Pizza Shuttle Delivers on Customer Experience

25 years and handful of Purple Goldfish . . . plus a real Purple Cow

The ‘Make it Great’ Guy Phil Gerbyshak (@philgerb) shares a gem from Milwaukee.  He nominates Pizza Shuttle as #221 in the Purple Goldfish Project:

“I was just thinking about one of my favorite Milwaukee Purple Goldfish, Pizza Shuttle. From the original Andy Warhol “Purple Cow” in the dining area, to the fantastic hold messages (old ones are archived at http://pizzashuttle.com/old.html ), to the old Pizza Shuttle trading cards they let people collect of their drivers, to the fact you get free pizza on your birthday, to the in-store photo booth perfect for taking pictures, it’s all fun. Couple that with late-night delivery of pizza AND frozen custard AND chicken AND burgers, fun, unique people who work there and you get an amazing place to eat and an experience for everyone.

A few other wonderfully inventive things they do:  The world’s largest pizza, available for dine-in only;  An amazing program where they give back HUGE to the community they serve;  Delivery to all the colleges, hotels, and universities in the area; Employing nearly 100 people in a town that can desperately use it.”

Here is a great interview with co-owner Lou talking about Pizza Shuttle and their recognition as the 2009 Independent Pizzeria of the Year:

This is Phil’s second submission to the Project.  He submitted one of my favorites at the beginning of the year.  Check out AJ Bombers and their free peanuts delivered in the most unique way possible.

I find that businesses that tend to get the concept of marketing lagniappe usually have multiple purple goldfish.  They understand that in order to stand out you need to differentiate by giving those ‘little unexpected extras’.  Pizza Shuttle is no exception.  Here is a summary of their Top 5:

1. The Purple Cow (hat tip to Seth) – How many pizza places have a framed Andy Warhol on display?  Genius interplay of pop culture and a homage to the dairy state of Wisconsin.  Cheesy . . . YES and that’s the point.
2. A Picture Booth – Take your experience home with you with a branded strip of black and white photos.  Great memento for a date with your squeeze or a night out with your friends.  A picture may be worth a thousand pizzas.
3. The Largest Pie in Wisconsin – Be memorable by offering a $39.95 gut buster.  According to this article by Josh McDonald it looks like they throw in the ice cream as an added lagniappe.  Nice touch.
4. FREE WiFi – This is becoming a no brainer as of late.  But again – how many pizza places are offering you complimentary wireless access?
5. Unique hold music - Imagine wanting to be put on hold???    Smart move when you have a robust delivery business.  Create some fun messages so people can be entertained while they wait.

Where is the lagniappe in your marketing?  What’s Your Purple Goldfish? Download the FREE eBook here