January 30, 2004 08:15 AM US Eastern Timezone
Figaro's Unveils First Low-Carbohydrate Pizzas with Less Than 12 Net Carbs; Eight-Inch Size Pizza Meal Uses Regular Ingredients and Micro-Thin Crust to Provide Superior Taste
SALEM, Ore.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 30, 2004--
Figaro's Italian Pizza, Inc. one of the nation's fastest growing take and bake pizza franchises today announced a delicious, low carbohydrate pizza that provides a complete meal for less than 12 net carbs. It will be available February 23.
Unlike so-called low-carb pizza slices offered by competitors -- which claim 13 net carbs per slice -- the 8-inch Figaro's Low-Carb personal pizza is a complete meal and contains less than 12 net carbs per pizza. Using a wheat flour base, the tasty, micro-thin crust is robust enough to hold the toppings and still be eaten by hand, unlike other low-carb imitations that require the use of a knife and fork.
"As a low-carb diet advocate, for months I've been seeking an alternative to scraping off pizza toppings with a fork," said Ron Berger, Figaro's chief executive officer. "Not only does the Figaro's Low-Carb pizza meet low-carb diet restrictions, it contains the same generous portions that are used on half of one of our large pizzas. In fact, in our taste trials, people who tried it found it very filling."
Priced at $4.99, the new 8-inch Figaro's Low-Carb pizzas are available in eleven styles, using pizza toppings with all fresh ingredients. The six pizza styles offered with less than 12 carbs include:
-- Cheese (9.8 carbs): Cheese
-- Pepperoni (9.85 carbs): Pepperoni and cheese
-- Papa's Supreme (10.57 carbs): Pepperoni, Canadian-style bacon, beef, sausage and salami and cheese
-- Figaro's Special (11.3 carbs): Canadian-style bacon, pepperoni, beef and fresh-sliced tomatoes and cheese
-- Creamy Garlic Club (11.89 carbs): Canadian-style bacon, chicken, real bacon, onions and diced tomatoes on creamy garlic sauce and cheese
-- Creamy Garlic Chicken (11.86 carbs): Tender cuts of chicken, olives, onions, green peppers and diced tomatoes on creamy garlic sauce and cheese
Unlike other pizza chains, Figaro's uses its own custom-blended fresh sauce, 100 percent REAL cheese, 100 percent meats without fillers or extenders and only fresh, select produce -- never frozen or canned. Figaro's does not use MSG, a popular flavor enhancer, in any products.
The Figaro's "We Bake, You Bake" pizza concept offers consumers a choice of picking up piping hot pizzas or taking home pizzas with all fresh ingredients to bake in their own oven.
Pizza Facts:
-- 'Take and Bake' pizza is known as the fastest growing segment of the pizza restaurant category, part of the larger $30 billion dollar pizza industry
-- American's eat approximately 100 acres per day, or 350 slices per second
-- Approximately 3 billion pizzas are sold in the U.S. each year
-- According to a Gallup Poll, children aged 3-11 prefer pizza over all other food groups for lunch and dinner
-- Sources: Pizza Today and National Association of Pizza Operators
About Figaro's Pizza
Founded in Salem, Ore. in 1981, Figaro's Italian Pizza is one of the country's fastest growing, most respected franchise operations. With nearly 90 stores nationwide, Figaro's is the largest we-bake or you-bake pizza franchise in North America. According to Pizza Today magazine, Figaro's offers one of the nation's most highly rated pizzas. More information about the company can be found on the Web site:
www.figaros.com