Latest / Chuck Douglas / Old School Pizza Hut making a comeback with Pres Tim Sparks

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Old School Pizza Hut making a comeback with Pres Tim Sparks · Chuck Douglas

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Greeting saluations. Welcome my friends to another edition of The
• 0:03
  Speaker 1: Power Hour on six ten double UTV, and I'm Chuck Douglas.
• 0:05
  Speaker 1: You know who you are, and we take it from there.
• 0:07
  Speaker 1: We get one hour together, which means I talk really
• 0:10
  Speaker 1: fast and you Musclessen even faster. The number eight two
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  Speaker 1: one nine eight eight six eight two one double UTV
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  Speaker 1: in or one eight hundred six' TEN wutv. In we got.
• 0:20
  Speaker 1: It there is a scheduled guest and you have not heard.
• 0:24
  Speaker 1: Anything i'm Assuming oh, Okay i'm. SORRY i didn't even
• 0:28
  Speaker 1: see the highlight up. THERE i was gonna tell everybody
• 0:34
  Speaker 1: how you know how EXCITED i was about the fact,
• 0:37
  Speaker 1: that Look i've mentioned, before there is. Up we're talking
• 0:41
  Speaker 1: about food all the time, constantly and uh AND i
• 0:44
  Speaker 1: did experience down there in In Grove. City we stopped
• 0:50
  Speaker 1: it's been probably two years, ago and stopped at a
• 0:53
  Speaker 1: pizza hut that looked like a pizza, hut that felt
• 0:56
  Speaker 1: like a pizza, hud that smelled like a pizza. Hutt
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  Speaker 1: AND i was just heartbroken that The queen AND i
• 1:00
  Speaker 1: were the only people in there because it was like
• 1:03
  Speaker 1: it was like going back in. Time it, Was, UH
• 1:09
  Speaker 1: i don't, know it just the. Food maybe it tasted the,
• 1:14
  Speaker 1: same maybe it. Didn't to my, mind it tasted because
• 1:17
  Speaker 1: the feeling was the. Same AND i, thought, MAN i just,
• 1:21
  Speaker 1: WISH i just wish that that would happen, again because
• 1:28
  Speaker 1: there was a time when you would that was just
• 1:30
  Speaker 1: that was the place to. GO i love my neighborhood,
• 1:33
  Speaker 1: JOINTS i really, do but, Atmospherically Pizza hut was the
• 1:41
  Speaker 1: place to. Go the sound of That dagon Pac man
• 1:45
  Speaker 1: game over in the, corner and the little tables where
• 1:48
  Speaker 1: you could sit and play the video games while you.
• 1:50
  Speaker 1: Ate and of course they came out in the eighties
• 1:52
  Speaker 1: with that personal pan, pizza which would we had, that
• 1:55
  Speaker 1: by the, way two years, ago which was just like
• 1:58
  Speaker 1: the smartest thing. Ever and there was a salad. BAR
• 2:03
  Speaker 1: i don't know if you, Remember. Zach you probably. Don't
• 2:05
  Speaker 1: you're not old enough to remember the salad. BAR i actually?
• 2:08
  Speaker 2: Remember?
• 2:08
  Speaker 1: Yeah do you?
• 2:09
  Speaker 2: Really? YEAH i was really, little but, YEAH.
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  Speaker 1: I have literally literally literally spent years, Thinking, man If
• 2:18
  Speaker 1: Pizza hut would just go back to, that people would
• 2:20
  Speaker 1: flock because people love to. Remember and the people who
• 2:24
  Speaker 1: would be remembering that now are the moms and dads
• 2:28
  Speaker 1: and in some cases the grandmas and grandpa's and today
• 2:30
  Speaker 1: who would love to take the kids and the grandkids
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  Speaker 1: back to experience that something more than just. Food it's
• 2:38
  Speaker 1: more of an. Experience it's more of a. Feeling and
• 2:43
  Speaker 1: you low and behold because you can't low without. Beholding
• 2:46
  Speaker 1: that's a. Rule lo and. Behold somebody else empowered to
• 2:52
  Speaker 1: actually make something like this, happen has decided to make this.
• 2:57
  Speaker 1: HAPPEN i believe they have ninety three. Off If i'm not,
• 3:00
  Speaker 1: Mistaken nick is online. One let's get them on nickire
• 3:03
  Speaker 1: on The Legacy Retirement group dot com phone lines From DeLand.
• 3:06
  Speaker 1: Corporation first of, all welcome and thanks for some time.
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  Speaker 2: Tonight oh thanks for having me, On. CHICK i appreciate.
• 3:12
  Speaker 1: It this you, know it's. Ingenious i'm GLAD i saw
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  Speaker 1: the pictures of the first completed model you've, got is?
• 3:21
  Speaker 1: AM i? Correct ninety three franchises that you?
• 3:23
  Speaker 2: Have we have ninety, two ninety.
• 3:26
  Speaker 1: Two i'm SORRY i didn't give. You, well buy another
• 3:28
  Speaker 1: one here In columbus SO i can. Go this is
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  Speaker 1: this is just. INGENIUS i think this is going to
• 3:36
  Speaker 1: pay off really really big for. You what was what
• 3:38
  Speaker 1: was the. Impetus what made you decide let's let's try,
• 3:41
  Speaker 1: this let's go back to the old.
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  Speaker 2: Days, well we had we had the opportunity came in
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  Speaker 2: around twenty. Eighteen the brand had approached us and, said,
• 3:50
  Speaker 2: hey we're going to do a test and try a
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  Speaker 2: classic retro. Look and that's WHAT i. MEAN i grew
• 3:56
  Speaker 2: up eating a pizza up BEFORE i knew it was
• 3:58
  Speaker 2: going to be in my, career AND five jumped on
• 4:00
  Speaker 2: that right. AWAY i was, Like, yeah let's let's do.
• 4:02
  Speaker 2: This and how many do you want me to? Do
• 4:04
  Speaker 2: and initially it was just one AND i was, Like,
• 4:05
  Speaker 2: okay let's a little, disappointing But i'll do them. All
• 4:09
  Speaker 2: and so so we got. Started we Did, Delanaga, georgia
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  Speaker 2: and it really took off and we knew we were onto.
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  Speaker 2: Something but as we built a few AND i say
• 4:21
  Speaker 2: we the, brand they kind of got away from. It
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  Speaker 2: kind of what started heading back toward MORE i guess popular,
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  Speaker 2: designs but we. Didn't as long as it was, available
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  Speaker 2: we continued to do. It it continued to pay dividends for.
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  Speaker 2: Us so we're up to thirty eight locations now that
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  Speaker 2: are that have the classic look to them.
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  Speaker 1: And the Company's DeLand corporation that has these. Franchises what's
• 4:42
  Speaker 1: your capacity? There i'm the, president you are el. PRESIDENTE
• 4:47
  Speaker 1: i wanted everybody to understand you're at the top of
• 4:49
  Speaker 1: the food chain. Here if this is as successful as
• 4:54
  Speaker 1: my heart tells me it's going to, BE i hope
• 4:57
  Speaker 1: that stimulates the economy of the, corporation perhaps you acquire some.
• 5:00
  Speaker 1: More you've got three LOCATIONS i believe In ohio For, Austoria,
• 5:03
  Speaker 1: enan AND i can't remember the, third but none of
• 5:07
  Speaker 1: them are. Close and to be honest with, you we
• 5:09
  Speaker 1: need to fix that BECAUSE i got to have My pan.
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  Speaker 2: Pizzas, YEAH i think there's quite a buzz right. Now
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  Speaker 2: we have some other franchises that may have some locations
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  Speaker 2: that aren't they're not even doing dining right now THAT
• 5:22
  Speaker 2: i think saw the opportunity, now and you know a
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  Speaker 2: lot of people have reached. Out you, know if you're
• 5:30
  Speaker 2: going to do a test market, theoretically we've been testing
• 5:33
  Speaker 2: it since twenty. Nineteen we're up to thirty. Eight it's
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  Speaker 2: been super successful for, us AND i think everybody's kind of,
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  Speaker 2: thinking you're looking to jump on board. Now SO i
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  Speaker 2: think you're going to see you get some traction across the. Country,
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  Speaker 2: yeah And.
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  Speaker 1: Columbus ohio has typically been a test market for. Food
• 5:48
  Speaker 1: we were once like the pizza capital of the. Country
• 5:51
  Speaker 1: we had more pizza places per capita than any any other.
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  Speaker 1: CITY i don't know if that's still the case or,
• 5:56
  Speaker 1: not but we do love Our we do love our
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  Speaker 1: food here and pizza the the corporate approached you with,
• 6:04
  Speaker 1: this which that intrigued. ME i, thought maybe it came
• 6:07
  Speaker 1: from you and came from your. Company with them, approaching
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  Speaker 1: did there was there any guidelines as far as the,
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  Speaker 1: food the, ingredients the preparation and so. Forth is there
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  Speaker 1: any thought about maybe going back to some of the
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  Speaker 1: older ways of doing.
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  Speaker 2: Things we've been discussing. THAT i think one of the
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  Speaker 2: big things that a lot of folks don't understand or
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  Speaker 2: they just don't think about it is when you AND
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  Speaker 2: i experienced it as, Children HiT's because there wasn't delivery back, then,
• 6:35
  Speaker 2: right and you AND i experienced a pizza that came
• 6:38
  Speaker 2: out of the oven and came right to our, table
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  Speaker 2: and that's the best pizza you're ever going to. Have
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  Speaker 2: then you fast forward and you get a pizza pizza
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  Speaker 2: or anybody's pizza and you have it. Delivered you, know
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  Speaker 2: it goes in a. Box, yes the box has holes
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  Speaker 2: in it to let some of the steam, out but
• 6:54
  Speaker 2: all the steam doesn't get. Out then you put a delivery,
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  Speaker 2: bag none of the steam gets. Out it's keeping it.
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  Speaker 2: Hot but it's also changed in the, product and it
• 7:02
  Speaker 2: changes it, Dramatically and so what's your memory has what
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  Speaker 2: you ate in store is not going to be the
• 7:07
  Speaker 2: same as you get home because because it's, delivered and
• 7:10
  Speaker 2: it just changes a panda, Especially so we haven't really
• 7:15
  Speaker 2: done a whole lot with the. Recipes we've changed over.
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  Speaker 2: Time of, COURSE i mean we, did you, know we
• 7:19
  Speaker 2: moved to frozen, dough BUT i Mean i've been this
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  Speaker 2: forty three years and when we made that, change we
• 7:26
  Speaker 2: put fresh dough next to the frozen, dough and, HONESTLY
• 7:30
  Speaker 2: i couldn't tell the. Difference so we haven't changed that.
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  Speaker 1: Much there was something with that when the pan pizza was,
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  Speaker 1: introduced which you know that that COMPLETELY i think revived
• 7:40
  Speaker 1: everything About Pizza. Hut people with nuts over the pan
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  Speaker 1: pizza they had when it would come to the, table
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  Speaker 1: the crust had that just that caramelized edge going around,
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  Speaker 1: it and oh my, gosh, Seriously i'm sitting here tasting
• 7:56
  Speaker 1: it with my brain cells right.
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  Speaker 2: Now one of my favorite. Things it really.
• 8:01
  Speaker 1: Is and you, know they've added so many. Sets now
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  Speaker 1: we've got the you, know the traditional hand. Toss they've
• 8:07
  Speaker 1: got the crispy, which, Honestly i've never been a big
• 8:10
  Speaker 1: fan of the crispy, crust just BECAUSE i don't, KNOW
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  Speaker 1: i feel like it's. It i'm just used To Pizza.
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  Speaker 1: HUT i generally hate A doe, pizza but for some
• 8:22
  Speaker 1: reason it worked With Pizza. Hut so the thin crust
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  Speaker 1: just wasn't SOMETHING i was accustomed. To i've tried a few,
• 8:28
  Speaker 1: times BUT i generally go with the pan, crust the stuffed,
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  Speaker 1: Crust i'm assuming just because you Know americans love their,
• 8:35
  Speaker 1: cheese that probably sells very very.
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  Speaker 2: Well, yeah that was a pretty big innovation for. Us
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  Speaker 2: i'd say that was the next big thing After pando
• 8:44
  Speaker 2: when we started stuff and stuff doing stuff. CRUST i
• 8:47
  Speaker 2: will say a Thin i'm a thin. Fan the next
• 8:50
  Speaker 2: DAY i eat it cold out of the. Refrigerator so
• 8:53
  Speaker 2: if you have to have, it tried a thin pepperoni
• 8:55
  Speaker 2: out of the. Refrigerator yet you need to try.
• 8:57
  Speaker 1: That, yeah now you've intrigued. Me, now, yeah and they
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  Speaker 1: also do you recall do you recall? Him back in
• 9:05
  Speaker 1: the early, eighties they introduced the Priazzo do you remember?
• 9:09
  Speaker 2: That oh, yeah what was?
• 9:10
  Speaker 1: It the The Pazzo italiano and what WAS i can't
• 9:16
  Speaker 1: remember the third, one but.
• 9:18
  Speaker 2: They were, Yeah, Verona, Milano.
• 9:23
  Speaker 1: Annapoli, yes and they literally were on. Top, yeah they were.
• 9:28
  Speaker 1: Pies they were pie shells made with pizza Cross paisha
• 9:33
  Speaker 1: and then they would fill the pie shell with cheese
• 9:37
  Speaker 1: and then, yeah the tomato and onion and stuff on
• 9:39
  Speaker 1: top of, it and oh, my you could take an
• 9:42
  Speaker 1: actual slice of pizza like it was a slice of.
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  Speaker 1: Pie that was the most, indulgent probably bad for, me
• 9:48
  Speaker 1: but wonderful thing for the first. TIME i, YEAH i.
• 9:56
  Speaker 2: WAS i was twenty years old when we sold. That
• 9:58
  Speaker 2: and uh we, Actually i'm gonna say, we the brand
• 10:01
  Speaker 2: actually approached my company to see if we possibly have
• 10:05
  Speaker 2: the old. Recipe apparently that's gotten lost over, Time SO
• 10:12
  Speaker 2: i don't. KNOW i don't know that we'll ever have
• 10:14
  Speaker 2: proots again because we don't have the recipe to make that.
• 10:16
  Speaker 2: Dough oh, no, YEAH i know they may be trying
• 10:21
  Speaker 2: to you, know who, knows they may be trying to
• 10:23
  Speaker 2: duplicate it and you know at the, headquarters BUT i don't.
• 10:27
  Speaker 2: Know but we sold a ton of. THOSE i was
• 10:29
  Speaker 2: twenty years old at that time and we sold so.
• 10:31
  Speaker 2: Money we actually want a, contest so super familiar with.
• 10:34
  Speaker 2: IT i really thought it was a really great. Product it.
• 10:37
  Speaker 2: Was it was actually a fun product too because of
• 10:40
  Speaker 2: just the, look and we'd cut it for you at
• 10:42
  Speaker 2: the table and serve it to. You so, yeah it was.
• 10:44
  Speaker 2: Different what is.
• 10:46
  Speaker 1: What's your timeline at this point as far as converting
• 10:50
  Speaker 1: as many of your franchises as are going to be,
• 10:53
  Speaker 1: converted when do you think you'll have them all?
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  Speaker 2: Done, well there's stipulations of what we can turn into a.
• 10:59
  Speaker 2: Classic it has to be a town or currently they
• 11:02
  Speaker 2: may change them after all this, hype but it has
• 11:04
  Speaker 2: to be a town less than seventy five hundred. People
• 11:06
  Speaker 2: and the building has to be what we call a
• 11:08
  Speaker 2: thirty by eighty or a thirty by sixty that's feet
• 11:11
  Speaker 2: because it's the older. Model some of our newer buildings
• 11:15
  Speaker 2: just from the outside don't even, know don't have the
• 11:18
  Speaker 2: traditional roof and things like, that so they didn't want
• 11:20
  Speaker 2: to change. Those we have at least twelve more on
• 11:24
  Speaker 2: our radar to get done in the near future right.
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  Speaker 1: Now and do you think if these small, towns if
• 11:30
  Speaker 1: they jump all over, it is that going to allow
• 11:33
  Speaker 1: you to, say, yeah let's go ahead and introduce this
• 11:35
  Speaker 1: in the major.
• 11:36
  Speaker 2: MARKETS i would think that if they look at the
• 11:41
  Speaker 2: success that our thirty eight have already, had and certainly
• 11:45
  Speaker 2: the hype right, now the people saying we want, this you,
• 11:49
  Speaker 2: know where did it? Go why did it, LEAVE i
• 11:52
  Speaker 2: would think they'd probably lower those restrictions and let us
• 11:55
  Speaker 2: get get after a little bit, quicker a little bit.
• 11:57
  Speaker 1: Harder AS i said at the, beginning people love to,
• 11:59
  Speaker 1: reminisce and, uh there are little things like. That IF
• 12:02
  Speaker 1: i IF i found a gas station that would actually
• 12:04
  Speaker 1: pump my, Gas i'd pay you a little more for
• 12:06
  Speaker 1: the gas in order to have somebody we we love
• 12:10
  Speaker 1: going back to those things that we remember, fondly and
• 12:12
  Speaker 1: you're you are setting your course to create some of that.
• 12:15
  Speaker 1: Again AND i JUST i wanted just to spend a
• 12:17
  Speaker 1: few minutes with you tonight to say thank you for doing.
• 12:19
  Speaker 1: It hopefully what you do will inspire other, businesses restaurants
• 12:24
  Speaker 1: and otherwise to maybe consider doing some of the same
• 12:27
  Speaker 1: things we had a great run of, of you, know
• 12:32
  Speaker 1: just indulgence and business growth and life was. Good and bringing,
• 12:37
  Speaker 1: that bringing the atmosphere, back it could create that create
• 12:41
  Speaker 1: that life. Again AND i Just i'm so happy you're trying.
• 12:44
  Speaker 2: This thanks, You. Chuck, Yeah and you're, right. Man if
• 12:48
  Speaker 2: somebody pumped my, gas same, THING i paid more AND
• 12:51
  Speaker 2: i tip them. Too i'm that. OLD i remember that. Too,
• 12:54
  Speaker 2: YEAH i mean all that service or service, right serviceory and.
• 12:57
  Speaker 2: Things so and that's really what we've got to make
• 12:59
  Speaker 2: sure everybody understands from on on our end is that
• 13:02
  Speaker 2: we can we can make it look, retro but if
• 13:05
  Speaker 2: we don't give you service a great, product that's what really.
• 13:07
  Speaker 2: Matters and AND i really think our pizza and made
• 13:09
  Speaker 2: ride is the best best pizza in the. Country and
• 13:12
  Speaker 2: hopefully we can match that great and with some more
• 13:15
  Speaker 2: some more of these classic locations across the.
• 13:17
  Speaker 1: Country, well AS i mentioned that place In Grove city,
• 13:19
  Speaker 1: here it's a little suburb on the southwest corner Of.
• 13:22
  Speaker 1: Columbus that. Restaurant WHEN i walked in and we were
• 13:25
  Speaker 1: the only, ONES i couldn't believe. It and the, GUY
• 13:27
  Speaker 1: i think his name was Mad If i'm not. Mistaken
• 13:30
  Speaker 1: he was the, waiter he was the, greeter he was
• 13:34
  Speaker 1: the pizza. Maker he was in there working by, himself
• 13:38
  Speaker 1: AND i, thought you, Know i'm glad he's, here And
• 13:40
  Speaker 1: i'm glad he's so good at what he's. Doing but,
• 13:43
  Speaker 1: MAN i wish he required about six more people to do.
• 13:46
  Speaker 1: It this place should be. Packed and uh, right you,
• 13:51
  Speaker 1: KNOW i.
• 13:51
  Speaker 2: AGREE i. Agree sometimes we shortstaffed those stores because we
• 13:55
  Speaker 2: don't have that. Business AND i took over my first
• 13:58
  Speaker 2: Pizza we we had one server scheduled AND i scheduled
• 14:02
  Speaker 2: the second, server and then the first server was, angry
• 14:05
  Speaker 2: AND i, said, listen we can never do two server
• 14:07
  Speaker 2: business if we only have one. Server and then next,
• 14:10
  Speaker 2: thing you, know she's making more money because we got
• 14:12
  Speaker 2: more people coming, in AND i hired a. Host next,
• 14:15
  Speaker 2: thing you, KNOW i need the host to go on the.
• 14:17
  Speaker 2: Floor and by the TIME i left that, store we
• 14:19
  Speaker 2: had five servers on The that was during the. Day
• 14:21
  Speaker 2: and so, YEAH i agree with. That you, know you
• 14:24
  Speaker 2: want you want it to be a situation where we
• 14:26
  Speaker 2: don't have to short staff those stores because we're just
• 14:28
  Speaker 2: so busy and, hopefully you, know we can get everybody
• 14:30
  Speaker 2: back up.
• 14:30
  Speaker 1: There you've got a great attitude from employee to the
• 14:34
  Speaker 1: president of a franchise holding corporation and still sound like
• 14:38
  Speaker 1: you're in love with the. BUSINESS i really appreciate, You
• 14:40
  Speaker 1: tims far BECAUSE i wish you all the.
• 14:41
  Speaker 2: Best thank, You, CHUCK i really appreciate it.
• 14:44
  Speaker 1: That thank, you. Sir i'll put a link up by
• 14:46
  Speaker 1: the way To DeLand corporation on The facebook page in
• 14:48
  Speaker 1: case you guys want to check them. Out it's just
• 14:50
  Speaker 1: AS i, said they've only got three locations here In,
• 14:52
  Speaker 1: ohio but if they Get if If, Enon ohio transforms
• 14:56
  Speaker 1: over to one of these, retros it very well may
• 15:00
  Speaker 1: be worth a road trip to. ME i might even Take. Zach,
• 15:04
  Speaker 1: well we'd probably have to use this car the way
• 15:05
  Speaker 1: my luck is going