The Pizza Buffet Chain You Nearly Forgot About Could Come Back In Full Force
a close up image of pizzas on a pizza buffet - Kortemeyer/Getty Images
If you remember people predicting the end of buffet restaurants a few years back, let the newfound success of one pizza buffet chain remind you that nobody really knows how the world will change. At the height of the Covid pandemic, buffets were understandably struggling as people pulled back from eating at restaurants with shared trays of food. There were even concerns that the era of heightened health concerns were here to stay, which would spell the permanent end of the buffet. Little did anyone know that less than two years after buffets appeared doomed, food prices started soaring and the value that all-you-can-eat buffets provide started to look a lot more attractive again. And one of the popular pizza chains trying to take full advantage of that resurgence is Cici's.
Cici's was actually in trouble before the pandemic. The nostalgic pizza buffet of the '90s and 2000s had peaked at over 600 stores, but by 2019 was down to 420 locations. Then Covid nearly killed the chain, with fewer than 300 stores left when the chain filed for bankruptcy in 2021. However, this story has a happy ending. Cici's was purchased by new owners who cleared out all the company's debt, and under the leadership of a president who has been with the brand for over 30 years, the chain refocused on its unique parlor experience and bringing back higher quality pizza.
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Cici's Pizza Is Expanding Its Gaming Options And Looking To Franchise Again
Cici's Pizza exterior - J. Michael Jones/Shutterstock
Cici's resurgence has been built around three points — getting more efficient technology, refocusing on the gaming side of the chain, and undoing a decline in quality that had plagued the brand under previous owners. The one that will be most clear to customers is the expansion of game rooms, and remodeled Cici's have expanded gaming areas from 400 square feet to up to 3,000 square feet, which has attracted a new wave of customers. A major technological overhaul installed new ordering systems and QR codes to push customer engagement. That focus on efficiency is important to Cici's Pizza, which relies on affordability to attract customers, so keeping its costs down is essential.
On the pizza side, the company has focused on bringing back older, higher-quality recipes that had been successful in the past. It has also added unique menu items like a Chicken & Eggo Waffles Pizza collab and a huge 28-inch party pizza with 64 slices. Sales grew by 31% in the first year after new ownership took over, and another 7.8% after that. Cici's even reopened shuttered stores in North Carolina, Texas, and Alabama, and is courting franchise owners in places like Virginia and Atlanta. The chain is still well below its peak, but with rebounding sales and expansion on its mind, Cici's could be back in your life pretty soon.
Read the original article on Tasting Table.
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