Cassano's Pizza King
Encyclopedia
Kettering, Ohio
As of the census of 2000, there were 57,502 people, 25,657 households, and 15,727 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,077.4 people per square mile . There were 26,936 housing units at an average density of 1,441.6 per square mile...
, a suburb
Suburb
The word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...
of Dayton
Dayton, Ohio
Dayton is the 6th largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County, the fifth most populous county in the state. The population was 141,527 at the 2010 census. The Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 841,502 in the 2010 census...
. Established June 4, 1953 by Kettering grocer Victor "Vic" J. Cassano, Sr. (June 4, 1922 – January 1, 2002) and his mother-in-law Caroline "Mom" Donisi, the company currently (as of 2005) operates 34 Cassano's Pizza King restaurants in the Dayton area, and has three other western Ohio franchises (in Russells Point
Russells Point, Ohio
Russells Point is a village located in Logan County, Ohio, United States. The population was 1,619 at the 2000 census. It is situated on Indian Lake.-Geography:Russells Point is located at ....
, Fairfield
Fairfield, Ohio
Fairfield is a city in Butler County in the U.S. state of Ohio, near Cincinnati. Fairfield was incorporated in 1955. The population was 42,510 at the 2010 census. The city school district is one of the largest in Ohio, with Fairfield High School graduating 842 students in June 2009. Fairfield is...
, and Sidney
Sidney, Ohio
Sidney is a city in Shelby County, Ohio, United States. The population was 20,211 at the 2000 census. It is named after English poet Sir Phillip Sidney and is the county seat of Shelby County.Sidney was the recipient of the 1964 All-America City Award...
), plus a franchise in Quincy, Illinois
Quincy, Illinois
Quincy, known as Illinois' "Gem City," is a river city along the Mississippi River and the county seat of Adams County. As of the 2010 census the city held a population of 40,633. The city anchors its own micropolitan area and is the economic and regional hub of West-central Illinois, catering a...
and another in Hannibal, Missouri
Hannibal, Missouri
Hannibal is a city in Marion and Ralls counties in the U.S. state of Missouri. Hannibal is located at the intersection of Interstate 72 and U.S. Routes 24, 36 and 61, approximately northwest of St. Louis. According to the 2010 U.S. Census the population was 17,606...
. The company also operates dozens of Cassano's Pizza Express kiosks in gas stations, convenience stores, and hotels, and sells frozen pizza dough under the name Cassano's Fresh Frozen Dough Company.
From the mid-1980s to 1997, the chain operated under the name Cassano's Pizza and Subs, and this branding is still present (as of 2007) on signage and menus at some locations.
In the mid-1970s, Cassano's was ranked by the National Restaurant Association
National Restaurant Association
thumb|National Restaurant Association logoThe National Restaurant Association is a restaurant industry business association in the United States, representing more than 380,000 restaurant locations. It also operates the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation...
as one of the top four pizza chains in the United States.
Expansion and downsizing
Cassano's franchises have also previously operated in PennsylvaniaPennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
, Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
, West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
, and other U.S. states. The chain had grown to over 100 locations when it was sold to Vic Cassano, Jr. (c. 1950–May 28, 2010), who subsequently sold the company to Greyhound Food Management, Inc. in 1986. At the time, the chain had 48 locations, but Greyhound planned a massive expansion, with 100 to 150 new restaurants slated per year in order to compete with Domino's Pizza
Domino's Pizza
Domino's Pizza, Inc. is an international pizza delivery corporation headquartered in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America. Founded in 1960, Domino's is the second-largest pizza chain in the United States and has over 9,000 corporate and franchised stores in 60 countries and all 50 U.S....
. Over an 18-month period, Greyhound briefly opened 33 delivery
Pizza delivery
Pizza delivery is a service in which a pizzeria delivers a pizza to a customer. Delivery is normally made with an automobile, motor scooter, or bicycle.- Ordering :...
-only restaurants, using Columbus, Ohio
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
as a test market. However, the more-expensive Cassano's pizza, which competed well against dine-in restaurants, was too high-priced for the delivery-only market and could not compete against Domino's. Greyhound changed classic menu items and failed to deliver on its promises to refurbish older Cassano's stores and inject fresh capital into marketing. The planned expansion did not occur beyond Columbus, and then-Greyhound chairman John Teats ordered every new Cassano's unit to be closed on the same day.
In 1989, Cassano Jr. and Greyhound executive Randy Leasher repurchased the company. Acting on "bad advice", the pair continued to have difficulty with the company. In 1995, the company had 43 restaurants, 13 franchises, and 563 employees. Cassano's filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection that year. The company's wholesale dough business, which started in 1994 brought Cassano's $3 million in 1998, and Cassano's Pizza Express operations launched in 1999, but overall business continued to decline, with only 29 restaurants remaining in January 1999.
In May 2000, Leasher resigned as company president without explanation. Pizza Marketplace later reported the Leasher had been forced out after Cassano Jr. learned Leasher had written a $
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
90,000 company check to himself. In October 2000, following an investigation by the Kettering Police Department (at Cassano Jr.'s behest) and county prosecutors, Leasher pleaded guilty to two charges related to the embezzlement of $700,000 from the company.
Determined to reaffirm the company in Dayton and turn Cassano's around, Cassano Jr. obtained assistance from Mark Heistand, a turnaround consultant at Financial Resource Associates Inc. (KY), and the Tri-State Association for Corporate Renewal (TACR), a nonprofit organization that offers information and assistance to companies involved in crisis situations. In their first year of collaboration, Heistand and Cassano Jr. negotiated with vendors who were owed thousands of dollars, paid off overdue rent, and made cash flow equal to receipts.
Cassano Jr. also began refurbishing the company's pizzerias, adding state-of-the-art ovens and, with the help of sons Chip and Chris, new menu items. A new ad agency was hired and ad spending was boosted by 50 percent. However, more locations had to be closed; only 27 full-service locations remained by mid-2001, at which point the chain began to expand again, growing to 29 restaurants at the end of 2001, 33 by August 2002, and 38 by July 2003. Although the company reported a 28 percent increase in orders for its traditional pizzas between March 2003 and March 2004, and an overall 20 percent-per-year increase in business in the first three years of regrouping, the number of restaurants had dropped back down to 34 by July 2004.
New growth
A $United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
1 million, 2000 square feet (185.8 m²) call center was created at the company's headquarters in 2004 in order to provide the public with a single phone number through which to order pizza. The call center, one of only six pizzeria chain call centers in the United States, is attributed to a 20 percent growth in Cassano's business in its first year of operation. At the time of its opening, Vic Cassano Jr. stated his intention to renovate or relocate every store, and to provide delivery service to the 10 to 15 percent of Dayton-area homes not yet covered.
In 2005, one new restaurant opened, and total sales increased by "double digits", according to Vic Cassano Jr.
In 2006, plans were announced to open four new pizzerias in the Dayton-area suburbs Englewood and Huber Heights, and nearby cities Brookville and Wilmington. It was also announced that the West Carrollton store would be "rebuilt".
In 2007, the chain reportedly had 33 locations, and Cassano Jr. announced plans to spend $1 million on machines to upgrade the company's dough operation. Also announced was the intention to add two new stores in the Dayton suburbs of Moraine and Englewood, and to move an existing Englewood store to a new location. Plans for 2008 include replacing the Smithville Road pizzeria and building another store elsewhere.
Vic Cassano Jr. died on May 28, 2010, at age 65.
Menu
Cassano's traditional pizzaPizza
Pizza is an oven-baked, flat, disc-shaped bread typically topped with a tomato sauce, cheese and various toppings.Originating in Italy, from the Neapolitan cuisine, the dish has become popular in many parts of the world. An establishment that makes and sells pizzas is called a "pizzeria"...
, a variation of "St. Louis-style pizza
St. Louis-style pizza
St. Louis-style pizza is a distinct style of pizza popular in St. Louis, Missouri, and surrounding areas. The definitive characteristics of St. Louis-style pizza are a super-thin yeast-less crust, the common use of Provel processed cheese, and pizzas cut into squares or rectangles instead of large...
," is characterized by its unusually salty, crispy, distinctively flavored thin crust, and is typically cut into small rectangular pieces rather than wedges. A wafer-thin, low-carb, whole-wheat based crust was added to the menu in 2004. Most full-service locations also offer a thicker hand-tossed crust (wedge-cut), subs
Submarine sandwich
A submarine sandwich, also known as a sub among other names, is a sandwich that consists of a long roll of Italian or French bread, split lengthwise either into two pieces or opened in a "V" on one side, and filled with various varieties of meat, cheese, vegetables, seasonings, and sauces. The...
and other sandwiches, salads, appetizers, and soft drinks.
Dough sales
Cassano's pizza dough is manufactured at a Kettering facility and flash-frozenFlash freezing
Flash freezing refers to the process in various industries whereby objects are quickly frozen by subjecting them to cryogenic temperatures....
before being shipped to restaurants. Since 1994, frozen dough is also sold under the auspices of Cassano's Fresh Frozen Dough Company to other companies, such as caterers, at wholesale prices.