On Pizza
And here we are in 2009.
Any thought that the British recession might somehow lead to a healthier lifestyle gets an early knock: Domino's takeaway pizza is on the expansion as consumers down-grade from fancier restaurants or, more likely, stay at home watching T.V. The company's Q4, which will be announced this week, is expected to be strong following a 10.5% sales-increase for the first nine months of '08. Go England. Domino's, as all fast-food here, comes from America where it originated in 1960. For Britain, the joy commenced trading in '85 with the first store in Luton (a ghastly spot BTW offering a no-frills airport for the worst low-fare holiday-makers). By 2002 there were >200 Domino's in the UK and now there are >500. It astounds me that these Brits choose fast-food when there are better and more enjoyable alternatives - in our neighborhood, Basilico's delivers some of the best pizza I have eaten, excluding Naples Italy (Katie and I confirmed that firstly in '92). My uncle Larry (HBS '73) has a business school friend Dave D. who attended Harvard with one ambition: bring England pizza. And he did - by the time Dave sold his franchise to The Daily Mail & Trust, who was pursuing a diversified corporate portfolio strategy stupidly popular in the 1980s, he owned >100 restaurants. I met Dave several years ago in London where he retains a strategic role with DM&T and otherwise retired. I recall his retelling of his life's work and though he made his fortune in the '80s, which doesn't seem to far ago to me, he described it from another lifetime. I guess that is what happens. Well, in any case: there is no slowing Dominoes - the UK master franchise owns the right to sell signature pies like "Mighty Meaty" and "Texas BBQ" as well as the "cheesy double-stuffed crust." Could you ever bet against it?
Madeleine's all-time favorite food: pepperoni pizza.
Eitan's favorite pizza: La Reine at chain Pizza Express (Prosciutto ham, olives and mushrooms).
Dad's favorite: Salami at Pierro's Pizza on Shattuck Avenue in Berkeley across from the UA Theatre (about ten-minutes from Chez Panisse). Pizza served in dark room on red checkered tables with ancient droopy candles+blue cheese salad having more dressing than lettuce. Sadly Pierro's closed maybe eight-years ago having opened in '73. For me, an irreplaceable Berkeley institution.
Meat pizza uncredited from the www.
