Pizza Hut Company

Pizza Hut Company Company Background Pizza Hut is an American restaurant chain. It operates franchises internationally. The company operates in the food industry and offers food items like pizzas, pastas, garlic breads, breadsticks, drinks, and desserts. It provides catering service and franchise opportunity. The company was founded in 1958 by Dan and Frank Carney and is based in Plano, Texas. It is a subsidiary of Yum Brands Inc. (Pizzahut , 2015).Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Pizza Hut Company specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Pizza Hut runs three different formats of restaurants – first is the family dining in restaurants, second is the delivery and carry on types, and third is where the first and second are merged together. Pizza Hut restaurants aim at providing the best quality product and service to its customers. The vision of the company at inception was to provide a special pizza eating experience and 55 years later , the company still prioritizes customer satisfaction above everything. The vision of the company is to be the number one pizza company in the world and the mission of the company is to bring favor to life. Pizza Hut’s objectives or â€Å"customer promise† as they call it, is to invent the most flavorful experiences and never be boring. The chain has 15,605 restaurants in 92 countries worldwide in 2014 (Yum, 2015). In China alone, there has been a 25% rise in the number of restaurants and 22% rise in the number in India (Yum, 2015). However, the largest number of chains is still in the US, which is the largest market for Pizza Hut. Situational Analysis How did the company start? Two brothers, Dan and Frank Carney, in Wichita, Kansas, started the company in 1958. In the fifties, a pizza parlor was a rarity in America, and when they opened one, it proved to be a successful business venture. Theirs was a humble venture with $600 lent to them by their mother and they partn ered with John Bender. A year later they started opening other Pizza Hut restaurants and franchises. The company believed in a policy of aggressive marketing and it grew fast in the 60s. By 1966, Pizza Hut already had 145 franchises across US (Vlessing, 1998). In 1968, the company opened its first international restaurant, in Canada and by 1970 it had opened restaurants in Germany and Australia. Due to its fast expansion and aggressive marketing policy, the company had to undergo certain structural changes in order to sustain growth. Their advertising expenditure in the local market increased from $942000 in 1972 to $3.17 million in 1974 (Vlessing, 1998). The company merged in PepsiCo in 1977. Throughout the 80s, Pizza Hut bought new competitors and aggressively acquired those who threatened their number one position.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Initially Pizz a Hut faced local competition mostly from regional players like Shakey’s from Denver and Pizza Inn from Denver (Vlessing, 1998). The company faced strong growth through the 80s, expanding rapidly. However, in the 90s, there were challenges and in the early 90s, PepsiCo expanded into the emerging markets. By 1997, Pizza Hut operated in 90 countries around the globe. PESTEL Political Factors: Pizza Hut is an international restaurant chain and therefore face various regulatory and political turmoil occurring in various parts of the world. Political issues may include regulatory framework that affects the operations in a particular country. The business is open to risks that are inherent to international operations. They are susceptible to social and ethnic unrest as well as local corruption. The restaurants must comply with the local government’s license and regulations. In the Middle East, the restaurants are subject to local laws concerning security, labor, health, sani tation, and safety. Internationally, the restaurants are subject to tariffs and regulations on commodities and equipment that are imported. They are also subject t to anti-bribery and corruption laws (See Appendix table 1). Economic Factors: the global and local economic condition may affect the operations of the chain. Some economic factors that may adversely affect operations of the chain are increased unemployment, fall in disposable income, and decline in consumer confidence. Other macroeconomic factors such as increasing inflation and dwindling exchange rates may become a serious impediment to sales growth of the chain. UAE has one of the fastest growing economies with booming industries and high consumer spending, which is a positive factor that will influence the growth of the chain in the country. Social Factors: Pizza Hut is a symbol of American commodification and faces unrest from ethnic and social groups in other countries who oppose Americanization of their culture. Tho ugh the company strives to localize their menu offerings and imparting the image of a local chain, it often faces challenge. UAE has a young population with 41% of the population belonging to the age group of 15 to 44 (Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, 2015). Further the demand for American fast food in the country is increasing (Valdini, 2012). Technological Factors: Pizza Hut is spending a lot of its revenue on technological advancements in order to meet the demands of the tech-savvy market. For instance, the company is investing amount $30 million in 2014 (Yum!, 2014). It is planning to adopt a smart technology that will anticipate the customer’s need before she places the order (Nield, 2014).Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Pizza Hut Company specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This will help in better services. Further, for delivery orders, the chain is testing Uber-Esque technology to track orders (Taylor, 2015). Thus, updating technology is essential to keep up with the technological changes occurring in daily life. Environmental Factors: These factors differ depending on the region they are operating in. A company can be charged of being harmful to the environment. One of the reasons that a company can be accused of that is using materials that are not biodegradable, and Pizza Hut does that. Legal Factors: This includes taxes, quality requirements, and employees’ specifications. Legal compliance is essential in all the countries it operates in order to meet the legal needs and the regulatory framework of the nations. Therefore, to get licenses and permission to operate restaurants, compliance to regulations is essential (Yum!, 2014). Industry analysis Pizza Hut belongs to the retail food industry. It is made up of various forms of retailers such as supermarkets, supercenters, warehouse stores, convenience stores, etc. (Yum!, 2014). The fast food casual dining industry in the UAE is growing very fast due to the rise in disposable income, change in high-end shopping mall induced lifestyle, and increase in demand for Western fast food (Valdini, 2012). Therefore, Pizza Hut does not hold a significant position in the overall industry (Yum!, 2014). The Pizza food service sales in the UAE have been growing at CAGR of 7.8% (Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, 2015). In the fast food market, the largest brand is KFC based on the percentage of share based on sales. Pizza Hut has the third largest market share in the UAE (Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, 2015). The fast food market is expected to grow at a very fast rate in the UAE, with the chained foodservice market to have an expected growth rate of 7.1% (Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, 2015). Further, pizza sales in UAE are expected to grow at a rate of 12.38% (Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, 2015). Competitor analysis The competitive environment in the fast food industry in UAE is highly fragmented. The m arket leader in fast food in UAE is Kuwait Food Co. (Americana), which holds 3% value share in 2014 (Europmonitor International, 2015).Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Domino’s Pizza is considered Pizza Hut’s number one competitor. The control of the pizza market by Pizza Hut started to be threatened when Domino’s entered the market as a delivery only chain. Other competitors include Papa John’s Pizza and Figaro’s Pizza. Other direct competitors for Pizza Hut are Papa Johns and Figaro’s Pizza that also specialize in pizza and have a number of branches around the UAE, but not even close to those of Pizza Hut (Wong, 2014). Indirect competitors of Pizza Hut include Subway, McDonalds, and other restaurants located in the food courts. Those restaurants also offer a fast service, a good price, and are located in a lot of places. However, the variety and creativity of Pizza Hut’s menu keeps it going and succeeding. A recent awareness among the people of UAE about the health hazards about fast food has increased the demand for healthy options provided by companies like Kcal Extra, Healthtrendz, and Liveâ₠¬â„¢ly who concentrate on deliveries to homes and offices catering to the health conscious consumers (Flanagan, 2015). Others like DinnerTime and Detox Delight provide food for the health and diet conscious consumers (Flanagan, 2015). One factor that might affect the industry of Pizza Hut and fast food in general is the increased health awareness. Media and doctors are focusing on promoting a healthy life style. In the GCC and specially the UAE, the number of nutritionists and gyms is highly increasing (Yum!, 2014). This awareness promotes people to taking care of the food they eat and focusing on eating healthy food. Domino’s Pizza is Pizza Hut’s first strategic benchmark company. Domino’s are working hard on their long-term strategies. They started already with the Customize Your Own Pizza option in some of the countries. Further, the company faces competition from other full-service restaurants as Pizza Hut operates in this market in the UAE. Customer analysi s The target market of Pizza Hut is both male and females of various age groups from all nationalities. The specific age group targeted is 12 to 40 years. They offer various pizzas that attract various age groups and nationalities. The price ranges at which the pizzas are offered are suited to low and middle income families. The targeted market is men and women, children, students, families, and travellers. The company has no geographic segmentation as it has its operations worldwide. The company follows lifestyle segmentation in the emerging Middle Eastern market where it has branded its restaurants as upscale dine-in. In the Middle Eastern market, Pizza Hut caters to a specific social class i.e. upper and middle class. More specifically, the target markets are those families who dine-out or order food at least once a week and have a high disposable income where a large portion of the target market’s spending goes to non-essentials. Target Segment of Pizza Hut The market siz e in the UAE is large as the country has a high percentage of young people with high disposable income and a high preference for American fast food. The target market of the chain is segregated based on the food they offer. For pizzas and pastas, they target a demographic group of 10 to 40 years of age, both male and female. Pizza Hut targets families with children, young professionals, and students. They target middle and upper middle class families in the Asian and emerging markets while in Europe and the US market they target low and middle class families. In terms of geographic segmentation, Pizza Hut puts a lot of importance on its expansion and sale in in the Middle East. The targeted market here is people within the age group of 20 to 40 and belonging to the upper to high-income group. Potential Size of Target Market The emerging and developing economies hold much more promise than developed countries. Figure 3 in the appendix shows that the emerging countries are more optimi stic about the growth prospects of GDP as well as the future of children in their country. Hence, from a futuristic view, targeting the emerging markets is an opportunity that Pizza Hut should undertake. According to the US poverty line, a household earning $10-20 daily belongs to the middle class and upper middle class is a household with income over $20-50 (Kochhar, 2015). Households with annual income over $73000 or above annually belong to the high-income group. Kochhar (2015) points out that the rise of the middle-income group has been highest in emerging economies like China, South America, and Eastern European countries. Further, the major population belonging to the upper-middle class and high-income group lived in North America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific region (Kochhar, 2015). The fast food industry in the UAE had a $8.5 billion market in 2013 and is expected to grow further (Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, 2015). Hence, the target market of the young professional group b elonging to the age of 20 to 40 years will be rising in emerging economies (see figure 2 in Appendix). Top 3 strategic problems The three most important strategic problems faced by Pizza Hut are – Changing food preference and increasing health consciousness of the target market and introduction of healthy eating alternatives posses a threat to the market. Zero sales growth of Pizza Hut in the UAE by change in year on year sales from 2009 through 2013 (Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, 2015). Lack of aggressive promotion in the UAE market of the popular products by Pizza Hut. For instance, Chicken Shawarma Pizza of Pizza Hut is one of the best selling ordered products of the chain, however, marketing for the product was short-lived. Recommendation Marketing Mix In the UAE the highest growth in the fast food service market are for full service casual dining and delivery model-based food service companies. In the full casual dining experience, the Pizza Hut holds the largest m arket share. However, Domino’s is the market leader in the delivery service (Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, 2015). Product Building On Existing Product Pizza hut concentrates on offering local flavors to cater to the local markets. Pizza Hut needs to expand its menu offerings in the UAE. For example, Chicken Shawarma Pizza is part of the Flavors of the Arabia, which has 5 pizzas with flavors made to meet the Middle Eastern tastes. However, in the UAE only the chicken variant was introduced when there is a high demand for the beef variant. In addition the range includes Sujuk Pizza, Tawok Pizza, Sujuk Spirals, and Lemon Zaatar wings, which have been advertised in the UAE when the product was introduced, however, remain unavailable in the market. It is a strategic mistake to have made a promise in the advertisement and not committing to it as this creates negative image among consumers. Price Based On The Competitive Chart Price should be based on the marketing strategy that Pizza Hut employs and not directly based on the rice chart of its competitors. The prices must be competitive but concentration must be on building a brand and not start a price war. Further, Domino’s is gaining market through its online ordering business while Pizza Hut ahs not been able to match the sales rise in the digital age. Promotion Strategy The competitive rivalry between Pizza Hut and Dominos has led both the companies into price and promotional war. However, Pizza Hut has tried to move away from the business model followed by Dominos and caters to the dine-in experience of customers rather than the delivery business. Promoting restaurants with better ambience and happy dining experience will capture the mission and vision of the company and present a different form of competition to Dominos. Stakeholders According to the Yum Brand the stakeholders in their business and in turn for Pizza Hut are supply chain solutions board, the franchise associations, local commu nities, animal welfare societies, environmentalists, health and nutritionists, etc. (Yum! Brands, 2014). Budget The company should include three main strategies in their budget expenditure – first, innovating their services by increasing efficiency and better product offerings, second, entering emerging markets as inexpensive luxuries targeting the middle class and not only the upper-middle and high income group, and third, revamping their marketing campaigns. Further, many products are not properly marketed and promotion strategy is short-lived. Hence, proper budget should be in place to promote their products in the UAE market. Budget Plan Idea of returns and Sales Projections Table 3 in the appendix shows the growth of sales and marketing cost of Pizza Hut. The figures show that the sales of Pizza Hut are expected to decline based on the trend of sales in last three years (2012 through 2014). However, the cost of marketing will increase continuously. Finding the year-on-ye ar growth of sales since 2012 through 2014 was used to project sales of Pizza Hut. The compounded average growth rate is derived using the sales growth figures, which is then used to compute the trend in sales. The marketing cost was projected using the growth rate of marketing cost for 2013 and 2014. This is a warning sign for Pizza Hut, as it should revamp its product offering and boost marketing strategy to increase sales. References Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, 2015. Foodservice Profile The United Arab Emirates. [Online] Available at: agr.gc.ca/eng/industry-markets-and-trade/statistics-and-market-information/by-region/middle-east-and-north-africa/foodservice-profile-the-united-arab-emirates/?id=1432740194697 . Europmonitor International, 2015. Consumer Foodservice in the United Arab Emirates. [Online] . Flanagan, B., 2015. UAE health food market booming but is it getting too fat? [Online] Available at: thenational.ae/business/the-life/uae-health-food-market-booming-but-is- it-getting-too-fat . Gruley, B., 2014. Twilight of the Pizza Barons. [Online] Available at: bloomberg.com/bw/articles/2014-07-03/dominos-little-caesars-pizza-founders-contrasting-legacies . Kochhar, R., 2015. A Global Middle Class Is More Promise than Reality. [Online] Available at: pewglobal.org/2015/07/08/a-global-middle-class-is-more-promise-than-reality/ . Nield, D., 2014. Subconscious Pizza HUt Menu Knows What You Want Before Yuo Do. [Online] Available at: digitaltrends.com/cool-tech/pizza-huts-new-eye-tracking-technology-knows-want-menu/ . Pew Research Center, 2014. Emerging and Developing Economies Much More Optimistic than Rich Countries about the Future. [Online] Available at: pewglobal.org/2014/10/09/emerging-and-developing-economies-much-more-optimistic-than-rich-countries-about-the-future/ . Pizzahut , 2015. Our History. [Online] Available at: http://pizzahut.com.ph/about/our_history.php . Taylor, K., 2015. Pizza Hut Is Testing Uber-Esque Delivery Tracking Tech. [Online] Available at: entrepreneur.com/article/245897 . Valdini, C., 2012. Industry focus: Fast food in the UAE. [Online] Available at: arabianbusiness.com/industry-focus-fast-food-in-uae-483500.html . Vlessing, E., 1998. Pizza Hut Inc. [Online] Available at: encyclopedia.com/topic/Pizza_Hut_Inc.aspx . Yum, 2015. Restaurant Count. [Online] Available at: yum.com/investors/restcounts.asp . Yum! Brands, 2014. Corporate Social Responsibility Report. [Online] Available at: yumcsr.com/about/stakeholders.asp . Yum!, 2014. YUM! Annual Report. [Online] Available at: yum.com/annualreport/pdf/2014yumAnnReport.pdf . Appendix Table 1: PESTEL Analysis of Pizza Hut Political 0 Economic +2 Social +4 Technological +4 Environmental -1 Legal +2 Table 2 Competitors Pizza Hut Domino’s Papa Johns Product Pizza and fast food Pizza and fast food Pizza and fast food Service Restaurant and delivery service Restaurant and delivery service Restaurant and delivery service Production/Quality Con centrates of serving local taste and diversification of market. Focuses on delivery within 30 minutes and hence efficiency. Concentrates on taste and delivery efficiency. Location 94 countries worldwide. Around the world. Europe and US. Market Share The largest Pizza chain in the US and globally. 16.7% sales in US in 2013 (Gruley, 2014). Second largest pizza chain in the US and globally. 11.1% sales in US in 2013 (Gruley, 2014). Third largest is Papa Johns in the US. 7.3% sales in US in 2013 (Gruley, 2014). Figure 2: Growth and future (Pew Research Center, 2014) Table 3: Pizza Growth Rate (Source: 2014 Yum Brand Annual Report) Sales Forecast 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 Income Sales 993 609 607 611.73 608.31 608.75 Growth rate -0.387 -0.003 0.008 -0.006 0.001 CAGR -0.91 Expense Marketing Cost Forecast Marketing Cost 173 180 187.28 194.86 202.75 Growth rate 0.040 0.040 0.040 0.040

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Our relationship just got stronger as we got older and it just never seemed to leave, even when Tom moved away for a short while with an ex-girlfriend who wanted everything her way. I took the velvet container and letter and put them onto the table in front of me, I opened the container to reveal a matching necklace and earring set, they were 18 carat gold and had one small diamond in each, the necklace was a heart at the end of a chain and the earrings were also hearts and also contained a diamond each. I grabbed my mobile phone from the kitchen side and pressed 1 on the speed dial, I placed the phone to my ear and it began to ring. â€Å"Hi!† said the voice at the other end. â€Å"Tom, its Vic†, I said, â€Å"just to say thanks for the jewellery set, it only came this morning†. â€Å"Oh†, he murmured, â€Å"you're worth it, oh and Vic's what time is it?† â€Å"About 1o'clock in the afternoon, why?† I replied. â€Å"I'm late, see ya!† was the answer I got, and then he put the phone down, I knew he was already very late. I put the phone back onto the kitchen side and began to walk towards my bathroom, and seeing as I had all day to do whatever I wanted to, I was intending to have a long relaxing bath. I went into the bathroom, and started to run a bath full of water, I put bubble bath in it, I lit the candles around the edge and my nightdress over my head and threw it into the washing pile. 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I went into the shop, I wasn't sure what I wanted but I knew I had to buy something special to wear to Tom's welcome home party that was being held that weekend. The dress that I bought eventually, was rose red and touched the floor, it was pure silk and cost me over à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½200, the slit that went up the back was huge and went all the way up to my thighs, luckily enough I had good legs so I knew I could carry it off easily. I needed a new pair of shoes to go with the dress so I carried on walking on the path through the middle of the centre until I came to River Island, I went in and bought the first pair of black, stiletto heeled shoes that I could find. I already had a purse at home that would match perfectly with my outfit and I was planning to wear the necklace and earrings that Tom had bought me. The party was being held at Tom's mum's house, as Tom's was too small to accommodate so many people. Jane was too wealthy for her own good, she had married an older man when she'd only just left Tom's dad, the man died five years ago and left everything he owned to Jane. He was lying on millions the day he died and before Jane realised it, she was too. He left his business, his home and everything in it to her, the house alone was worth over à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½1 million. The house was on 12 acres of land and had 10 bedrooms which would be well over enough space for the party. I had known Jane for as long as I had known Tom so she was like a second mother to me, being at her house was nothing new so I wasn't nervous about that, just about seeing Tom again after so long. I had spoken to him over the phone and had written letters but this was different and I was looking forward to it so much. I had to be well prepared for this so I had written myself a list of what I needed to do beforehand. Among the other things on that list was buy new dress and shoes so I ticked them off. The last thing I did before I left the shopping centre was grab a cup of coffee from O'Brien's, they made the best coffee that money could buy so I always bought one when I was on the move. I got into my car still with the polystyrene cup that was so hot that it was difficult to carry, and put my bag down on the passenger seat. I downed the last bit of coffee and threw the cup into the bin next to the car; I then put my new dress and shoes onto the back seat and drove out of the car park. By the time I had got back to my apartment, I was knackered; I parked my car in the same place that it had been in before I had gone out this morning. I then walked into the main entrance hall and up the stairs to the door of my apartment; I opened the door and pressed the button on my phone to check for messages. â€Å"No messages†, it said slowly, beeped three times as usual, then back to normal. I picked up the receiver and dialled Jane's home number, I always tried this first as it cost me less. It rang twice and then her answer machine kicked in. â€Å"The Williams residence, sorry but we can't come to the phone right now, please try our mobiles or leave a message after the tone†, the tone sounded so I began. â€Å"Jane, it's Victoria, just to say I'll be at the party, will be there as usual early to help set up, see you then if not before†, and I put down the phone. I went into the kitchen to see it gleaming, the living room had also now been cleaned and there was no rubbish on the table anymore, the cleaner had been in. I put the kettle on, picked up my post from the kitchen side, and sat down on a breakfast bar stool to open it. The remainder of the day passed as some what of a blur, I couldn't have done anything particularly exciting because I would have remembered. I only finally looked up at the clock on my living room wall at 10 p.m. and I knew that I had work in the morning so I went to bed. The two days after were the same, work which never changed from day to day, and doing the same thing every day made me more bored than anything else. I did longer hours than I should every day because I knew I had nothing to do when I got home and this made the two days go quicker. The weekend came and I knew that Tom was supposed to be coming home. I had the whole weekend off, I wasn't intending to get drunk but just to be sure I had booked the two days which meant I didn't have to go to work with a hangover. I had all day to make myself look stunning for the night ahead; it was only ten thirty in the morning so I got out of bed and put the television on in the living room. I had to be at Jane's at five o'clock to help her with any last minute things, she was having caterers in to cook all of the food and to set most of it up but she knew that I would be sure of what Tom liked. That morning I went out and had my hair cut and my nails done, I got home and showered to get rid of the access hair that was in all of my clothes. It was now gone 1 o'clock in the afternoon so I pulled a microwave meal out of the freezer and put it in for five minutes. I didn't have the time to do something proper, today was going to be quite busy for me, I still had to get ready although I was clean. After I had finished the meal, I put the dish in the dishwasher and tidied the kitchen again so it looked presentable; I only just had enough time now. I got dressed up to my waist; I didn't want to get make-up on the top of my dress so I put that part on last. I blow dried my hair and straightened it, did my make-up, put on all of my jewellery, including the necklace and earring set that Tom had sent me and then put the rest of my dress on properly. I put my shoes on and left and left at a quarter past four. When I got to Jane's, the place was deserted, there was nobody to be seen anywhere. It was quite early, and Tom wasn't due until around six. Jane came to the front door to greet me, so I parked the car and got out. I followed her through the entrance hall and into the living room which looked amazing as usual, but today the walls were covered in welcome home banners. I then joined her in the dining area situated next to the living room; the table was laid with the most beautifully presented food which I knew she hadn't cooked. A man, who turned out to be the bar manager for the night, was putting the finishing touches to the bar at the other end of the room, more bar staff would come later to help him with catering, waiters and waitresses to carry around the drinks on trays. I couldn't wait to see Tom; he was always away when I came around to see Jane, he only ever came home for a while and then he was off again to some business meeting or other. Jane noticed the earrings and the necklace and I told her that Tom had sent them to me. She complained because she said that he never sent her presents and said that he spoilt me, which was mostly true; he did always send me presents from wherever he was staying, even if it was only a t-shirt or a key ring with the name of the hotel on it. The last guest arrived at five thirty; Jane and I greeted them at the door and took their coats. Finally at ten past six a taxi pulled up at the door and out leaped Tom, as happy as ever with that same smile on his face as I had first seen so long ago. I was so glad to see him, even if at that moment it was only through the window. The door knocked and I stood behind Jane as she opened it. Tom threw his arms around his mother like a child, a finger just tapping me as his hand passed. Tom screamed my name as soon as he noticed that I was there, he then pulled me into his chest so that I could put my arms around him for the first time in ages. â€Å"Welcome home†, I squeaked, I couldn't breathe very well because he was holding me so tightly. He spent the next half an hour greeting people and thanking them for coming, and then he came back over to see me. We talked for a while about his trip and about how we both were; he looked great, although a little tired from the journey. He noticed that I had the earrings and necklace on that he had bought me and I thanked him again, he told me that I looked beautiful and I could feel myself getting embarrassed and going red. He just smiled. Out of the corner of my eye I caught a glimpse of Jane coming from the dining room, she winked and smiled when she saw us together, she had always thought that Tom and I should have been a couple but we had let her down after we had split up years ago. â€Å"Wanna dance?† He asked me. We stepped into the centre of the living room where Jane had made a space for everyone to dance in. He span me around, and I laughed, we danced for a while to a song which I recognised from my childhood. He kissed me as the song ended and I knew that Jane was watching us. In that moment I felt something which I hadn't felt with Tom since we were together, and then I heard a voice. I knew even before I looked that it was Jane, stood there hands on hips and giggling. â€Å"What?† Asked Tom, â€Å"it was just a friendly kiss†. I agreed with him and Jane walked away. It was now quite late, and most of the guest had left, the few that hadn't were getting coats and saying goodbye to each other. â€Å"Fancy coming back to mine for a bit?† he asked, â€Å"for coffee or something?† I answered almost immediately, â€Å"yeh, sure†. We phoned a taxi from Jane's house and got to Tom's just after midnight. He paid for the taxi and we got out. Once inside I sat on the sofa in my usual place next to the window, he got up to make coffee and I suggested wine instead. He put the two glasses down on the table and opened the bottle of wine, he poured wine into both the glasses and handed me one. We toasted â€Å"to love and all of life's other pleasures†. We talked some more about his trip and after the third glass of wine he moved closer to me, I wasn't really sure what to do. He touched my face and pulled me closer to him, we kissed, and not just a little one this time but one that lasted minutes, passion and lust filled me and I kissed back. He was caressing my hips and all up my back, he stopped the kiss just for a second and in that time I was trying to remember who I was with and what was happening. It was Tom, just Tom but for some reason it felt so right. I pulled his face back to mine so that I could kiss him again. He grabbed my hand and led me to what I knew was his bedroom. We fell to the bed still kissing passionately; he removed his jacket and his tie, and then started to undo his shirt buttons. I wanted him so badly and was so excited that I couldn't stop myself from pulling my dress over my head, shocking myself that I could be so forward. I threw it onto the floor beside the bed where the clothes he was wearing only moments before now laid. We were both now in only our underwear, I felt so calm with Tom, and I wasn't scared at all. Still kissing me, he undid the back of my bra so quickly that I didn't even notice, I had forgotten what Tom's touch felt like but now longed for him. He had taken off his boxer shorts and was now taking off my thongs, kissing and gently nibbling my breasts as he did. He started to stroke my thigh and I moved his hand up higher so that his fingers were on my clitoris, I was scratching his back and pulling him closer, begging for him to touch me more. I screamed with excitement as he slid inside me. When I woke that morning, I felt different, and then I remembered what had happened the night before. I got out of the bed still totally naked, and grabbed my clothes from the floor on the way out the door, Tom was still asleep and I didn't think that I could wake him; I just wanted to get out. When I got home I went straight into my bedroom where I cried for hours, I didn't regret the night before but I didn't want to ruin what we already had either. The phone rang beside the bed and I picked up to hear a voice which I knew was Tom's. I was crying as I answered, and Tom could tell this. He asked me what was wrong and I explained. â€Å"I want it all or nothing at all. There's nowhere left to fall when you reach the bottom, it's now or never. Is it all or are we just friends, is this how it ends, with a simple telephone call, you leave me here with nothing at all?† I sobbed. â€Å"That's what I phoned to say to you Victoria, I want you to have it all, I want us to be together properly, I'm sick of pretending that I don't love you because I do!† he answered. I told him that I loved him too, I was overpowered by shock. The next few weeks passed quickly, Jane loved the idea of us being back together again, so did all of our friends. We're planning to wed in the summer and then we want to start a family of our own. Who would have guessed that you can look love in the face for so long and not even realise that it's there. This book is a lesson for all of you, you only live once, live it to the full, don't let anything come between you and your dreams†¦

Broadway Theatre – a History

Broadway Theater Broadway is the longest street in New York, starting in downtown Manhattan, and running through town, crossing the Broadway Bridge, and continues to Bronx (Greiner, visit- new-york-city. com) Then why when people hear this street name, do they think of theater? That’s because this street, commonly referred to as the â€Å"Great White Way†, has 36 theaters. These 36 theaters, along with 4 other, make up what is called the Theatre District. Broadway history dates back to the late 1600's, when a coffee house called ‘The King's Arms' opened in 1696 on Broadway.Some scholars think this may have held Manhattan's earliest theatrical performances (Kenrick, J, musicals101. com). However, it isn't until December 6, 1732, when the first professional performance of a specific play is recorded in New York City. The play was â€Å"The Recruiting Officer†, and was performed by a group of actors from London, in an empty building near Maiden Lane and Pearl Street. Performances continued in this unnamed place through the end of the decade. For it wasn't until 1750, when New York had around ten thousand citizens, that it received its first formal theater (Kenrick, J, musicals101. om). However, the theater was still not on Broadway, but slightly east on Nassau Street, which gave it the name â€Å"Theatre on Nassau Street. † This theater was a wooden, two story structure that could only hold about 280 people. Walter Murray and Thomas Kean presented Shakespeare’s â€Å"Richard III† on March 5, 1750. They also presented the first documented musical in New York, which was John Gay's â€Å"The Beggars Opera†, on December 3, 1750. Historians don't know much about the Theater on Nassau Street, which results in mostly guesswork. In her book â€Å"Theater In American†, Mary C.Henderson said, â€Å"May have been either a warehouse or a brewery (or both). . . probably fitted up with a stage at one end, benches in front of it, and a raised gallery at the rear for common folk. Murray and Kean made a significant addition to their New York playhouse – they added boxes along the side walls, not only to increase the seating (a sign that they attained a moderate success) but also to provide a special place for the elite of the city. † (Henderson, 237). Unfortunately, the theater was later sold and turned into storage space, and then was eventually torn down in 1754 to make way for a church (Kenrick, musicals101. om). In 1798 the city's first world-class theater was built (Kenrick, musicals101. com). The â€Å"Park Theatre† could hold 2,000 people, had a spacious bench-filled pit, four tiers of private boxes, and a top gallery. Lewis A Erenber talks about the Park theatre in his book â€Å"Steppin' Out† saying, â€Å"All kinds of performances were housed under one roof, so that audiences in the 1830s might see drama, circus, opera and dance on the same bill. New York's P ark Theater, despite a reputation as an elite house, had a relatively large room that permitted the masses to govern the stage.Each class had its own part of the theatre, but all attended – mechanics in the pit, upper classes and women in the boxes, and prostitutes, lower class men, and blacks in the balcony. The rowdy audiences often yelled, stamped, drank and smoked during the performance. † (Erenberg, 15). Admission for the theater was 50 cents for the pit, 25 cents for the gallery, and a full dollar for the boxes (Kenrick, musicals101. com). The behavior of the rowdy audience was often drowned out by the action on stage, though showers of nuts and fruits from the balcony were common.Prostitutes often conducted business in the balcony, which led to much belief by the church that theatres were â€Å"foyers of hell†. One of the next theaters to open, was the ‘Bowery Theatre' in 1826 (Kenrick, musicals101. com). It aimed at the upper class at first, but whe n new management took over, decided to cater to the working class, by more action packed plays. According the Broadway League, it â€Å"Presented varied popular fare through the years, including spectacle, variety, melodrama, Italian vaudeville (c. 1915), and Chinese theatre (1920s).Burned down (and rebuilt) five times: 1828, 1836, 1838, 1845, and 1923–until a June 5, 1929 fire closed the theatre for good. † (Broadway League, ibdb. com) On the other side of the spectrum, for the upper class, The ‘Astor Place Opera House' was built in 1847, by wealthy New Yorkers, with the sole purpose of bringing Italian opera to the city (Broadway League, ibdb. com). These two theaters are commonly remembered for the Astor Place Riot, when in the spring of 1849, they were both performing the production of Macbeth.American ‘Edwin Forest' was directing the play along the middle and lower classes at the Bowery, while British ‘William Macready' appealed to the upper clas s at the Astor Place Opera House. As one source states, â€Å"A volatile combination of press ballyhoo and widespread anti- British sentiment incited a claque of Forrest's fans to disrupt a few of Macready's performances. † (Kenrick, musicals101. com). On the night of May 10, 1849 while the mainly upper class audience was enjoying their performance of Macbeth at the Astor Place Opera House, a mob of twenty thousand lower and working class men broke into a full-scale riot.When the violence got out of control, the police fired their guns directly into the crowd, killing at least twenty-two, while wounding more than 150 (Kenrick, musicals101. com). Robert W. Snyder says in the Encyclopedia of New York City that, â€Å"After the Astor Place Riot of 1849 entertainment in New York City was divided along class lines: opera was chiefly for the upper middle and upper classes, minstrel shows and melodramas for the middle class, variety shows in concert saloons for men of the working c lass and the slumming middle class. (Jackson, 1226).While there will always be fighting between the classes, it never again was centered around a theatrical event. As New York City grew in population, more ways of entertainment were on the rise. Laura Keene became one of the first nationally recognized actress managers of the American Stage (Kenrick, Musicals101. com). She produced and starred in many comedies and musicals at 622 Broadway. She set Broadways first â€Å"long-run† record with a 50 performance hit called ‘The Elves' in 1857, and continued to astound everyone with her musical ‘Seven Sisters' in 1860, which had 253 performances.With the Civil War going on during this time (1861-1865), this vastly expanded and upgraded railroads, which made it much more easier and affordable for the theatrical productions to tour. It was during one of these tours, when Laura Keene's troupe came to Ford's Theater in Washington, DC for the Spring of 1865, that President A braham Lincoln was assassinated while attending the performance of â€Å"Our American Cousin† on April 14. Even though Keene had no control over Lincoln's assignation, her name because so linked to the tragedy, that it soon forced her into retirement.Charles Hoyt's â€Å"A Trip to Chinatown (1891) became Broadway's long-run champion, with 657 performances (Kenrick, Musicals101. com). A â€Å"Trip to Coontown† was performed in 1898, and was the first musical comedy entirely produced and performed by African Americans in a Broadway theatre. In 1894, â€Å"The Passing Show† was the first Broadway revue. However, it received little attention, and revues would not really catch in popularity until Floren Ziegfeld introduced his Follies in 1907. (Zenrick, musicals101. om) Hundreds of musical comedies were staged on Broadway in the 1890s and early 1900s, but New York Runs continued to be relatively short, in comparison to London runs. In 1910, smaller off-Broadway thea tre groups really took up. They would setup shop in smaller downtown venues, with the purpose of promoting experiments works, with people who may not make it to the city to see them. Some of the first groups were â€Å"The Washington   Square Players (later renamed the Theatre Guild), The Provincetown Players, and The Neighborhood Playhouse† (Zenrick, Musicals101. om). Most of the first off-Broadway performances were â€Å"Socially challenging dramas (Zenrick, musicals101. com)†, for it wasn't until later when musicals became a part of the off-Broadway scene. Since gaslight was not strong enough to be used with colored filters, theatre district advertising was dull through the 1890's. The first animated electric billboard appeared in Times Square in 1903, with Victor Herbert's musical â€Å"The Red Mill†, installing a sign with carbon lights that imitated the revolving arms of a windmill.This sign used electric light, which was far brighter, and made advertisi ng much easier. Soon, every Broadway show had some sort of electric sign, but since colored bulbs burned out too quickly, at first white lights were standard. This is where Broadway gets it's name â€Å"The Great White Way†, because the largest of these eletric billboards, oftenly called spectaculars, were actually stopping traffic with the night glow that they gave off. (Zenrick, musicals101. com) In 1927, neon lighting was introduced, which helped elongate shapes and bright colors.Broadway's business peaked in the 1927-1928 season, as more ten 70 legitimate theatres housed over 250 shows, but then later dropped tremendously in the 1930's in the depression, some Broadway productions even had to file for bankruptcy, such as Lee Shuberts productions (Zenrick, musicals101. com). Though eventually, World War II booseted the American economy, and many great musicals appeared in the 1940's, such as â€Å"Oklahoma†. Off-Broadway also increased, in small downtown theatres in Greenwich Village, and the Lower East Side that had been home to experimental theatre since the 1920's.Such shows such as â€Å"The Fantasticks† opened in 1960, â€Å"Godspell† (1971), â€Å"Little Shop of Horrors† (1982) â€Å"Nunsense† (1985) were born off-Broadway, and were very successful (Zenrick, musicals101. com)   During this time, marked the beginning of the â€Å"Theatre Wing’s Tony Award†. This award is theatre’s most prestigious and coveted prize, designed to celebrate excellence in theatre (Tony Awards, tonyawards. com) The 1980's Broadway was took over by imported â€Å"Mega-Musicals† (Cats, Les Miserables), and the 1990's saw the rise of big corporations   such as Disney (Beauty and the Beast, Lion King).These hits brought more people to Times Square, showing that the district had fresh commercial potential. Big, new, hotels were built, and a series of corporations (MTV, ABC, etc) were now present in the neig hborhood. (Zenrick, musicals101. com). For the book, â€Å"New York, An Illustrated History† states, â€Å"By the late 1990s, a new Times Square had emerged – cleaner, better lit, and more wholesome than it had been in half a century, and busier and more profitable than it had been in decades. Each night as the sun went down, the district was transformed into a glowing, shimmering diaphanous dish of light. (Burns, Sanders, & Ades, 554). Unfortunately, As theatrical productions got more technologically advanced, and theatrical production costs continued to rise, so did the price of tickets. Orchestra seats that once went for $8 in 1965, were $45 in 1985, and up to $100 in 2001, which is a much higher rise than the overall price of living (Zenrick, musicals101. com) Modern day Broadway shows that can very expensive. The production of the play â€Å"Wicked†, which is currently in its seventh year on Broadway, has grossed nearly $1. billion dollars, and has been se en by nearly 23 million people worldwide (Wicked Facts, newsobserver. com). â€Å"The Phantom of the Opera† is another Broadway play that has seen phenomenal success in its run. The show has received 7 Tony Awards, and been see by more then 10 million people. It has been on Broadway for over 17 years, making it the most successful production in the history of Broadway. In conclusion, New York's theatre district is once again a prime tourist attraction, and the theatrical productions remain a huge factor in the city's financial well-being.According to the League of Theatre Owners and Producers, Broadway shows currently sell one and a half billion dollars worth of tickets annually (Zenrick, musicals101. com). Broadway Theater is a staple in live entertainment, and something that is amazing to be able to see. Works Cited Kenrick, John. â€Å"Theatre in New York: A Brief History. † Musicals101. com – The Cyber Encyclopedia of Musicals. N. p. , n. d. Web. 14 June 201 0. . Henderson, Mary C.. Theater in America: 200 Years of Plays, Players, and Productions. First Edition ed.New York: Harry N Abrams, 1991. Print. Erenberg, Lewis A.. Steppin' Out: New York Nightlife and the Transformation of American Culture. Chicago: University Of Chicago Press, 1984. Print. â€Å"IBDB: The official source for Broadway Information. † IBDB: The official source for Broadway Information. N. p. , n. d. Web. 14 June 2010. . Jackson, Kenneth T. (Edited). The Encyclopedia of New York City. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1955. Print. Ades, Lisa, Ric Burns, and James Sanders. New York: An Illustrated History. Exp Sub ed. New York: Knopf, 2003. Print.Greiner, Julie. â€Å"A Brief Early History of Broadway Plays. † A Brief Early History of Broadway Plays. N. p. , n. d. Web. 14 June 2010.