Pizza Schmizza

Pizza Schmizza
Industry Fast food restaurants
Founded Oregon 1993
Headquarters Salem, Oregon
Number of locations
24 restaurants
Products Pizza, salads, soft drinks
Slogan Claim your slice!
Website www.schmizza.com

Pizza Schmizza is an American pizza chain with 21 locations throughout the Portland, Oregon area, two in southern Oregon, and one in Alabama.[1] Pizza Schmizza, primarily selling thin crust pizza by-the-slice, is owned and operated by Salem, Oregon, based company Figaro's Pizza.[2]

History

A location in Hillsboro, Oregon

Pizza Schmizza opened its first location on August 6, 1993 in downtown Hillsboro, Oregon by brothers Andre and Roger Jehan.[3]

In 2003, Pizza Schmizza received complaints from an advertising watchdog group for hiring homeless men to hold signs bearing the slogan "Pizza Schmizza paid me to hold this sign instead of asking for money".[4] Owner Andre Jehan countered that this was a way to help the homeless and that the homeless found the arrangement a positive experience.[5]

Pizza Schmizza received a media award from the Oregon Department of Human Services for support of a program discouraging underage alcohol consumption in 2004.[6]

Acquisition by Figaro's Pizza

After CEO Doug Wetter was unable to do his day-to-day job with Pizza Schmizza, the company went into talks with Figaro's Pizza about selling the company. On March 31, 2008, Pizza Schmizza and Figaro's Pizza completed a deal for Figaro's to acquire Pizza Schmizza.[7]

Locations

Pizza Schmizza has 20 locations in and around Portland, one in Salmon Creek, Washington, two in the Medford, Oregon metropolitan area in southern Oregon, and one in Auburn, Alabama. Several locations are titled "Pizza Schmizza Pub & Grub". Out of the twenty Portland metro area restaurants, four are downtown.

See also

References

  1. Pizza Schmizza - Locations
  2. Figaro's Italian Pizza acquires Pizza Schmizza. Portland Business Journal, April 7, 2008.
  3. Goldfield, Robert. Pizza Schmizza ready to take on Puget Sound. Portland Business Journal, August 1, 2003.
  4. CNN.com - Pizza company hires homeless to hold ads - June 17, 2003
  5. Williams, Geoff. Hot Seat: Andre Jehan. Will Work for Food. Entrepreneur. November 2003, Vol. 31 Issue 11, p38.
  6. Oregon DHS: News release January 13, 2004
  7. Rogoway, Mike. Pizza Schmizza sells to Figaro's. The Oregonian, April 8, 2008.

External links