Michael Overs, 70, created popular Pizza Pizza empire in Canada
Hoodoo
Catchy, singalong jingle helped Michael Overs build Pizza Pizza empire
Published On Thu Apr 08 2010
http://www.thestar.com/business/article/791941--michael-overs-70-everybody-knew-his-pizza-chain-s-number
http://media.thestar.topscms.com/images/5b/63/e2e09cc04d0287ac434c7637d8e4.jpeg
Michael Overs, pictured at the company’s head office, opened the first
Pizza Pizza store at Parliament and Wellesley streets in 1967. Noted for
launching the rhythmic telephone jingle, 967-11-11, he died last week of
cancer.
Michael Overs' legacy started to take shape on New Year's Eve in 1967,
when he opened a 300-square-foot pizza joint at Parliament and Wellesley
streets. He called it Pizza Pizza.
From that modest beginning, Overs turned Pizza Pizza into a
quick-service icon and one of Canada's leading chains for people on the go.
"Store one was always dear to Michael's heart. That's where he learned
to make dough," said Pat Finelli, a 26-year veteran with Pizza Pizza and
its current vice-president of marketing.
"That location still exists. A few years ago, Michael bought the Tender
Trap restaurant next door and combined the two venues into a bigger
Pizza Pizza."
Overs was still with the company as CEO when he died last week of cancer
at age 70. His son-in-law, Paul Goddard, an executive at Pizza Pizza,
has assumed the interim CEO role.
A Toronto native, Overs grew up in the Beach neighbourhood and left home
at 17 to work full-time.
With the help of his family, employees and partners, Overs was noted for
constant innovation and the popular rhythmic telephone jingle,
967-11-11. He also worked with a car upholsterer to create what was
believed to be one of the world's first insulated pizza-delivery bags.
Pizza Pizza Ltd., which includes Alberta-based Pizza 73, operates close
to 635 eateries across Canada, most of them in Ontario and Quebec. In
the early years of the company, 90 per cent of the business was delivery
and 10 per cent was take-out or eat-in. In recent years, the share has
been 60-40.
For many years, Overs had a partner, Lawrence Austin, who became the
public face of Pizza Pizza while Overs was content to be in the shadows
as the anonymous company founder. Austin took on franchise holders and
pushed the company into new territory.
However, a few years ago, the relationship between the two fell apart
due to a financial squabble over Austin's claim that he was entitled to
part ownership.
In 2008, the partners made news when Austin pleaded guilty to hiding
income of $677,343 that he received from the company. He agreed to pay
about $200,000 in taxes and a fine of $200,000.
Overs had earlier disclosed to the Canada Revenue Agency that some money
paid to Austin had flowed back to him. Overs reported all but $27,000 of
that income, which he subsequently repaid after making a "voluntary
disclosure" to tax officials. He did not face prosecution.
Overs is survived by his wife Lilian, son Ian and daughter Liza.
--
Trout Mask Replica
J.D. Baldwin
In the previous article, Hoodoo <hoo...@spamcop.net> wrote:
> For many years, Overs had a partner, Lawrence Austin, who became the
> public face of Pizza Pizza while Overs was content to be in the
> shadows as the anonymous company founder. Austin took on franchise
> holders and pushed the company into new territory.
I remember that in the early 1990s, Pizza Pizza was making a move
toward expanding into the United States. It was, coincidentally,
right about that time that Little Caesar's adopted "Pizza! Pizza!" as
a sort of slogan, greatly muddying the trademark waters. The move
appears to have been effective.
Pizza Pizza pizza sucks, by the way. It's about the quality of post-
startup/pre-makeover Domino's.
--
_+_ From the catapult of |If anyone objects to any statement I make, I am
_|70|___:)=}- J.D. Baldwin |quite prepared not only to retract it, but also
\ / bal...@panix.com|to deny under oath that I ever made it.-T. Lehrer
***~~~~----------------------------------------------------------------------
BobF
Previously on alt.obituaries (Sun, 11 Apr 2010 14:00:36 +0000 (UTC) to
be exact), INVALID...@example.com.invalid (J.D. Baldwin) wrote
thusly:
>
>In the previous article, Hoodoo <hoo...@spamcop.net> wrote:
>> For many years, Overs had a partner, Lawrence Austin, who became the
>> public face of Pizza Pizza while Overs was content to be in the
>> shadows as the anonymous company founder. Austin took on franchise
>> holders and pushed the company into new territory.
>
>I remember that in the early 1990s, Pizza Pizza was making a move
>toward expanding into the United States. It was, coincidentally,
>right about that time that Little Caesar's adopted "Pizza! Pizza!" as
>a sort of slogan, greatly muddying the trademark waters. The move
>appears to have been effective.
>
>Pizza Pizza pizza sucks, by the way. It's about the quality of post-
>startup/pre-makeover Domino's.
Not sure, but I think that a joint that started in Santa Monica,
California, called "Piece'O'Pizza" also expanded after its local
success. But I can't remember whether it remained in the family, was
franchised or continued to be a success.
Their slogan: "Had a piece lately?"
--
"It's not that I'm afraid to die. I just don't want to be there when it happens." - Woody Allen
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Wax-up and drop-in of Surfing's Golden Years: <http://www.surfwriter.net>
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BobF
Previously on alt.obituaries (Mon, 12 Apr 2010 07:55:47 +1200 to be
exact), BobF <b...@surfwriter.net.not> wrote thusly:
>
>Previously on alt.obituaries (Sun, 11 Apr 2010 14:00:36 +0000 (UTC) to
>be exact), INVALID...@example.com.invalid (J.D. Baldwin) wrote
>thusly:
<snip>
>>I remember that in the early 1990s, Pizza Pizza was making a move
>>toward expanding into the United States. It was, coincidentally,
>>right about that time that Little Caesar's adopted "Pizza! Pizza!" as
>>a sort of slogan, greatly muddying the trademark waters. The move
>>appears to have been effective.
>>
>>Pizza Pizza pizza sucks, by the way. It's about the quality of post-
>>startup/pre-makeover Domino's.
>
>Not sure, but I think that a joint that started in Santa Monica,
>California, called "Piece'O'Pizza" also expanded after its local
>success. But I can't remember whether it remained in the family, was
>franchised or continued to be a success.
>
>Their slogan: "Had a piece lately?"
After checking this out in a Google search I was amazed to find an
excellent website published by Mark Evanier that profiles "Great Los
Angeles Restaurants That Ain't There No More" (amongst a number of
other subjects I'll be getting lost in for the next few days!!!):
http://www.povonline.com/larestaurants/larestaurants03.htm
I had the name spelled wrong - it's "Piece O'Pizza" not Piece'O'Pizza
- but the one I remember isn't mentioned in Mark's profile. It was a
cheap alternative to the favourite haunt of Westside Santa Monica
teens (Goody Goody's drive-in on Wilshire) and just down the street
from a liquor store where no one asked for your ID before selling you
booze. There was also a miniature golf course nearby.
I'll be pinging Mark to see if he can shed any light on both Piece
O'Pizza and Goody Goody's (or Goody Goody).