news releases
Pizza Inn Inc.
"This is our chance to take our place on the global stage -- to showcase our brand to the international community," said Tim Taft, President and CEO of Pizza Inn. "It further underscores our commitment to growth in key markets both domestically and abroad, and it creates an enormous opportunity for us to recruit new franchisees in Asia and other countries."
Company officials say United Food Company, a division of the Abunayyan Group and Master Licensee for Saudi Arabia and Qatar locations, was instrumental in Pizza Inn's winning the preferred status. Currently, there are seven Pizza Inn locations in Qatar, 13 in close proximity to the Asian Games near Doha, 14 in the United Arab Emirates and 38 in Saudi Arabia.
Khushru Mistry, General Manager of United Food Company/Pizza Inn said: "Pizza Inn's ability to reach thousands of customers in more than 65 restaurants in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates puts us in a unique position to activate a truly meaningful and relevant Asian Games program. Our customers will be able to share the thrill of the Asian Games through special creative promotions, advertising and in-store activations in the Middle East."
Pizza Inn, best known for its Fresh Baked Dough™, will be one of only three preferred quick service brands featured in the Media Center. The pizza chain will also have a presence in the Global Village, where athletes will be housed for the competitions. For 15 days, the world will watch 10,000 athletes, from 45 countries, participating in 39 sports and 423 events. Demand is so high for these games that the event will be broadcast on 108 stations around the globe.
"Pizza Inn is delighted to have been selected a preferred supplier at the 2006 Asian Games in Doha, a premier sporting event," said Ward Olgreen, Pizza Inn's Sr. VP of International and Concept Development. "It underlines our commitment to promoting balanced, active lifestyles for customers in the Middle East."
The Texas-based pizza chain also landed two other prominent food contracts in the region, including Sultan Bin Abdul Aziz Science & Technology Center SciTech, the first-state-of-the-art center housing a public science museum, planetarium and IMAX Theater in Saudi Arabia. The company has a second contract with the Arab American Oil Company [aka Saudi Aramco], with Pizza Inn being the only approved pizza supplier on 4 of the company compounds which provide housing and all facilities for employees and their families.
To learn more about the 2006 Asian Games in Doha, visit http://www.dohaasiangames.org/ . For more information on SciTech visit http://www.scitech.com.sa/home.html , and for information on ARAMCO visit http://www.saudiaramco.com/ .
Pizza Inn, Inc. (http://www.pizzainn.com/ ) is headquartered in The Colony, Texas, along with its distribution division, Norco Restaurant Services Company. Pizza Inn franchises approximately 378 restaurants and owns five restaurants with annual chain-wide sales of approximately $155 million.
Contact: Michelle Smith m strategies inc. for Pizza Inn 214/741-2100michelle@mstrategiesinc.com
SOURCE: Pizza Inn, Inc.
CONTACT: Michelle Smith of m strategies inc., +1-214-741-2100, or