Demand high for free pizza after scare
September 22, 2006
The Journal Gazette (Fort Wayne, IN)
http://www.fortwayne.com/mld/journalgazette/15579143.htm
A local Pizza Hut gave away “thousands” of pizzas in a promotional deal to remedy slumping sales in the aftermath of a hepatitis A diagnosis involving a server at the restaurant last month.
Coventry Pizza Hut, near Interstate 69 and U.S. 24, had a line extending into its parking lot and a parking lot overflowing with cars Thursday, said Dave Bobilya, chief financial officer for Pizza Hut of Fort Wayne Inc. That was the last day customers could use a coupon included with a letter of community appreciation that ran in a full-page ad in the Sept. 10 editions of The Journal Gazette.
“There’s just been so much demand,” said Bobilya, who declined to give specific sales figures. A medium one-topping pizza typically costs
$9.69 and a two-topping medium pizza costs $12.79. The coupon did not limit customers to any number of toppings but the offer was limited to one per household.
The Coventry Pizza Hut passed an inspection immediately after the Fort Wayne-Allen County Department of Health learned of the employee’s hepatitis A diagnosis Aug. 24 and has remained open for business. No related cases of hepatitis A cases have been reported and the restaurant was not found to be liable in any way.
The server who contracted hepatitis A recently returned to the restaurant after receiving a clean bill of health from her doctor, Bobilya said. He projects business will return to its earlier levels.
