Press Release – Domino’s Pizza Changing It’s Pizza
This is interesting. I can understand it though. All the major players in the pizza delivery game have pretty much the same product. Sure, there’s a little bit of a difference, but not enough to make one really jump out. I’ll definitely give Domino’s another try after the change.
From a Domino’s Pizza press release….
Celebrating 50th Year, Domino’s Pizza Gives Itself a Makeover
Domino’s reinventing its pizza with seasoned crust, robust sauce, shredded cheeseANN ARBOR, Mich., Dec 16, 2009 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX/ — Approaching 50 years in the business, Domino’s Pizza (NYSE: DPZ), the recognized world leader in pizza delivery, announced today it is changing its core pizza recipe. With a new garlic seasoned crust, robust sauce and more flavorful shredded cheese, Domino’s new hand-tossed pizza has been reinvented to deliver more taste — and Domino’s is backing it up with a guarantee.
Rolling out over the course of the next few weeks, Domino’s new pizza will be in all U.S. stores beginning December 27.
“2010 will be our 50th year in the business, and we are kicking it off with the most aggressive promotion in the history of our company,” said Domino’s Chairman and CEO David A. Brandon. “This is the biggest product introduction we’ve done since…well, pizza.”
The primary changes include:
— Crust – A garlic seasoned crust with parsley baked to a golden brown
— Sauce – Sweeter, bolder tomato sauce with a medley of herbs and a red
pepper kick— Cheese – Shredded cheese made with 100% real mozzarella and flavored
with just a hint of provoloneReinventing the Domino’s Brand
“The fact is, we love our pizza, but as times change, so do consumer tastes,” said Russell Weiner, Domino’s Chief Marketing Officer. “We’ve created a pizza to reflect what consumers are looking for. We’re not talking about a slightly-altered version of our previous pizza. It’s a completely new pizza reinvented from the crust up, and we are proud of it. To us, it’s as big as McDonald’s changing the Big Mac, or Burger King reinventing the Whopper. We spent the last 18 months reinventing the brand in anticipation of our 50th anniversary.”
Weiner noted that more than 80 percent of the Domino’s menu is new since 2008. Added to the menu since that time:
— Oven Baked Sandwiches, available in eight delicious varieties
— Domino’s American Legends, a line of premium specialty pizzas
— Breadbowl Pasta, five varieties of pasta baked into a seasoned bread
bowl
— Chocolate Lava Crunch Cakes, oven-baked chocolate cakes, crunchy on the
outside, with warm flowing chocolate fudge inside“The cherry on the top of all this recent innovation is our newly-inspired pizza,” said Weiner. “Our inspiration came from the thousands of direct consumer feedback messages on several social media channels.
“Over a two-year period, we tested dozens of cheeses, 15 sauces, and nearly 50 crust seasoning blends and researched every possible combination with customers who order from us all the time and customers who haven’t tried us in years. Our extensive research showed that the new pizza is significantly improved over our previous pizza.”
Great Value Offer with Ads Featuring Real Domino’s Team Members
Domino’s Pizza will be marketing this new pizza aggressively in the next several weeks with advertising on many top-rated entertainment and sports programs, sampling opportunities throughout the country and a strong web-based presence, Weiner said.
The special introductory offer will be 2 medium, 2 topping pizzas for $5.99 each.
Advertising produced by creative agency Crispin Porter + Bogusky will include documentary-style anecdotes featuring real Domino’s Pizza team members. The spots, filmed at Domino’s World Resource Center in Ann Arbor, Michigan will show how the company took on the challenge of changing the negative perceptions of some consumers nationwide.
Putting Our Money Where Your Mouth Is
“We’ve long been known for service,” said Weiner. “With this new pizza we are convinced Domino’s can be known for both quality and service. That’s why we’re introducing this new pizza with a guarantee: If you are not completely satisfied with your Domino’s pizza experience, we will make it right or refund your money.
“The entire company has been involved in this,” Weiner continued. “From our CEO to our franchisees; from our supply chain division to our supply partners; from our product development team to our marketers — everyone has had a hand in reinventing our pizza.”
Press Release – Georgio’s Opening In Grand Rapids….
….and they’re having a Buy One, Get One special. It’s the same Georgio’s that has two locations in East Lansing. I’ve blogged about them here and here. The following is from GRNow.com
Join us Friday, December 18 for the Grand Opening of Georgio’s Downtown Grand Rapids at 15 Ionia in the Arena District. The celebration will be officiated by Mayor George Heartwell with a ribbon cutting at 1:30 p.m. Between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., pizza slices will be “Buy one, get one free.” With over 40 different varieties, these 9.5-inch stuffed pizza slices have been a hit in East Lansing for 15 years.
Papa Murphy’s – S. Westnedge
3942 S. Westnedge AvenueI’ve always been one of those people who didn’t quite understand take-and-bake pizza. Why the heck would I want to order a pizza ten go home and still have to cook it? I mean, there’s not that much of a price difference.
Earlier this week, we got a coupon book in the mail for Papa Murphy’s. There were some pretty good deals, so I asked J if she’d want to give it a try. I figured we could spend Saturday night cuddled up on the couch watching a movie and eating pizza. Sounds like a pretty good night, eh?
We headed down to Walgreens to rent Julie & Julia from Redbox. I’ve become a huge fan of Redbox in the last few months. Up until this past summer, I was a Netflix subscriber. Before J and I started dating, I watched three or four movies a weekend. I’m a sucker for the classics. J, not so much. Since she didn’t want to watch Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers or Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall, I didn’t force her, but it also made my Netflix a waste of money. I stopped and now we just go to Redbox and rent a new release when we’re in the mood for movie night.
After picking up the movie, we headed back down Westnedge to Papa Muprhy’s which is Denway Drive across the street from Mt. Ever-Rest Memorial Park. Neither of us had ever been in a Papa Murphy’s before so we had no idea what to expect. The only other time I had done a take-and-bake was in Peoria at a place called Nick & Willy’s. They would actually cook it for you if you wanted and they had sandwiches and lunch options on their menu, so it was more of a little restaurant. Read more…
The Corner Bar & Grill
1030 E. Vine StreetSo, apparently, the reader’s of the Kalamazoo Gazette voted Red Robin as the best burger in Kalamazoo. That’s crap. Don’t get me wrong, I like Red Robin and it’s one of my family’s favorite places to go when they visit, but there has to be a better burger somewhere in Kalamazoo. It’s true, no one will have the variety of burgers that Red Robin has, but it’s still a chain product that loses some quality in transportation.
I have no idea where to start when it comes for looking for a quality burger. When I judge burgers, I judge the most basic product. The meat and the bun. To me, those are the two most important qualities. I don’t care about sauces. I don’t care about toppings. A hamburger is only as good as the meat.
As I was browsing websites, I came across the Corner Bar & Grill. They have a note on their website that their meat is ground fresh and pattied daily. That sounds like a good start to me.
The Corner Bar & Grill sits on the (surprise) the corner of Vine and Mills Streets in Kalamazoo’s Edison neighborhood. It’s a neighborhood bar in every since of the word. It’s in a pretty residential neighborhood and at first glance, parking is on the streets. Luckily, that’s not the case as there is a gravel parking lot across the street. Read more…
Wings Stadium
3620 Vanrick DriveCan’t think of anything much better to do on a cold, crappy, December Friday night than going to a hockey game. When I lived in Peoria, I went to quite a few Peoria Rivermen games. I didn’t grow up with hockey. I’ve never played hockey, but for some reason, I’m a fan of minor league hockey. Really, I’m a fan of minor league sports in general. I love minor league baseball and worked for next to nothing last summer for the Lansing Lugnuts just so I could have an excuse to be at the games everyday.
It’s been a few years since I’ve actually been to a hockey game. Before J and I left Illinois, we went to both a Rivermen game and a Bloomington (IL) Prairie Thunder game. The ironic thing is the game we went to in Bloomington saw the Prairie Thunder host the Kalamazoo Wings.
J got vouchers at work for tickets to a game this season. She had to work later than normal last night, but still wanted to try and go to the game against the Toledo Walleyes. I suggested just waiting a day and going to the Saturday game, but Steel Magnolia was performing during the intermission and she wanted to see them. Didn’t matter to me. I spent most of the day relaxing on the couch, so it was nice to get out for the evening.
Wings Stadium is part of a larger complex that includes The Cube and The Annex on Vanrick Drive near I-94 on Kalamazoo’s southeast side. When traveling from Lansing to Chicago, we always drove by and said we should come to a game someday. Now, we live just a few miles from the stadium and can go to games whenever we want. Read more…
Circle K – Milwood
4117 Portage Street- Kalamazoo, MI 49001
- (269) 345-0774
- Website
Pretty soon, Circle K is going to start paying me for these. I guess you should be able to tell by now that I wasn’t kidding when I said I was addicted to Polar Pops.
J and I were leaving Wings Stadium after a K-Wings game when she said she was thirsty. The whole game I had been sitting there thinking I needed to go Speedway after the game to get a Speedy Freeze. She had been thinking we should go to Sonic to get drinks. For some reason, I remembered seeing a Circle K not too far out of our way on the drive home, so I threw that out there instead.
The Circle K on the corner of Portage Street and Golfview Avenue in Kalamazoo’s Milwood neighborhood is more like the Circk K’s I’m used to. It’s still a convenience store, but it’s also a BP gas station.
It’s not a very large store, but they have the middle of the road Polar Pop machine. It has all the different flavors, but it doesn’t have the choice of ice. I really like the ones that have cubed ice, this one doesn’t. We both got Polar Pops and headed out. Read more…
Julie Joe’s
2515 E. Jolly RoadWell, I made it to Lansing. It only took me about 45 minutes longer than it normally does. I left quite a bit earlier than I needed to….just in case. I got to Lansing about an hour before I needed to be there, so I went looking for lunch.
For quite some time, I’ve tried to stopping at Julie Joe’s on Jolly Road near the Dunkel Road intersection. It seems like every time I try, it’s closed. They close for three and a half hours between lunch and dinner during the week, they don’t open until five on Saturday, and they’re not open on Sunday. It seems like every time I’ve pulled into the small strip mall, it’s been one of those times.
This time, I made it in time for lunch, so I knew they would be open. The previous business in this location was 2Fer’s. I never made it there before it was closed, so I have no idea how much has changed. Both on their website and on an insert in their carry-out menu, they make note of the fact that they used to be 2Fer’s. I have no idea what that means or why, but since they make a point to mention, I thought I should to.
The menu at Julie Joe’s is much larger than I expected. As expected, they have tacos and pizza, but they also do deli sandwiches, salads, and soups. The shop is not very big. There are a couple tables, but I have a feeling not many people dine in. There was a counter area that I assumed would be filled with pizza, but when I walked it up to it, there was no pizza. They do have ads for pizza-by-the-slice at lunch time. Not sure if they have it keeping warm somewhere else or how that works. I wasn’t in to pizza, so I didn’t ask. Read more…
Meijer – Charlotte
1167 E. Clinton Trail- Charlotte, MI 48813
- (517) 541-9201
- Website
Like everyone else, I seem to wait until it snows to get my truck ready for winter. The timing was impeccable. We’re under a blizzard warning and I had to drive to East Lansing for work. I have four-wheel drive, so I wasn’t super worried, but like most people, I’m more worried about the way other people drive than I am about the roads or conditions.
I made it to Battle Creek doing 45 MPH the whole way. I got off to get a Pepsi, text J to let her know how far I had made it, and use the bathroom. I didn’t need gas, but I pulled up to a pump to clean off my windows. This exact same thing happened to me last December. I had a long drive and I was out of windshield washer fluid. I should have bought some at the gas station, but it never occurred to me, so I got back on the road.
By the time I made it to Olivet, the road was clear, but still a little wet. By the time I got to Charlotte, the road was actually dry, but passing semi’s had done a number on my windshield. It was getting to the point it was hard to see, so I had to pull off. Lucky for me, I knew there was a Meijer at the next exit.
The Charlotte Meijer sits right off I-69 on East Clinton Trail. There’s not much surrounding the store in the immediate area. There’s an urgent care and a Meijer gas station, but that’s about it. Read more…
Craftsman Chop Company
6905 Sears Drive- Portage, MI 49024
- (269) 327-2000
- Website
- No Online Menu
- (they have a “Coming Soon” on a domain…I’ll update the link if they ever put up a permanent website)
I’ll tell you what. I have good timing. For Christmas, I decided I was going to get J a remote start. She goes to work before I get up and I really didn’t want to have to get up and scrape windows. Last week, I went to Dashworks in Portage and set up an appointment for today to get it installed…..right as we’re getting a “blizzard.”
J called from work and said she would just meet me at Dashworks instead of coming home. I went to pick her up and as I was driving home, she mentioned she was hungry. I didn’t want to go too far because the roads were starting to get wet. I remembered a restaurant near the mall that I thought looked good and since we were close, that’s where we headed.
Craftsman Chop Company is on Sears Drive in Portage which is sort of an access road to the mall. The road is most easily accessible from Romence Road, but you can also get to it from the mall pretty easily.
As we pulled into the parking lot, I was really happy to see that there were quite a few cars there. Places like this always scare me for lunch. It’s not a chain, but it sort of looks like a chain and since it had the word “Chop” in the name, I’m never quite sure what I’m getting in to.
Like I mentioned, Craftsman Chop Company is not a chain. It’s locally owned and operated. According to their Facebook page, they opened in 2005 “with the goal of being different from any other dining establishment.” They try to accomplish this with a relaxed, yet somewhat upscale atmosphere that includes a fireplace and a lounge area with leather sofas. Read more…
Taco Bob’s – Milwood
4121 Portage RoadThere’s something about being married. All your furniture has to match. It’s like you instantly grow up or something. J and I have lived together for a couple years and just merged the best of our furniture when we moved in. Most of her stuff won out, but I got my ugly, comfy chair.
Over the last two years, we’ve slowly started buying stuff together. Since the wedding and moving to Kalamazoo, there’s seemed to be more of an urgency to get nicer stuff. The first item was a couch which was desperately needed. After the couch, we got ottoman’s to replace the end tables turned coffee tables J made during the whole Trading Spaces craze. The coffee tables returned to their former lives as end tables, but they were huge and didn’t match anything, so last night while we checked out Kmart’s going out of business sale, we found an end table that perfectly matched our kitchen table (also purchased from K-Mart a few years ago), ottoman’s, and couch.
Today, I was left with the chore of getting rid of the old end tables. J suggested I take them to Goodwill since we had a couple bags that needed to go anyway. Since I was leaving the house, I figured I’d just stop somewhere for a quick meal. I’ve been curious about Taco Bob’s and I thought there was one on my way to Goodwill.
I’m not sure where I actually thought Goodwill is, but when I put it in my GPS, it took me the opposite way of where I thought it was. I was thinking it was more out by the airport, but it was actually in Portage just off Westnedge. Still, I had Taco Bob’s on the brain and didn’t feel like going in the mall, so I headed back to the Milwood neighborhood. Read more…
SW Michigan Dining 