Another restaurant company declares Ch. 11

"haveacarortwoorthree2" (haveacarortwoorthree2) 07/01/2020 at 09:40 • Filed to: None

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Although this one is a bit of a surprise given that NPC operates Pizza Huts and Wendy’s . I guess Pizza Huts didn’t weather the pandemic as well as I thought they would have given that they long ago focused on delivery, not in-restaurant dining . I can’t imagine that it was the Wendy’s stores causing the financial problems given that most QSR companies with significant drive-thru business did pretty well the past few months.

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I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker > haveacarortwoorthree2 07/01/2020 at 09:54

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I was unaware the Pizza Hut brand still existed until one opened near me (in a building formerly occupied by Family Video, which also still existed?) about a year and a half ago.

I ordered two p’zones once from them, but it was somehow 2x $6 + delivery came to a $20 charge, so I never got it again.

haveacarortwoorthree2 > I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker 07/01/2020 at 09:57

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Pizza Hut certainly has not been doing well over the past few years, but I would have guessed that they would have seen a business spike given the delivery business while all dine-in restaurants were closed. I guess even during a pandemic people don’t want to eat crappy pizza. lol

E90M3 > I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker 07/01/2020 at 09:57

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The only time I really ever get delivery is when I can’t drive, so that delivery fee is a h ell of a lot cheaper than a DUI.  

WilliamsSW > I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker 07/01/2020 at 09:57

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For some insane reason, there are TWO Family Videos in Downers Grove, IL. I drive by both regularly. The parking lots are always empty. Yet they remain open.

They might be mob money laundering operations for all I know.

HoustonRunner > WilliamsSW 07/01/2020 at 09:59

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When we saw Captain Marvel with the kids, we had to explain what a Blockbuster was and why they existed.

ranwhenparked > haveacarortwoorthree2 07/01/2020 at 10:03

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We are probably going to turn into the Demolition Man universe pretty soon. Taco Bell is certainly the best positioned Mexican style restaurant for survival, and very well could be the only restaurant that makes it, period.

TheRealBicycleBuck > haveacarortwoorthree2 07/01/2020 at 10:03

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They did a great job at making other crappy items too. I ordered their pasta and the mini cinnabons (don’t judge me, I was hungry ). The pasta was clearly pre-packaged, frozen, and reheated in some kind of oven that dried out all the pasta on the edges and turned everything else into a semi-solid sticky mess. The cinnabons were also frozen and didn’t fare much better than the pasta when they heated them. They were also drowned in sugar sludge.

I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker > E90M3 07/01/2020 at 10:12

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Oh hey, it’s the exact situation I was in

Future next gen S2000 owner > haveacarortwoorthree2 07/01/2020 at 10:14

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The Dominos near me, the only pizza joint around and they deliver , is doing a ton of business right now.

facw > haveacarortwoorthree2 07/01/2020 at 10:19

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Their “map” is mostly just based on credit ratings, but somewhat interesting read on possible retail bankruptcies:  The iconic brands that could disappear because of coronavirus

facw > haveacarortwoorthree2 07/01/2020 at 10:22

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Also, do you have a source for drive-throughs doing good business? Frankly I’d imagine that even though they could stay open, they’d still have been hammered by office workers not going out to lunch (because they aren’t at the office).

facw > I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker 07/01/2020 at 10:26

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There almost none here in greater Boston:

I have no idea if that’s because they never got a foothold here, or if places have gone out of business.

ranwhenparked > HoustonRunner 07/01/2020 at 10:27

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I had to explain that to some teen-agers I volunteer with. They brought it up, were genuinely curious to know what Netflix did before there was streaming, and I had to explain that they used to mail you DVDs, which lead to explaining that that was an improvement over driving to the video store. One of them actually thought it would be nice to bring them back, because he thought browsing for titles would be easier. I doubt there's a business case there. 

Shift24 > haveacarortwoorthree2 07/01/2020 at 10:27

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Know a manager of a higher profile Wendy’s (also we live in the city with their HQ)

And the only thing that has kept them above the negative was adding breakfast. If you include Breakfast they are still down anywhere from a grand or more a day in sales

Dont include it, its over $4-5k a day 

Just Jeepin' > haveacarortwoorthree2 07/01/2020 at 10:29

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My dad was, several decades ago, a manager at a Wendy’s, and I delivered pizza for Pizza Hut. My family history just circling the drain. 

wafflesnfalafel > haveacarortwoorthree2 07/01/2020 at 10:35

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R ight - I was thinking the same thing, operations that already regularly offer delivery should be doing great business, but apparently not... We have the little stripmall type delivery only Pizzahuts all over up here.  And our local Wendy’s is always packed - hope it isn’t caught up in all of this...

gin-san - shitpost specialist > haveacarortwoorthree2 07/01/2020 at 10:36

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The big food brands aren’t my concern, but the amount of independent restaurants in Ottawa that are closing up years or decades of business is a bit concerning.

There are quite a few in the Byward Market that are permanently out of business, including my favourite pub which had a beautiful scotch selection, probably the best selection in the city.

ranwhenparked > Shift24 07/01/2020 at 10:37

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It does make sense - people aren't leaving the house as much, there's not as many people out working looking for a quick lunch break, and there's also a limit to how many customers you can pump through the drive thru. Ever been to a place with a long drive thru line AND a packed dining room? Happens a lot, now take away the packed dining room and leave just the drive thru line, that's a lot of extra customers per hour they're no longer serving.

user314 > haveacarortwoorthree2 07/01/2020 at 10:44

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haveacarortwoorthree2 > Shift24 07/01/2020 at 10:49

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We operate around 200 QSRs. After the initial decline, sales on  average generally trended back close to normal even with the dining rooms closed - we even had some days with positive sales. So while some stores may be down significantly depending on location, on average (and NPC has 400 Wendy’s) I would expect a larger franchisee to be doing ok.

haveacarortwoorthree2 > facw 07/01/2020 at 10:50

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The source is me. I work for a company operating around 200 QSRs. Plus am in contact with other franchisees.

haveacarortwoorthree2 > gin-san - shitpost specialist 07/01/2020 at 10:51

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Yes, you absolutely are going to see a number of mom & pop stores go under. As well as small franchisees and weak franchisors. My family has been trying to support a couple of the local places we really like in the hope that will keep them around.

Shift24 > ranwhenparked 07/01/2020 at 11:44

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Yep exactly, and to add on to the less dinning in is elderly customers are way down for obvious reasons but alot would come around lunch up to early dinner . Very few would even attempt the drive thru

Also I know Wendys was hit hard with the  Beef shortage. Reduced their menu drastically at times

fintail > haveacarortwoorthree2 07/01/2020 at 12:13

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Pizza Hut, fall from grace. I remember back in the late 80s into the 90s , they could be pretty good . Today, not always the case , at least locally (and not many left around here). I think the rebirth of Dominos took some wind from those sails.

Funny thing, Pizza Hut in Germany is an entirely different experience, sometimes marketed as a marginally premium “American style” experience - city locations actually recommend reservations on weekends.

I wonder if this was also a case of a poorly managed entity taking on too much debt or having suspicious expenses.

ranwhenparked > Shift24 07/01/2020 at 12:55

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My 70 year old father has always refused to use the drive thru, mainly because he's almost deaf in one ear from Vietnam and has trouble hearing the speaker. But, I've noticed that hasn't changed, even with a hearing aid, at this point, it's just habit

50ford500 > haveacarortwoorthree2 07/01/2020 at 13:00

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At least I still have dominoes. And yes I do enjoy their pizza if for no other reason than they’re a. Reasonably priced and b. They will sell me a supreme with anchovies unlike the false prophets Papa John and Pizza the Hutt. Of course locals are always best but hard to come by in west texas and especially these days I feel for the smaller places because their food is always better

Exage03040 @ opposite-lock.com > haveacarortwoorthree2 07/01/2020 at 13:03

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It seemed like Pizza Hut has never really been on the up for like the past 20 years. It just sort of existed. I know a couple times I’d driven past a some business like a money mart or something and laugh because it was an old Pizza Hut building from the 80’s . The building styled with the “hat” roof.

shop-teacher > haveacarortwoorthree2 07/01/2020 at 13:17

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Pizza Hut forgot to worry about their pizza. Even Dominos managed to make their pizza half decent, but Pizza Hut never bothered with that.

haveacarortwoorthree2 > Shift24 07/01/2020 at 13:27

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Th at’s actually a great point about Wendy’s - I forgot about their beef shortage since it really affected just them and not the other QSRs. 

Shift24 > haveacarortwoorthree2 07/02/2020 at 11:06

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Yeah I think they were burned with the “fresh” beef slogan, where I am assuming the turnaround is much quicker and less available stock as frozen