Assignment 2.3: Justification Report – Part 3-VOIDED

Class Pizza Party Justification Report

(Student Name)

ENG 315 – Professional Communications

(Professor Name)

(Correct Date) August 11, 2014

Dr. Annabelle Karnes

Professor of English

Global University

2222 Academic Lane

Riverton, VA 98625

August 11, 2014

Sophia Bailey

3456 Student Drive

Riverton, VA 98625

Dear Dr. Karnes:

I am pleased to present the report you authorized on June 10, 2014, regarding the feasibility of potential pizza options for the upcoming class party.

An analysis of both Pop’s Pizza Planet and Scooby’s Pizza Mansion found that, although both alternatives offered delicious options, Scooby’s Pizza Mansion better met our chosen criteria in cost, choices, and delivery time. It is therefore the recommendation that we utilize Scooby’s Pizza Mansion for our upcoming class pizza party.

Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to research potential party choices. I appreciate your consideration of my recommendation. Should you have any questions regarding this report, please do not hesitate to contact me at (909) 555-5555.

Sincerely,

Sophia Bailey

Enclosure: Justification Report

Table of Contents Executive Summary 4 Problem Statement 5 Terminology 5 Report Overview 5 Overview of Alternatives 6 Criteria 6 Research Methods 6 Evaluation of Alternatives 7 Findings and Analysis 7 Recommendation 8 References 9

Executive Summary

This report examines the feasibility of two potential pizzeria choices for the upcoming class party. Methods of analysis include calls to each pizzeria as well as Internet research to evaluate menus, delivery times, review customer satisfaction ratings, and investigate dietary restrictions. The results of the data show that both examined pizzerias are quality alternatives with a range of toppings, delivery options, and acceptable customer satisfaction ratings.

However the report finds that, while both analyzed alternatives provide similar products and services, Scooby’s Pizza Mansion most closely meets the criteria presented in terms of overall cost effectiveness, topping choices, dietary restrictions, and delivery options. It is therefore recommended that Alternative B, Scooby’s Pizza Mansion, be chosen as the vendor for the class pizza party.

Class Pizza Party

Dr. Karnes’ ENG 315 class is gearing up for a celebratory party. After a long semester of challenging assignments, Dr. Karnes feels her students deserve kudos for their hard work. She has decided that a pizza party would best suit the preferences of her diverse class.

The Justification Report presents the need to determine a suitable pizzeria to serve as a vendor for the upcoming class party. It presents the scope of the problem, presents two potential vendor choices, and evaluates them utilizing five criteria to best decide which vendor meets the unique needs of Dr. Karnes’ class. The report does not consider alternate cuisines but instead focuses on two local pizzeria alternatives that have been recommended by members of the faculty. Internet research was conducted as well as personal interviews, and a final recommendation is provided.

ENG 315 has a (wonderful) problem: A pizza party is in order (after all, ENG 315 students are the BEST students in the WORLD, and they all LOVE pizza). Unfortunately, the instructor cannot decide which local vendor to order pizza from. All of the vendors attempt to tantalize her with the promise of coupons, unique ingredients, speedy delivery times, “extra” deals, and more. How is she to choose? Her twenty three students all have gourmet taste buds, some have unique dietary needs, and to complicate matters, she has…well, a teacher’s budget of $45.

“Pizza-Pizza!” or “BOGO [Buy One Get One]” – a sales promotion wherein the consumer gets two pizzas for the price of one.

“Gluten-Free” – a product that does not contain gluten, a protein composite found in certain foods that spurs an allergic reaction in some consumers.

This report was created to help the indecisive Dr. Karnes choose the best pizza for a party in her ENG 315 class. Dr. Karnes tasked this group to investigate two alternatives to determine the best food recommendation for the party. The two vendors researched were Alternative A (Pop’s Pizza Planet) and Alternative B (Scooby’s Pizza Mansion). Dr. Karnes’ criteria by which to judge the alternatives were as follows: cost, sales promotions, topping desirability, gluten-free options (since two class members are allergic to gluten), and delivery time. Research methods included calls, Internet research (for coupons and online menus), student surveys (to determine preferences), and in-person visits to both places of business. An evaluation of the two alternatives revealed that Alternative B, Scooby’s Pizza Mansion, should be recommended, since it offered three advantages that Pop’s Pizza Planet could not: pizzas with a gluten-free crust, one unique gourmet topping that the class preferred (ghost peppers), and a “Zoinks! Pizza-Pizza!” weeknight pizza deal.

The following two alternatives considered in this report meet Dr. Karens’ criteria:

Alternative A – Pop’s Pizza Planet: Located on the corner of Saturn Drive and Mars Avenue, Pop’s Pizza Planet is a new establishment gaining a reputation for gourmet pizzas with clever names like “Pop’s Plutonian Pepperoni” and “Meatball Meteor Shower.” Pop’s Pizza Planet features brick-oven pizzas that can be delivered in 45 minutes or less. Gourmet pizza toppings include Venus’s Vidalia Onions and Supermassive Black Hole Olives.

Alternative B – Scooby’s Pizza Mansion: Located on the corner of Mystery Avenue and Meddling Kid Blvd, Scooby’s Pizza Mansion is a 14-year old restaurant that boasts fiendishly delightful unusual gourmet toppings, a local favorite being the cheese-fried ghost peppers. Pizza is delivered in a “Mystery Machine” in 25 minutes or less. Kids get a complimentary gluten- and nut-free “Scooby Snack” with meals. Finally, a “Zoinks! Pizza-Pizza” BOGO deal is offered Monday through Thursday (no coupon needed).

Dr. Karnes stressed that following five criteria would be used to judge the feasibility of each alternative:

1. Cost – How much will the pizzas cost? Dr. Karnes said she did not wish to spend more than $45 for two large, two-topping pizzas for the class (consisting of 23 students).

2. Sales promotions – What good ones (if any) are running? Dr. Karnes mentioned that she would privilege an alternative with a coupon or promotion running.

3. Topping desirability – What types of gourmet toppings are offered? Dr. Karnes noted that her students all loved unique gourmet toppings.

4. Gluten-free options – Are there any gluten-free offerings? Since two class members are allergic to gluten, Dr. Karnes mentioned that she would prefer an alternative with a gluten-free crust option.

5. Delivery time - How long will it take to deliver the pizzas to the classroom? Dr. Karnes mentioned that she would prefer options with shorter delivery time so that the class could eat early and enjoy the food prior to the lesson.

Research methods included calls to each alternative to determine the promotions running and approximate delivery time quoted for pizzas to Dr. Karnes’ location. The Internet websites of both alternatives were consulted in an effort to view the PDF menus (see Appendices A and B) and locate any possible electronic promotions or coupons advertised. Other websites featuring customer reviews of the two alternatives were also consulted to find secondary references. The students in the class were surveyed, as well, to determine their favorite gourmet toppings, and in-person visits to both places of business were conducted to test pizza samples and inquire about any “hidden” promotions that might be running.

Cost

1. Alternative A – charged $45 for two, extra large two-topping pizzas with gourmet ingredients (cut into 24 squares). Coupons were offered that offered a negligible difference in price ($2 off).

2. Alternative B – normally charged $22 for an individual, extra large pizza (cut into 24 squares) with two-toppings and $44 for two, party-sized pizzas with “everything but the Mansion kitchen sink.” Monday through Thursday, Alternative B offers greater cost savings through a BOGO deal ($22 for two, gourmet two-topper pizzas). Dr. Karnes’ class could take advantage of this deal.

Sales Promotions

1. Alternative A - offered $2 off per order placed prior to 7:00 pm. Manager said he would throw in a 2-Liter of a beverage if we ordered three pizzas. However, Dr. Karnes clarified that a third pizza was not needed.

2. Alternative B – offered a “Zoinks! Pizza-Pizza!” BOGO deal between 6:00 pm and 7:00 pm Monday through Thursday. It was verified that this alternative would include the addition of ghost peppers.

Topping Desirability

1. Alternative A – offered gourmet toppings that only 10% of Dr. Karnes’ class ranked #1. Pop’s Pizza Planet did offer two choices ranked #3 and #4, however: Venus Vidalia Onions and Saturn Starfruit.

2. Alternative B – offered one gourmet topping that 85% of classmates ranked as their #1 preference (see Appendix C): ghost peppers. This alternative also offered a second gourmet topping that students consistently preferred: Freddy’s Fontina Cheese.

Gluten-free Options

1. Alternative A – provided no gluten-free options.

2. Alternative B – provided a gluten-free, rice-flour crust option for extra-large pizzas at no additional cost. Internet reviews indicated that this crust was sensational (“Customer Reviews: Scooby’s Pizza Mansion,” 2014).

Delivery Time

1. Alternative A – delivery time promised was 45 minutes or less. Reviews on the Internet indicated that delivery time was often slower than that, resulting in “a pizza that was Pluto cold rather than Mars hot” (“Customer Reviews: Pop’s Pizza Planet,” 2014, para. 5).

2. Alternative B – delivery time promised was 25 minutes. Internet reviews confirmed that time: “How the Mystery Machine makes that time is the true mystery” (“Customer Reviews: Scooby’s Pizza Mansion,” 2014, para. 3).

While both Alternatives A and B offered desirable gourmet toppings and discounts that appealed to Dr. Karnes and her class, Alternative B offered much deeper discounts (1/2 off after the BOGO deal) (Deals, n.d.).

Additionally, Alternative B charmed with the #1 ranked ingredient, ghost peppers (Pizza, n.d.) that students indicated a preference for on the surveys they completed. The preference for hot, spicy foods is a growing trend in North America, and it might be considered that “eating hot peppers is now more a sign of culinary enlightenment than masochism” (Gulli, 2014, para. 9). The students’ tastes would appear to reflect that preference.

Another issue that had to be considered is the presence of gluten in the pizza. Alternative A did not offer gluten-free choices, a potential health issue for two of Dr. Karnes’ twenty-three students. Although studies by Lee, Ng, Dave, Ciaccio, and Green (2009) indicate that diets free from gluten can contain dietary deficiencies, the gluten-free diet is still the acceptable method of relieving symptoms of celiac disease. Therefore, the gluten-free pizza is necessary for those students suffering from the disease.

Delivery time is another criterion to be considered. Alternative B’s delivery time was practically half that of Alternative A (personal communications, Aug. 10, 2014). Consequently, Alternative B seemed a wiser choice when it came to pizzas arriving hot to class.

Although it is still not understood “how people differ from one another in terms of taste, and how these differences shape what we like to eat” (Eisenstein, 2010, S18), it appears that Alternative B will satisfy most students’ tastes.

For a graphic depiction of the findings and analysis, see Figure 1 below:

Figure 1: Graphic Analysis of Findings

It is recommended that Dr. Karnes’ class order two extra-large, two-topping pizzas with ghost peppers, gluten-free crust, and Freddy’s Fontina Cheese from Scooby’s Pizza Mansion between the hours of 6:00 and 7:00 pm during their Thursday evening class. The pizzas should cost no more than $22 before tax, as the “Zoinks! Pizza-Pizza!” BOGO deal will be going on during this time (no coupon is needed).

Customer Reviews: Pop’s Pizza Planet. (2014). Retrieved from http://www.pizzareview.com

Customer Reviews: Scooby’s Pizza Mansion. (2014). Retrieved from http://www.pizzareview.com

Deals. (n.d.). Retrieved August11, 2014, from https://order.pizzahut.com/site/menu/deals

Eisenstein, M. (2010). Taste: More than meets the mouth. Nature, 468(7327), S18-S19. doi:10.1038/468S18a

Gulli, C. (2014). A burning sensation. Maclean's, 127(1), 44-45. Retrieved from Academic Search Complete.

Lee, A. R., Ng, D. L., Dave, E. E., Ciaccio, E. J., & Green, P. R. (2009). The effect of substituting alternative grains in the diet on the nutritional profile of the gluten-free diet. Journal of Human Nutrition & Dietetics, 22(4), 359-363. doi:10.1111/j.1365-277X.2009.00970.x

Pizza. (n.d.). Retrieved August11, 2014, from https://order.pizzahut.com/site/menu/pizza