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1/18/2008 | Testimonial: Addam Oliver, Bernie’s O’s Pizza,
North Muskegon
,
Mich.
I love shows like this because we get the chance to see what else is going on out there, what other people are doing.
We also love entering competitions like Pizza Pizzazz. They’re fun, you make some friends, and honestly, you get to gauge how you’re doing compared to others. You see a lot when you’re working that closely with other pizza makers.
For marketing, you can’t beat competitions. If you come in 40th out of 40 in a Midwest competition, you’re still able to claim your place is in the top-40 pizzerias in the
Midwest
, right? That’s just clever marketing.
After we finished well in another contest, we hyped it hard, we beat it to death. We put it everywhere in our shop, on the front covers of our menus and in radio ads, and eventually that got us in the newspaper here. Where we’re located, we’re in kind of a pizza wasteland. So when you can say we’re the only nationally ranked pizzeria in this county, that’s a big deal, even if it’s not absolutely first place.
Our entry in Pizza Pizzazz this year is called The Twist. It sounds strange, but it’s fantastic. It has a honey-mustard sauce base, a cheese blend, breaded chicken chunks and bacon strips, and all that’s topped with a mixture of fresh pineapple, tomato, yellow peppers and jalapenos. We finish it with a coil of homemade ranch dressing.
Winning first place would be great, and the $7,500 prize would be incredible. But it’s not the main reason to get in. My wife, Heather, and I own the business, and this is about promoting what we love. It’s all about the marketing and the long-term bragging rights, the feelings of success and being recognized for what we’re doing.
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