I am an independent del/co in a town of about 6k and there was only one chain store offering low quality high priced pizzas, I opened up 8 months ago and offered a nice selection of specialty pizzas reasonable priced. At that time they only have 6 basic specialty pizzas, I offered 10 and have added 2 more since, about a month after we opened two of my specialty pizzas were on their menu( one with the exact same name), now they have one of my signature appetizers on their menu, it is only cheese sticks but they way we do them makes us unique. One of their drivers is a very frequent customer of mine and he said that the owners blatantly copied me because they knew that those items were good sellers on my menu. So, last night I ordered some, walked in wearing my logo’d shirt and said “ If you’re going to copy me I at least want to see how we compareâ€
[quote=“RegisteredGuest”]
I am an independent del/co in a town of about 6k and there was only one chain store offering low quality high priced pizzas, I opened up 8 months ago and offered a nice selection of specialty pizzas reasonable priced. At that time they only have 6 basic specialty pizzas, I offered 10 and have added 2 more since, about a month after we opened two of my specialty pizzas were on their menu( one with the exact same name), now they have one of my signature appetizers on their menu, it is only cheese sticks but they way we do them makes us unique. One of their drivers is a very frequent customer of mine and he said that the owners blatantly copied me because they knew that those items were good sellers on my menu. So, last night I ordered some, walked in wearing my logo’d shirt and said “ If you’re going to copy me I at least want to see how we compareâ€
You could go to the expense and copyright the names but I’m sure that’s not what you’re after.
Everyone copies or learns from everyone. My family does not eat out much but when we do its to go see what competitors are doing. If you saw a good idea or item that had great success at a competitor wouldn’t you want to do it? Why not?
Cherry Coke – Cherry Pepsi
Vanilla Coke – Vanilla Pepsi
I don’t think you were the first one to come up with breadsticks, but you made them your own and put them on your menu.
Make your items better and provide better service. Promote your quality that sets you apart. People don’t copy failure so take it as a compliment that you are doing something right.
Hmm.
You are complaining about copying names - when you did exactly that with my user name?
(Notice: Mine does not say “guest” underneath it.)
I have encountered the same thing on various menu items. However, I have also borrowed from other operators menus. There are few, if any, pizza operators who don’t have a file of menus…their competition, across town, menus gathered while on vacation. We are all always looking for ideas.
That said, outside of prefacing your menu items with The Original, Home of the Original etc…etc… There is not much you can do.
Put this notion out of your head & move forward making great pizzas so tasty that the competition is copying them.
Sorry Mr. Registered Guest, Didn’t realize that it was a real log in.
I think you need to worry about your own place. I’m sure you haven’t invented pizza,subs and appetizers so yes, you are a copy cat yourself. If you had something I didn’t and it was a great hit, you bet it would be on my menu…Its good business brother!!!
Here is what you do. Get a big sign outside your place that says
"We are so good even the competition copys us. Come in and try the original __________ (whatever they have copied) We did it first and we do it better!!!
Have a little fun at there expense
See above ^^ for sign to ensure proper pwnage.
Actually, his/hers does not have a space in it. It is one word, so no copying going on there.
In terms of making it competitive marketing, you could even put that message on door hangers, newpaper ads, postcards, flyers and takeout menues.
If your product is truly superior, you could make a gutsy challenge to replace any of the competitor’s identical specialty pizzas if the customer is not satisfied with the ‘inferior copy’ as long as they bring in at least half of the offending pie. Big Dave Ostrander has a similar promotion in his strategy to command the marketplace. You’ll need a way to record and trackk this sort of thing so it does not get out of hand or taken advantage of. Force the customers to try the competitor and see the difference in quality.
This may be more aggressive than you would like or are able to afford. I’ll bet that it will make the impression and message that you want . . . . you make a quality product and are willing to back it up. You can also include amessage that you never want your customers to suffer with inferior knock-offs of the Real Deal .
i wonder what nakedbulldog would have to say about this one.
have some fun with it like pizza guy says…
continue to provide great service and serve a great product. Nothing compares to that!
[quote=“RegisteredGuest”]
So, last night I ordered some, walked in wearing my logo’d shirt and said “ If you’re going to copy me I at least want to see how we compareâ€
I am the new guy, trying to fight the $5 cheapos and am having them copying specailty pizzas & sides, and also having the apperance of being cheaper, because of the $5 pizzas. Other than the $5 pizza everything they have is more expensive then mine, but when they advertise $5 pizzas like crazy how do I compete with that while not stooping to their level. Should I offer a $5 pizza and beat them at their own game?
unless most people in your town are stupid then a better product at a better price will always prevail…He is hoping that you will not make it long enough for people to realize it by doing the $5 pies…so hang in there, provide better service, DO NOT stoop down to the cheapos (not loyal customers anyways and always the biggest pain in the as$es) and play the game
Price vultures will always flock to the loswet priced anything. they’ll come back to you as long as your prices are low enough . . . then flit away to the next special price.
My recommendation is to build a solid foundation of loyal customers who appreciate value, quality food and superior service. Make you customers the most satisfied in town, and they’ll convince the others to come over to the better place.
Make your place and your identity what you focus on. Peek at the other guy to see what he’s doing, hold yourself out as the original . . . often imitated . . . never duplicatd . . . pizzeria who cares enough about their customers to provide the highest quality food at the best possible service levels.