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`PIZZA HUT: Description` When it comes to tossing dough around, no one does it more often than Pizza Hut. The division of YUM! Brands is the world's #1 pizza chain with more than 12,000 outlets in 86 countries worldwide. The company owns about 20% of its operations; the remaining units are franchised or licensed. The chain serves a variety of pizza styles, including its flagship Pan Pizza, as well as Thin n' Crispy, Stuffed Crust, Hand Tossed, and Sicilian. Other menu items include pasta, salads, and sandwiches. Pizza Hut offers dine-in service in its characteristic red-roofed restaurants as well as carry-out and delivery service.RETURN `PAPA JOHN’S: Description` Papa John's International makes a lot of dough. The company is the #3 pizza chain (behind YUM! Brands' Pizza Hut division and Domino's) with about 2,830 pizzerias across the US and in 20 international markets. Its restaurants offer many pizza styles and topping choices, as well as a few specialty pies such as The Works and All the Meats. Papa John's locations typically offer delivery and carry-out service only. In addition to its signature brand, the company also franchises about 120 Perfect Pizza restaurants in the UK. Papa John's owns and operates about 20% of its locations. Founder and CEO John Schnatter owns 30% of the company. Blockbuster's CEO, Nigel Travis, will become president and CEO on April 1, 2005. Papa John's tries to differentiate itself from its competition through the quality of its food and its commitment to using only fresh ingredients. That commitment has paid off as the company has regularly beaten other pizza chains in consumer satisfaction surveys. As a part of its strategy, the chain offers a limited number of pizza choices and has avoided cluttering its menu with a lot of non-pizza items. (Bowing to consumer and competitive pressure, however, the company did launch a chicken item -- Papa's Chickenstrips -- in 2002 and a dessert -- Papa's Cinnapie -- in early 2003.) The company is test-marketing a breakfast menu that includes personal pizza omelettes and sweet pastries. Papa John's controls almost 7% of the quick-service pizza business, far behind its rivals Pizza Hut (with 20% market share) and Domino's (almost 12%). With positions in the pizza wars fairly entrenched, the company has focused on improving its operational efficiencies rather than expansion. The chain has opened only a few more locations than it has closed over the past few years, keeping its overall numbers fairly flat. That has been responsible, in part, for the company posting its first-ever yearly revenue decline in 2002. Papa John's plans to continue closing underperforming units and selling company-owned restaurants to franchisees. Papa John's also reorganized its field management structure, which allowed it to cut some positions from its payroll. In August 2004 the company accelerated its plan to close low-earning units, announcing intent to close 110 to 130 domestic stores -- an increase on its earlier estimate of 60 to 80 stores. Papa John's followed these announcements by posting November plans to cut 70 jobs, lowering its 2005 annual expenses by almost $2.5 million. `LITTLE CAESAR’S PIZZA: Description` I came, I saw, I bought a pizza. Little Caesar Enterprises operates and franchises about 3,000 Little Caesar's carryout pizza restaurants throughout the US. The chain offers a variety of original and deep-dish pizzas along with cheese bread, salads, and sandwiches. While some stores are stand-alone units, Little Caesar's units typically do not offer dine-in seating, meaning they can be operated in a variety of locations where larger restaurants wouldn't fit. Most of the chain's outlets are run by franchisees. Little Caesar's was founded in 1959 by Mike and Marian Ilitch, who, through Ilitch Holdings, control a sports and entertainment empire that includes the Detroit Red Wings and the Detroit Tigers.RETURN `SOURCES CITED` `Copyright 2004 Hoover's Inc., Austin, Tx` `Hoover's Company Profiles`

PIZZA HUT: Description
When it comes to tossing dough around, no one does it more often than Pizza Hut. The division of YUM! Brands is the world's #1 pizza chain with more than 12,000 outlets in 86 countries worldwide. The company owns about 20% of its operations; the remaining units are franchised or licensed. The chain serves a variety of pizza styles, including its flagship Pan Pizza, as well as Thin n' Crispy, Stuffed Crust, Hand Tossed, and Sicilian. Other menu items include pasta, salads, and sandwiches. Pizza Hut offers dine-in service in its characteristic red-roofed restaurants as well as carry-out and delivery service.RETURN

PAPA JOHN’S: Description
Papa John's International makes a lot of dough. The company is the #3 pizza chain (behind YUM! Brands' Pizza Hut division and Domino's) with about 2,830 pizzerias across the US and in 20 international markets. Its restaurants offer many pizza styles and topping choices, as well as a few specialty pies such as The Works and All the Meats. Papa John's locations typically offer delivery and carry-out service only. In addition to its signature brand, the company also franchises about 120 Perfect Pizza restaurants in the UK. Papa John's owns and operates about 20% of its locations. Founder and CEO John Schnatter owns 30% of the company. Blockbuster's CEO, Nigel Travis, will become president and CEO on April 1, 2005.

Papa John's tries to differentiate itself from its competition through the quality of its food and its commitment to using only fresh ingredients. That commitment has paid off as the company has regularly beaten other pizza chains in consumer satisfaction surveys. As a part of its strategy, the chain offers a limited number of pizza choices and has avoided cluttering its menu with a lot of non-pizza items. (Bowing to consumer and competitive pressure, however, the company did launch a chicken item -- Papa's Chickenstrips -- in 2002 and a dessert -- Papa's Cinnapie -- in early 2003.) The company is test-marketing a breakfast menu that includes personal pizza omelettes and sweet pastries.

Papa John's controls almost 7% of the quick-service pizza business, far behind its rivals Pizza Hut (with 20% market share) and Domino's (almost 12%). With positions in the pizza wars fairly entrenched, the company has focused on improving its operational efficiencies rather than expansion. The chain has opened only a few more locations than it has closed over the past few years, keeping its overall numbers fairly flat. That has been responsible, in part, for the company posting its first-ever yearly revenue decline in 2002.

Papa John's plans to continue closing underperforming units and selling company-owned restaurants to franchisees. Papa John's also reorganized its field management structure, which allowed it to cut some positions from its payroll. In August 2004 the company accelerated its plan to close low-earning units, announcing intent to close 110 to 130 domestic stores -- an increase on its earlier estimate of 60 to 80 stores. Papa John's followed these announcements by posting November plans to cut 70 jobs, lowering its 2005 annual expenses by almost $2.5 million.

LITTLE CAESAR’S PIZZA: Description
I came, I saw, I bought a pizza. Little Caesar Enterprises operates and franchises about 3,000 Little Caesar's carryout pizza restaurants throughout the US. The chain offers a variety of original and deep-dish pizzas along with cheese bread, salads, and sandwiches. While some stores are stand-alone units, Little Caesar's units typically do not offer dine-in seating, meaning they can be operated in a variety of locations where larger restaurants wouldn't fit. Most of the chain's outlets are run by franchisees. Little Caesar's was founded in 1959 by Mike and Marian Ilitch, who, through Ilitch Holdings, control a sports and entertainment empire that includes the Detroit Red Wings and the Detroit Tigers.RETURN

SOURCES CITED
Copyright 2004 Hoover's Inc., Austin, Tx
Hoover's Company Profiles