In defense of Pizza Hut

I join the "healthy" debate going on in The Jakarta Post regarding the foreign food outlets in Indonesia.

Pizza Hut is a favorite jaunt for many Indians living here, especially for the vegetarian-gourmet lovers. When I first came over here a few years ago, I was quite surprised to find that people here had never heard of a vegetarian restaurant. I couldn't even find the equivalent word for "vegetarian" in Bahasa Indonesia!

Pizza Hut certainly filled the vacuum with their special offer of vegetarian pizza, combined with the delicious vegetable salad bar. Eating out became possible for the pure vegetarian families with the existence of Pizza Hut branches all over. We can even have birthday parties for the kids at Pizza Hut due to the variety and flexibility of the menu.

Mr. P.G. Punchihewa claims in his letter published in The Jakarta Post dated June 28, 1994, that pizza, in whatever shape it takes, has a liberal spread of cheese. I was also of that view until recently, when a friend of mine explained that one can indeed order a pizza without cheese. I tried a vegetarian pizza without cheese at the Pizza Hut in Pondok Indah Mall, and I should say it tasted equally delicious!

Pizza Hut may not exactly stand for public health! But one has to agree that Pizza Hut, like other foreign food restaurants, thrives in Indonesia, or for that matter, in any part of the world, purely on their strict quality standards, reasonable prices, and clean, beautiful and hygienic ambience.

If marketing is a discipline of clearly defined elements -- the 4 Ps, which are Price, Product, Promotion and Place (Distribution) -- it is indeed certain that these retail chains clearly know their marketing strengths.

A definition of a modern wife aptly describes the situation thus: "One who knows what her husband's favorite dishes are and the restaurants that serve them!"

D. CHANDRAMOULI

Jakarta