By Jose Luis Castillo

DALLAS – Amid the economic recession, a pizza shop franchise targeted at Hispanics continues to make profits.

In the second quarter, Pizza Patron, with 91 restaurants in Texas, Arizona, Colorado, Nevada and California, has experienced a 4.15 percent growth in income over the same period in 2008.

Andrew Gamm, the director of brand development for Pizza Patron, says that the confidence of his customers in the firm’s products has been the basic element that has kept sales on the right track, despite the ongoing financial crisis.

“But the prices are what really attract the public and what determine the sales volume. A medium pizza can cost between $4 and $6, depending on the ingredients and that’s something almost nobody (else) has,” said Gamm.

Pizza Patron was founded in 1986 but the franchise aspect of the business was begun in 2003.

Early on, there were only four stores in Dallas and perhaps the reason why it has had consistent success in such a short time is due to its customers.

Armando Colmenero, the owner of a restaurant in Fort Worth, says that acquiring the Pizza Patron franchise was the best investment he has ever made in his short business career.

In the 18 months his restaurant has been open, Colmenero’s sales have exceeded his expectations, and he says that his continued good luck is guaranteed because he’s offering a new product that the Hispanic community living in south Fort Worth likes.

“We’ve increased our sales about 10 percent at a time when they’re saying that the economy isn’t very good,” said Colmenero, who was born in Mexico.

He said that the continuous special offers that Pizza Patron gives to its customers causes them to flock to its stores in large numbers. For instance, they offer a medium pizza for $2.99 from Monday through Wednesday.

“The self-service sales window is full and the lines are long. The response is magnificent and more and more new customers are coming,” said Colmenero.

For him, as well as for his customers like Yolanda Arciniega, not only the prices are reasonable but language, location and Latino – mainly Mexican – customs play an important role in the business.

“I feel that all of we Hispanics identify with this business because its employees speak our language and prepare the pizza for us according to our taste and in the way we want. I like the fact that they make me feel good, that they treat me well, like at home,” said Arciniega, who was born in the central Mexican state of San Luis Potosi.

A little over a year ago, Pizza Patron monopolized the headlines in the national and international press because some people were bothered by the fact that the company accepted Mexican pesos in the great majority of its restaurants.

Management received a large number of complaints and even death threats – which, fortunately, remained just threats – because today the franchise continues to accept Mexican currency to the point that it comprises up to 8 percent of the sales at some stores.

For Gerardo Perez, who travels at least twice a year to Mexico to visit relatives, the ability to be able to use Mexican money in U.S. territory is a good way of gaining customers.

“One time I had (only) Mexican money (on me) and I asked myself what I was going to do. Then, I remembered Pizza Patron and it helped me because when I’m here I can use Mexican money without worrying that I’m not going to be able to use it,” Perez said.

Another good move by the franchise – in addition to the special deals available on its products – has been the many different kinds of pizzas it has on the menu, which is in both Spanish and English, including ones with Mexican ingredients like “chile-seasoned sausage,” barbecued pizza, or pizza with pork or seasoned with limes, peppers and cheese with garlic. EFE