Papa Gino's Pizza Express Unit Opens In Tedeschi Food Shops

Customized Offering Brings Popular Italian Restaurant's Menu to On-The-Go Consumers

(Monday, February 07, 2005) - Papa Gino's, a 175-unit Italian restaurant chain based here, has opened its first Papa Gino's Pizza Express concept in a Tedeschi Food Shops store located at 2068 Bay Street in Taunton, Mass. The 500-square-foot Papa Gino's Pizza Express debuted December 1 in a space formerly occupied by a Pizza Hut Express, and features grab-and-go 8-inch Jr. Gino's pizzas in varieties including cheese, pepperoni, meat, veggie and "the works"� "" plus specially prepared 16-inch pizzas and other popular favorites such as Papa Gino's cheesebread, chicken tenders and cinnamon sticks. The pilot location also features a "phone ahead"� program where customers can place advance orders.
According to Papa Gino's Vice President of Quality Assurance, Jim Gemma, the Tedeschi organization will license the rights to operate the Papa Gino's Pizza Express concept from Papa Gino's, Inc. during a one-year test. Executives at Rockland, Mass.-based Tedeschi, which operates and/or franchises some 210 convenience stores under the Tedeschi, Store 24, L"™il Peach and Curtis Farms brands, approached Papa Gino's last summer to discuss the arrangement and signed the one-year agreement in late November.
"We are very excited to be entering into this relationship,"� says Gemma. "The Tedeschi organization and its store brands are well-respected and popular among consumers throughout New England, and this arrangement is an opportunity for us to leverage that brand strength to enhance our own brand. At the same time, it gives Tedeschi a popular lineup of Papa Gino's Pizza offerings for its customers. It's a win-win arrangement that we hope to expand on in the future."�
Customers at the Taunton Tedeschi store were introduced to Papa Gino's Pizza Express on December 1 with on-site signage and received free food samples and coupons. An official Grand Opening for the offering is being planned for sometime within the next few weeks, and will be followed by a more extensive marketing effort.

Early Signs Suggest The Right Fit
The new collaboration has shown promising early results, according to Tedeschi's Director of Foodservice, Leon Warshaw. In the first five days of operation, he says, the test unit enjoyed a 52 per cent boost in sales over what the previous branded program had achieved the year before, and in the second week sales rose over 62 per cent. This, Warshaw points out, is even more significant in light of the fact it was accomplished without any substantial marketing.
"We"™re very pleased with the initial results,"� says Warshaw. "Because Papa Gino's is one of the best and most recognizable brands in the region, business has increased markedly at our Taunton location. We will definitely consider adding this program to other locations."�
Papa Gino's is now seeking other partners with whom to expand its "Pizza Express"� offering, Gemma says, and is entertaining inquiries from operators in several related business categories.
"Considering the amazing success of our first Papa Gino's Pizza Express, we are exploring all possible ways to further develop this concept,"� he says. "We believe that Papa Gino's Pizza Express would make a perfect fit in other convenience stores, colleges, hospitals, travel plazas and a variety of retail spaces."�

About Papa Gino's
Dedham, Mass.-based Papa Gino's Papa Gino's started in 1961 as a single East Boston pizza shop, Piece O"™ Pizza. Founder Michael Valerio's family sailed from Italy to Boston in 1936, bringing with them authentic Italian family recipes handed down through generations. Michael and his wife, Helen, used these recipes to open their first pizzeria, which became known throughout Boston as the place to go for pizza of superior quality and unique flavor.

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