Pizza GoGo “It seems to me that the introduction of massive companies like Uber and Deliveroo who have a lot of money to burn and are capable of making huge investments, will gradually lead to the demise of free delivery. We can no longer compete with these businesses, but the positive we are seeing, is that they are going to build an infrastructure, which we will also be able to benefit from. If the customers are willing to pay an extra £2.50 for delivery, that is fine for us,” Fouad discusses. With free delivery on the wane, Pizza GoGo has readjusted its strategy in a way that will serve the business’ objective of bringing more customers to their respective branch to pick up their order, instead of opting for delivery and thus paying more for the exact same product. Fouad comments: “We have somewhat gone back to our foundations, focusing on the look of our stores. We began to refurbish and freshen some of our locations up to make them an attractive place to visit, which is a much more meaningful path to take, rather than choosing to continue the battle on the delivery ground.” Moving onto food-related subjects, Fouad proudly notes that Pizza GoGo has recently added vegetarian and vegan options to its menu, having teamed up with Quorn to introduce a wide range of meat-free items. “Quorn is a meat substitute that changes the texture of a product, offering vegetarians a different bite to the traditional mushroom and onion pizzas they are used to consuming,” he states. “Interestingly, when we first launched this range, we had an excellent response and were highly praised by the vegetarian community for thinking about
them, but at one point, it just tailed off, so we decided to remove it altogether. Then, all of a sudden, the demand for Quorn grew again and we reintroduced it to our menu. “Clearly, veganism is the hot topic across the food industry at the moment, but what I have noticed from my research, is that because vegetarian and vegan customers have not been looked after by the foodservice industry for a long time, they seem to have developed a lifestyle that sees them rely predominantly on themselves. As a result, they tend to eat out less often than non-vegetarians, which probably is not going to change in the future. When they do go out, however, it is always good to have a vegetarian/vegan offer for
them, because they appreciate it,” Fouad observes. Illustrating his latter claim, he informs us that Pizza GoGo is presently working on developing its own vegan cheese. “If I am being honest, this product was due to be launched this year, but we delayed its release, because we do not feel we have got it absolutely perfect just yet. It is very difficult to achieve the right texture, colour, stretch, and pull, and we have been working with many manufacturers to get it right. Until we have perfected it, it is not going to appear in the market.” Together with developing new products, Pizza GoGo is poised to carry on with the refurbishment of its stores, as the company moves forward. Fouad wraps up by revealing one other area he will be directing his attention to in the coming years: “We need to start looking at the demographics of our franchisees, because a lot of them are people we have worked with for decades and who are now reaching a retirement age. Under such a circumstance, they are getting a bit reluctant to invest heavily and grow the business further, so we either have to help them or see if we can bring in younger franchisees who have the drive to start pushing their sites. “Ultimately, we will go with the market and see which way it takes us. The good thing about Pizza GoGo is that we are incredibly agile and we can implement changes within days, because the management team is small enough and can take decisions without wasting much time. This enables us to suddenly go for a new concept and, although it may appear challenging, it is also great fun to be able to do that and explore different opportunities.” D www.pizzagogo.co.uk
Hargreaves Quality Foods Limited Producers of quality meat-based pizza toppings, we are delighted to have been a consistent supplier to Pizza GoGo for many years, and wish them all the best for the future and success with their continued development. We pride ourselves on being a business with regular customers who are always greeted with a friendly and personal service. Indeed, the company’s focus on its customers can be incorporated accordingly. • British retail consortium Higher level • Develop, produce and supply products that are safe for consumption, and which meet legislative regulatory requirements • Devote the necessary resources to quality assurance, including the maintenance of food safety through HACCP and hygiene standards as required We constantly monitor hygiene levels throughout the factories, therefore guaranteeing optimum product standards for all of our products at all times. This reputation for the supply of the highest quality products is underwritten by British Retail Consortium Higher level. We also invest in the company’s future at every level, including plant equipment and people, which also includes employing trainees in order to ensure that today’s standards are taken forward. Hargreaves Quality Foods Limited is a company that intends to be around for some considerable time to come - a philosophy that delights its ever-growing army of customers.
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