Pizza Hut’s new white-and-red trimmed kicks are more than a functional sneaker. Featuring geolocation technology that links to an app (separate from the chain’s mobile app), users can order a large two-topping pizza just by pressing a button embedded in the shoe’s tongue, according to Pizza Hut’s new 30-second commercial featuring retired NBA player, Grant Hill.

Two new projects — on three continents — are expanding the reach of Domino’s conversational-based orders.   The pizza giant, which was among the first companies to launch digital ordering on Google Home in December, is introducing the service to more users in the United States. Now guests can start a new order without having to be a member of the “Pizza Profile” rewards program — a move that opens up the service to more shoppers.  

The wedding industry’s newest gift registry is being launched by an unlikely company — Domino’s Pizza.   The service, which is called the first registry “for couples that prefer delicious melty cheese to crystal gravy boats,” according to Domino’s website, targets couples unsure about what to serve at pre-, during or post-wedding festivities.  

PizzaRev, a build-your-own fast-casual pizza concept, began its expansion into Tennessee this week with the opening of a Memphis location. The grand opening at 6450 Poplar Avenue was celebrated with an all-day fundraiser for Le Bonheur Children’s Research Hospital.   Two additional locations are under construction in Memphis, and another is underway in Nashville. PizzaRev currently franchises and operates 47 stores and has more than 200 others under development in 17 states, Washington, D.C., and Mexico.  

Domino’s is rewarding loyalty members with a “piece of the pie” — literally.    Starting Dec. 5 through Nov. 2017, all Domino’s Piece of the Pie Rewards members are eligible for a chance to win 10 free shares of Domino's stock, just for being enrolled in the program. Each month, 25 loyalty members will be randomly selected to win 10 shares of stock. They can keep the shares for their own stock portfolio or sell them at market price, the company said.  

Domino’s is replacing delivery men with drones in select locations as it kicks off the world’s first drone pizza delivery service.   Starting Wednesday, Nov. 16, Domino's Pizza Enterprises and Flirtey, a drone delivery service, are launching their first-ever drone-based “store-to-door” deliveries in a test among select customers in New Zealand. The two companies plan to scale up these pizza-by-drone deliveries in the near future, a company statement said.   

The CEO of Jordan’s Furniture wants folks to watch the upcoming presidential debate, which is scheduled for Sept. 26 from 9 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. EST.  

Domino’s customers can now place their orders without ever talking to a human.   Starting Sept. 15, Domino’s customers with a “pizza profile” on the chain’s website can place orders via bot-based Facebook Messenger. The pizza chain's in-house team, which created zero-click ordering via Amazon Echo and Apple Watch, also developed Domino's new ordering bot.  

It’s the pizza chain on the rise in the U.S. and in Houston, too, apparently.   MOD Pizza will open 11 new locations in H-town this year, bringing its total in the metro to 15, according to Transwestern, which served as the leasing agent. The fast-casual chain is well on its way to 200 locations, with for 50 new shops in 2016.   MOD Pizza’s $65 million in sales represented a 21% increase in 2015, making it the fastest-growing new food chain in the U.S., according to Nation’s Restaurant News.