Topping Expectations
Seven Years on, Tony Sheriff is bringing passion back to pizza
This is the second time I have run Perfect Pizza. I started with the business in 1987, built it up to 220 stores and sold it in 1999 to Papa Johns. In March, we bought back 114 stores.
I spend a maximum of two days in the office. The other three days are spent out in the field with franchise-holders, regional managers, and the kids in the stores selling the pizza.
Our effectiveness in answering the phone and getting the pizza there in 30 minutes will make or break us – along with making a good product and marketing it.
One of our biggest achievements so far has been re-establishing good communication with franchise – holders. You’ve got to have a true partnership between franchise – holders and parent company to be successful.
It’s been very exciting coming back into the business. We’ve established clear business plans, added a range of new products, brought in world brands such as coke, redesigned our leaflets, got new store design underway and are installing a computer system so customers can order over the internet. We also opened our first new store. Its been a busy 18 weeks…
Stuart Watson at RBS has a very good understanding of our business. He worked with us for months in preparing the deal and made sure we had the right funding in place not only to buy the business but also to provide enough money to drive it forward.
The challenge right now is rebuilding the business back to where I know it can be. I want to see the business grow to 230 – 250 stores with a much higher turnover.
We’re not ashamed to say that we’re in the discount market. If we were comparing ourselves with somebody in the retail sector, it would be Asda. You get great product quality that we’ve discounted to give families, particularly, real value for money.
A good banking relationship is absolutely key to our success because as well as providing funding for us, RBS is the major clearing bank for our franchise-holders.
Coming back in to the business, I’m determined to approach some things differently. I’m certainly pacing myself better. I’ve got a good, strong team, and I’m delegating more than I used to, so I make more productive use of my time.
Perfect Pizza banks with RBS
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