Godfather's Pizza
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| Type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Fast Food, Pizza |
| Founded | 1973 |
| Headquarters | Omaha, Nebraska |
| Website | godfathers.com |
Godfather's Pizza is a privately owned restaurant chain headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska that operates fast casual Italian franchises. [1]
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[edit] History
Godfather's was founded in Omaha, Nebraska, in 1973.[2] In the early 1970s, William Theisen owned a beer parlor named Wild Willie's, next to a pizza restaurant named Godfather at 84th and L Street in western Omaha.[3] Theisen bought out the pizza parlor and the name in 1974 and sold his first franchise.[4] Theisen sold the company to Pillsbury in the mid-1980s and stepped down from actively managing the company. In 1986, Pillsbury named Herman Cain CEO and President of the brand. Cain and Ronald B. Gartlan, the company's executive vice president, led a group to purchase the Godfather's brand from Pillsbury, which they did by the beginning of 1990 in a deal reported to be $100 million. It was reported to be the fifth largest pizza chain in the United States at the time.[5] About this time, many Godfather's locations were bought out by Pantera's Pizza using a similar recipe. Cain stepped down from his position as CEO and President in 2002 and Gartlan became CEO. In 2009 Gartlan bought out Cain.[6] According to the company's official website, as of June 14, 2011, the chain has 622 locations in 39 U.S. states.[7]
[edit] Menu
The restaurants serve a wide variety of pizzas, breadsticks, chips, cookies, and pastas, and have an expansive salad bar and buffet. They offer four different types of crust: Original, Golden, Mozza-Loaded, and Thin. The chain has recently introduced gluten-free pizzas, made from rice flour.[8]
[edit] Spokesman
Godfather's Pizza is also known for its commercials featuring "The Godfather", a knock-off of Marlon Brando's character, Don Vito Corleone, from the 1972 film The Godfather. "The Godfather" has been played by two actors, the first being Omaha actor J. William Koll,[9] who typically wore a white fedora hat, a pin stripe suit, and a flower on his jacket. He also used the sayings "A pizza you can't refuse!", "Do it!", "If you don't like anchovies, you'll be sleeping with the fishes", "Da goods is in da box!" and "I know your neighborhood."[citation needed]
[edit] References
- ^ "Contact Us. Godfather's Pizza. Retrieved on February 26, 2010.
- ^ Berg, Eric N. (September 20, 1988). "Godfather's Pizza Sold By Pillsbury". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/1988/09/20/business/godfather-s-pizza-sold-by-pillsbury.html.
- ^ "tim laborde - TMZ Community Member". Tmz.com. http://www.tmz.com/member/tim-laborde/. Retrieved 2011-11-15.
- ^ "Godfather's Pizza Finds Home at Chart House". The New York Times. September 15, 1983.
- ^ "Godfather's Pizza Incorporated - Company History". Fundinguniverse.com. http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/Godfathers-Pizza-Incorporated-Company-History.html. Retrieved 2011-11-15.
- ^ http://janicegablebashman.com/wp-content/uploads/GODFATHERS-PIZZA.pdf
- ^ "Godfather's Pizza store locator". http://www.godfathers.com/store_locator/.
- ^ "Godfather's Gluten-Free Pizzas". http://www.godfathers.com/Menu/Gluten-Free/index.asp.
- ^ "'Godfather' Returns As Spokesman For Pizza Company". Toledo Blade. Associated Press. November 14, 1983. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=F7M0AAAAIBAJ&sjid=KAMEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6859,1328751&dq=william-koll+pizza&hl=en. Retrieved November 14, 2011.
