In 2006, PMQ’s Pizza Magazine ran a story about Jerseys Pizza & Grill (www. jerseyspizzaandgrill.com), a new pizzeria that had just opened outside of Chicago in Hoffman Estates, Illinois. At the time, owner Gregg Majewski felt confident about his location, as part of a suburban retail development that was to be anchored by a brand-name “big-box” tenant. When those plans were postponed, Majewski found himself with a 6,500-square-foot restaurant and no big-box anchor.
“I’m out here by myself,” Majewski told us then. “My biggest challenge will be to develop an identity, without having that big-box draw.”
Two years later, Majewski is owner and president of Wildcat Investments in South Elgin, Illinois. The company operates the original Jerseys Pizza & Grill and is developing a second; and has two Patty’s Burgers, a quick-service burger concept in Chicago and Milwaukee. In addition, Majewski is a Jimmy John’s franchisee, which is a delivery concept.
Obviously, Majewski found a draw to make up for the lack of that big-box presence. We checked in with him recently to ask about his marketing philosophy for Jerseys, and to find out how he managed to keep the business growing over the last two years in the highly competitive Chicago-area pizza market.
Jerseys employs the latest state-of-the-art technology to encourage visits on game day.
teacher had the discretion to award them as he or she saw fit. The certificates were good for a free 9” pizza.
Absolutely free, no strings? What did that do for your weekly sales?
It absolutely worked. When you think of the cost of a pizza, versus that student
Gregg, what has been one of your most coming in with the rest of his family, it’s successful promotions? nothing in the big picture. The biggest
Probably the most successful we’ve mistake a lot of us make is we’re afraid done recently is the 15,000 achievement to give away food. Everyone likes to dis-certificates we printed out and sent to count, but if you really have confidence local schools. Teachers were able to give in your product, it’s a million times them out to their students at their dis- better to get someone in there and give cretion. We’ve had about 7,000 of them it away once. With this promotion and a redeemed so far. The certificates were couple of other things we’re doing, we’re meritlike, but they didn’t necessarily up in sales this year by about 12%, which have to be awarded for good grades. The in this market is about 30%.
We did a direct mail piece that was good for delivery only. That picked up our delivery business through the colder months, which was something we had struggled with. Unfortunately, I think so many in the pizza sector think that the only way to grow your business is through discount. I’m at the complete opposite end of the spectrum. I don’t think you have to discount for people to want your product. So we did a direct mail piece that just basically introduced us and our services, and we saw our delivery improve 100%. That direct mail piece cost us about $6,000. And, again, there were no discounts involved. We’re competing with the big boys out there
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