Panago
Encyclopedia
Panago is a Canadian
pizza
delivery & takeout chain with 180 locations across 6 provinces. Panago is a franchise
business with each location being franchisee-owned and operated. In 2010, Panago served more than 12 million pizzas and generated over 135 million dollars in sales.
, BC
and operated under the brand “Panagopoulos,” which is the name the chain grew under, until it was rebranded as "Panago" in 2000. Panago has a strong presence in British Columbia
, which has a total of 90 locations followed by 62 locations in Alberta
. Other stores in operation include 6 in Saskatchewan
, 5 in Manitoba
, 13 in Ontario
and 2 in New Brunswick
.
The Panago head office is located in Abbotsford
, BC
and there is a regional office in Downtown Toronto
. Current expansion efforts are heavily focused in the province of Ontario, where Pizza Pizza
is a dominant player. The first urban Toronto location opened at Bay and Gerrard in April 2007. According to the company, further expansion is planned for the Greater Toronto Area
.
Panago currently has two Customer Contact Centres located in Abbotsford
and Burnaby, servicing calls from British Columbia
, most of Alberta
, Fredericton, Moncton and parts of Ontario
.
Panago’s menu extends to salads, breadsticks, four types of wings and dips & shakers. Panago locations offer personal pizzas as opposed to pizza slices, as everything is made-to-order.
In 2008, Panago removed added trans fat, MSG, artificial flavours and colours from all of their ingredients. This change met the approval of BC nutritionists as it allowed Panago’s pizza to fit within the stricter guidelines for food in schools that were put forth by the BC government in September, 2009. Partnered with a number of schools in the Vancouver region, Panago offers 18 different serving sizes for 5 pizza selections that meet the criteria and fall under the "Choose Most" category.
Similarly these school offerings, served in the most popular serving size of 1/10 or 1/8 of a large pizza, also meet the requirements for Ontario’s “Sell Most” category. The “Sell Most” category is outlined in the new nutritional policy from the province of Ontario and includes nutritional standards for food and beverages sold in schools. This policy entitled the School Food and Beverage Policy announced in January 2010, will take effect on September 1, 2011. In the meantime, schools are encouraged to consider implementing the policy as soon as possible.
Panago is also a partner of the Vancouver Aquarium
and offers only Ocean Wise certified seafood on the menu. Certification requires that all seafood is sourced from a sustainable fishery and harvested in an environmentally sound manner.
In 2008, Panago released a private label line of take-home products called Panago Cucina. The Cucina product line includes olives, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, pizza seasoning shakers, organic juices and water. Panago has published recipes that customers can use at home that incorporate ingredients from the product line at Panago.com. In 2008, Panago also launched a reusable insulated pizza bag. The bag is designed to keep pizza hot for customers who pick up their pizza.
In November 2010, An independent study, conducted by J. D. Power and Associates found Panago Pizza ranked highest in the quick service category in the Vancouver market (Quick service was defined as places offering inexpensive food, ordered at a register or selected from a food bar and where meals are paid for being served to the customer).. The study included satisfaction rankings for restaurant chains using four factors that typically drive overall customer satisfaction. Listed in order of importance, these factors include: price; service (including timeliness of order and wait staff courtesy and friendliness); meal (including quality/taste of food, meal presentation and portion size); and environment (including ambiance, cleanliness and convenience of location/hours).
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
pizza
Pizza
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"...
delivery & takeout chain with 180 locations across 6 provinces. Panago is a franchise
Franchising
Franchising is the practice of using another firm's successful business model. The word 'franchise' is of anglo-French derivation - from franc- meaning free, and is used both as a noun and as a verb....
business with each location being franchisee-owned and operated. In 2010, Panago served more than 12 million pizzas and generated over 135 million dollars in sales.
History
Owned by the Rooke family, Panago is a privately held company. The first three stores opened in 1986 in AbbotsfordAbbotsford, British Columbia
Abbotsford is a Canadian city located in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia, adjacent to Greater Vancouver. It is the fifth largest municipality in British Columbia, home to 123,864 people . Its Census Metropolitan Area, which includes the District of Mission, is the 23rd largest in Canada,...
, BC
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
and operated under the brand “Panagopoulos,” which is the name the chain grew under, until it was rebranded as "Panago" in 2000. Panago has a strong presence in British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
, which has a total of 90 locations followed by 62 locations in Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
. Other stores in operation include 6 in Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....
, 5 in Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
, 13 in Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
and 2 in New Brunswick
New Brunswick
New Brunswick is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the only province in the federation that is constitutionally bilingual . The provincial capital is Fredericton and Saint John is the most populous city. Greater Moncton is the largest Census Metropolitan Area...
.
The Panago head office is located in Abbotsford
Abbotsford, British Columbia
Abbotsford is a Canadian city located in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia, adjacent to Greater Vancouver. It is the fifth largest municipality in British Columbia, home to 123,864 people . Its Census Metropolitan Area, which includes the District of Mission, is the 23rd largest in Canada,...
, BC
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
and there is a regional office in Downtown Toronto
Downtown Toronto
Downtown Toronto is the central business district of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is approximately bounded by Bloor Street to the north, Lake Ontario to the south, the Don River to the east, and Bathurst Street to the west...
. Current expansion efforts are heavily focused in the province of Ontario, where Pizza Pizza
Pizza Pizza
Pizza Pizza is a Canadian franchise of pizza restaurants mainly located in the province of Ontario. Other locations operate in Quebec, Nova Scotia, in western Canada , and in non-traditional locations such as university campuses and movie theatres throughout Canada...
is a dominant player. The first urban Toronto location opened at Bay and Gerrard in April 2007. According to the company, further expansion is planned for the Greater Toronto Area
Greater Toronto Area
The Greater Toronto Area is the largest metropolitan area in Canada, with a 2006 census population of 5.5 million. The Greater Toronto Area is usually defined as the central city of Toronto, along with four regional municipalities surrounding it: Durham, Halton, Peel, and York...
.
Panago currently has two Customer Contact Centres located in Abbotsford
Abbotsford, British Columbia
Abbotsford is a Canadian city located in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia, adjacent to Greater Vancouver. It is the fifth largest municipality in British Columbia, home to 123,864 people . Its Census Metropolitan Area, which includes the District of Mission, is the 23rd largest in Canada,...
and Burnaby, servicing calls from British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
, most of Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
, Fredericton, Moncton and parts of Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
.
Menu
Panago specializes in pizza and offers 39 different recipes on the menu. Customers can order by recipe or create their own. They offer regular, thin and multigrain crusts, nine sauces, five cheeses and thirty-three toppings. The dough is made on a daily basis in each store and contains no additives.Panago’s menu extends to salads, breadsticks, four types of wings and dips & shakers. Panago locations offer personal pizzas as opposed to pizza slices, as everything is made-to-order.
In 2008, Panago removed added trans fat, MSG, artificial flavours and colours from all of their ingredients. This change met the approval of BC nutritionists as it allowed Panago’s pizza to fit within the stricter guidelines for food in schools that were put forth by the BC government in September, 2009. Partnered with a number of schools in the Vancouver region, Panago offers 18 different serving sizes for 5 pizza selections that meet the criteria and fall under the "Choose Most" category.
Similarly these school offerings, served in the most popular serving size of 1/10 or 1/8 of a large pizza, also meet the requirements for Ontario’s “Sell Most” category. The “Sell Most” category is outlined in the new nutritional policy from the province of Ontario and includes nutritional standards for food and beverages sold in schools. This policy entitled the School Food and Beverage Policy announced in January 2010, will take effect on September 1, 2011. In the meantime, schools are encouraged to consider implementing the policy as soon as possible.
Panago is also a partner of the Vancouver Aquarium
Vancouver Aquarium
The Vancouver Aquarium Marine Science Centre is a public aquarium located in Stanley Park in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. In addition to being a major tourist attraction for Vancouver, the aquarium is a centre for marine research, conservation and marine animal rehabilitation.The Vancouver...
and offers only Ocean Wise certified seafood on the menu. Certification requires that all seafood is sourced from a sustainable fishery and harvested in an environmentally sound manner.
Innovation
Launched in 2000, Panago is known by many customers for popularizing dips and shakers which are offered free with the purchase of every pizza. In 2003, Panago launched the largest deployment of wireless debit-at-the-door machines in Canada, allowing customers to purchase their delivered pizzas without cash or cheque.In 2008, Panago released a private label line of take-home products called Panago Cucina. The Cucina product line includes olives, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, pizza seasoning shakers, organic juices and water. Panago has published recipes that customers can use at home that incorporate ingredients from the product line at Panago.com. In 2008, Panago also launched a reusable insulated pizza bag. The bag is designed to keep pizza hot for customers who pick up their pizza.
Awards & Recognition
In May 2009, Panago was the recipient of 12 Frankie Awards presented by the Canadian Franchise Association. Gold awards were given for store design, brochures, packaging and a December 2008 promotion. Panago is partnered with advertising and design firm Mercer Creative.In November 2010, An independent study, conducted by J. D. Power and Associates found Panago Pizza ranked highest in the quick service category in the Vancouver market (Quick service was defined as places offering inexpensive food, ordered at a register or selected from a food bar and where meals are paid for being served to the customer).. The study included satisfaction rankings for restaurant chains using four factors that typically drive overall customer satisfaction. Listed in order of importance, these factors include: price; service (including timeliness of order and wait staff courtesy and friendliness); meal (including quality/taste of food, meal presentation and portion size); and environment (including ambiance, cleanliness and convenience of location/hours).