Lesson Objectives

Students will write letters and use internet and library resources to gather information about the pizza industry.

Student Objectives

Students will be able to:

1. Contact information sources using the internet, library and mail.

2. Examine newspaper articles, internet information, letters to pizza firms, annual reports and library resources to assess the pizza industry.

Materials

• School letterhead, envelopes
• Computers with internet access
• Library business resources

Procedure

1. Explain to students that the first thing people do before they start a business is to investigate the industry in which their potential business will fall. Information from the library, annual reports, the internet, and possible competitors helps them better understand the business climate and the competition. Like a good detective, an informed business owner can use this information to decide whether to pursue the business idea.

2. Ask students to assemble by stores in their communities. Assign stores in each community as A, B, or C. Have students locate their stores on the Town Map.

3. Discuss how to be productive in a teaming activity by:
   1. Dividing the tasks and taking turns.
   2. Using each person's natural abilities.
   3. Making group decisions through discussion and compromise.

4. Ask each community to decide how they want to organize to investigate the pizza industryeach store may wish to investigate a specific topic (competition, industry outlook, current articles) or perhaps each store wishes to examine a specific pizza firm to examine the history, owner, locations, products.

   Make sure they are looking for the following:

   1. The number of pizza businesses in the U.S. and the region

   2. The industry outlook for pizza businesses

   3. Estimated cost of starting a new pizza business

   4. Actual cost of a pizza franchise and requirements

   5. Largest pizza firms in the U.S.

   6. Other interesting information they can share with the class.

5. To help them begin their search, use the information below.

   1. Addresses for information and annual reports:

      Little Caesars Pizza Little Caesar Enterprises, Inc. Fox Office Center 2211 Woodward Ave. Detroit MI 48201-3400 Domino's Pizza, Inc. 30 Frank Lloyd Wright Dr. PO Box 997 Ann Arbor MI 48106-0997

      Papa John's International Inc. PO Box 99900 Louisville KY 40269-9990 Pizza Hut, Inc. 14841 North Dallas Parkway Dallas TX 75240

   2. Internet addresses:

      Industrial Outlook Handbook: www.jobtrak.com/jobsearch_does/indoutlk.html
      Little Caesars: www.littlecaesarsps.com Dominos: www.dominos.com Pizza Hut: www.pizzahut.com	Papa Johns: www.papajohns.com Food on Line: www.foodonline.com

      Also search: business and economy:companies:food:pizza

      Have students download information from the internet to share with other stores.

   3. Use library resources to locate newspaper/magazine articles and government publications about pizza firms or the food/restaurant industry. Suggested sources might include:

      Nation's Restaurant News magazine

      Industrial Outlook Handbook, U.S. Government publication

   4. Use the local Yellow Pages to examine regional pizza competitors. Compare the number of franchise stores with privately held stores.

6. Ask each group to compile and then present the information they collected about the pizza industry to other communities. Create bulletin board, wall or overhead displays (largest pizza firms, number of corporations, private firms or franchises, competition level, costs of franchises, industry outlook, etc.)

7. Discuss with the class whether opening a new local pizza shop is a good idea at this time.