Testing the casual dining pizza market

MANILA, Philippines - Since 1984 when Pizza Hut was brought into the country by Philippine Pizza Inc., master franchisee, it grew its pizza store network to its current 154 of which 104 is dine-in restaurant and the balance is take-out or delivery counters. This pizza market leader is now branching into the casual dining, pasta segment.

At its press launch last Oct. 28 at the Gateway Mall, Elaine V. Guzman, vice president for marketing of Pizza Hut Philippines, said the local market is ripe for quality Italian pasta that is affordable, compared to current players’ prices.

“No matter if there is a global crisis, we see the Philippine market, especially the middle class sector, as hungry for Italian pasta and would scrimp on other expense items just to enjoy this pleasure,” Guzman told The STAR.

At the launch, Pizza Hut unveiled seven of its planned 12 pasta dishes to the press and some corporate clients.

“We are not here to compete with the quick service restaurants or fastfood chains but more with the Italian-sounding casual dining restaurants, whose products are priced so high that consumers go to them only for special occasion,” said Edgar Allan Caper, advertising and promotions manager.

Our twist is we will offer the consumers a high quality product that they can afford anytime they feel like eating good food, he added.

The goal is to make Filipinos eat pasta as much as they eat rice, to enjoy pasta everyday without feeling guilty about the cost because now the pasta we offer is really affordable for the quality they are looking for, Guzman explained.

Asked if Pizza Hut has any plans of expanding its name to Pizza Pasta Hut, Guzman said “no because we want the Filipinos to continue associating us with good quality pizza and now also good quality but affordable pasta as well.”