The Pizza 'Hat'?

Is Pizza Hut in Indonesia refurbishing its look in the new millennium? The "Hut" previously resembled a roof but it now sports a modern hat. The "hat" is inclined and quite stylish, and it conjures up an image of a young lady, looking at her boy friend with a mischievous twinkle in her eye.

The logo's color coding has changed to a combination of red, green and black, instead of "dotting" the "I" in "Pizza", a slanting greenish patch has been introduced at the top. The word "Hut" is underlined to confirm its unique character and perhaps, the company's trademark rights.

There is also an attempt to modernize and improve the interior design of their restaurants, as seen in their new outlet in Blok M Plaza. The waiters new uniforms look soft and trendy. The waiters themselves, as always, offer polite and smiling service, and some of them love to speak English.

All this is fine and welcome, But, isn't it all a case of old wine in a new bottle? It would have been preferable if, along with these (cosmetic?) changes, there were innovative ideas, especially on the vegetarian fare at Pizza Hut.

For many vegetarian families in Jakarta, Pizza Hut continues to be one of their favorite jaunts for dining out, but alas, there is simply no variety -- the same "old" veggie pizzas, salad bar and garlic bread.

If somebody at home suggests going to Pizza Hut, the immediate reaction is: "Oh no!, not Pizza Hut, again"? It is because every time one visits Pizza Hut, the food is dull and boring, with a standard menu, and predictable taste. There is indeed a new "Pizza Edge", but it's too thin and tastes like eating biscuits with vegetables. Couldn't Pizza Hut add more choices of vegetables and fruits in the salad bar? Usually, there are two types of soup, of which one could be a vegetarian soup, as a standard daily item. Even in the vegetarian pizza, they might come up with different combinations and tastes. It's a matter of doing a little bit of research on customers' needs and preferences.

I hope in the current "e-everything" era, the poor "c- customer" (the pun isn't related to the writer's name), is not forgotten. "Exceeding expectations" also fits in well with the "e-everything"!

When Pizza Hut opened its branch in India, I was one of the first few visitors, and I observed that the salad bar over there had plenty of choice with regard to fruits, nuts, fresh vegetables, raisins, etc., with a unique Indian taste, and it was refreshingly different.

The Pizza Hut is a large restaurant organization with a network of branches worldwide and they ought to think "globally" but act "nationally" -- like being a "Roman in Rome", not an "American" in Indonesia. As they usually say, sell in the buyers' language but buy in your own language.

Please let me take this opportunity to extend my greetings and good wishes to all Indonesians and the Indian community here, on the occasion of the visit to Indonesia of Mr. A.B. Vajpayee, the most respected and beloved leader after the great Jawaharlal Nehru.

D. CHANDRAMOULI

Jakarta