Pizza Hut continues to seduce Internet-savvy eaters by unveiling eGift Cards this week.

The cyberspace gift cards can be “purchased, shared and redeemed entirely online,” the company said. No need for plastic.

The virtual pizza gifts can be personalized and ordered at www.pizzahut.com/giftcards.

My take: This is a smart move by Pizza Hut, especially as we enter the holiday gift-giving season. As online ordering becomes more popular, I hope other restaurants offer these kind of services.

Related stories:

• Facebook now taking Pizza Hut orders
• Southern California fast-food chains step up online ordering

Just when I think Domino’s and Pizza Hut have stopped throwing punches, someone offers up a right hook.

Domino's is testing small pasta dishes in SoCal.

I drove by a Domino’s joint in Orange over the weekend and spotted a sign promoting four “NEW” pasta dishes.

Is this Domino’s response to Pizza Hut’s successful new line of Tuscani Pasta dishes?

Not quite, said Domino’s spokesman Tim McIntyre. The four “single-serve” pasta meals are being tested in Southern California and a few other markets around the country.  They are not meant to go head-on with Pizza Hut’s larger, family-size pastas, he said.

“They are just in the test phase. The selections are chicken alfredo, Italian sausage marinara, chicken carbonara and pasta primavera,” he said. “We certainly have paid attention to Pizza Hut’s launch of pasta, and have chosen not to go with pasta as a replacement to pizza; instead, we’re seeing how they perform as a complement to pizza or as an alternative item if everyone in the family wants pizza except mom (for example).”

Pizza Hut's Tuscani pastas

Starting price for the Domino’s pasta dishes: $4.99. The bigger portion Tuscani pastas at Pizza Hut cost $12.99. I’ll try some later this week, and let you know what I think. (click on images to enlarge)

For up-to-date news on fast food menu changes, visit my New on the Menu section to the right of this blog.

Related stories:

• Pizza Hut changes name to Pasta Hut?
• Domino’s and Pizza Hut continue smack talk
• Pizza Hut raises prices on new pasta meals

After writing a story last month about Newport Beach-based zpizza switching to organic flour, I got a call from a Florida chain called Pizza Fusion.

It seems they got a bit miffed over zpizza’s chest-thumping — as the founder boasted of his chain’s innovative wholesome pizzas made with natural and organic ingredients. That prompted Pizza Fusion’s Chief executive Vaughan Lazar to craft a rebuttal.  (full letter published here, and other zpizza commentary.)

“I am the co-founder of a young organic pizza chain called Pizza Fusion. I applaud Zpizza for having the amazing foresight to switch to organic flour, as well as a myriad of other familiar changes this company has made … since Pizza Fusion opened in 2006.  They say that “imitation is the sincerest form of flattery,” and if that statement is true, well, then I’m flattered.”

Frankly, after reading his long letter, I don’t understand what he’s talking about. Lazar claims zpizza, founded in Orange County in 1987, is imitating Pizza Fusion, founded in Florida in 2006.

Not sure how he can make this claim given the facts. But, I promised Lazar he could have his say.

Perhaps he felt he needed to set the record straight given the fact that Pizza Fusion is marching into zpizza territory. Pizza Fusion opened its first California unit in San Diego recently. It plans to launch eateries in Santa Monica, San Luis Obispo, Clovis and Temecula.

No word on others planned in Orange County.

I do have to say: The two pizzas shown, below, do look similar. But, don’t all pizzas generally look the same, and have the same ingredients?

Pizza Fusion (above)

zpizza founder Sid Fanarof shows off his new Rustica pizzas.

Pizza Hut added a new flavor this week to its popular, value-oriented Tuscani Pasta line: Bacon Mac and Cheese. The cheesy corkscrew pasta dish is served with crumbled bacon on top. (click on photo to enlarge)

While it sounds tasty, the first thing I noticed was the price. The meal, as well as the other two original flavors, are now $12.99, instead of $11.99. The $1 increase comes nearly five months after Pizza Hut introduced the dishes April 1.

A buck is a buck these days, so I asked Pizza Hut to explain. Here’s what spokesman Chris Fuller told me via email:

“The slight increase is because of rising food costs. More importantly, $12.99 to feed a family of four with a restaurant quality meal remains one of the best deals around. The success of the product in the last few months has proven that families believe this is a great value.”

Do you agree? Is $12.99 for this takeout meal still a bargain?

Read about Cheap Chic Meals in Orange County.

Want to get the latest updates on menu changes at your favorite chains? Check out my special New on the Menu section.

Related stories:

• Pizza Hut changes name to Pasta Hut?
  
• Tuscani Pasta dishes by Pizza Hut break sales record in first month
• Domino’s and Pizza Hut continue smack talk
• Bad economy? Not for Zpizza. Local pizza chain will raise prices, expand units

While most pizza chains are hawking $5 pizzas to attract consumers, Newport Beach-based zpizza is proposing a different strategy amid gritty economic conditions: raise prices.

In the fall, zpizza, known for its healthy and wholesome pizzas, is increasing menu prices 10 percent to cover ingredient changes. In late September, eateries will switch to organic flour for all of its pizzas and will also add a gluten-free crust option on the menu.

So why raise prices when everyone else is lowering them? (Note: A 10-inch zpizza cost $9.95.)

“If you give people good food, they’ll come back,” says Sid Fanarof, who founded the chain in 1996. “That’s my basic belief.”

The strategy seems to be working. The chain is posting year-over-year sales increases, and is on an expansion tear – having recently announced plans to open several franchises in Colorado, the Middle East and India.

During a recent phone interview, Fanarof talked about his chain. Read on to hear what he thinks about cheap pizza, the economy and fancy sandwiches:

Read the rest of this entry »

The battle to grab the attention of penny-pinching diners continues. BJ’s Restaurants has introduced a lunch value menu.

Ten dishes on the menu starting at $5.95.

Not bad for casual dining, which is suffering most in this economic downturn.

“We are offering 10 of our most popular lunch menu items at a great value to our guests,” said Matt Hood, chief marketing officer for BJ’s. “With all of the external pressures on today’s consumer, we found our guests have really embraced BJ’s commitment to quality and value in the new lunch menu.”

Other casual dining chains are proposing similar meal deals, including Tustin-based Mimi’s Cafe and Denny’s.

The following items are offered Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at BJ’s:

– BJ’s Classic Mini One Topping Pizza and Salad

– Fish or Shrimp Tacos

– Fettuccini Alfredo

– Half Sandwich and Soup or Salad

– Lunch Size Specialty Salads

– Unlimited Soup and Salad

– Half of a Giant Stuffed Potato and Soup or Salad

– Chicken Tenders with Fries

– Sliders with Fries

– Crispy Thin-Crust Appetizer Pizzas

Related links:

• Fast-food chains slash prices to lure tight-fisted eaters
• Restaurant industry hurting even more by economy, new data shows
  
• Taco Bell introduces cheap, cheap value menu
• Del Taco pushing $2.99 triple meat burgers

Looks like Pizza Hut is one of hundreds of national companies jumping on the Michael Phelps bandwagon.

As previously stated in this blog, the Olympic Champion loves fast food — from pizza to burgers. After learning of Phelps super-size cravings, Pizza Hut said the chain wants to shower Phelps with some pasta and pizza when he returns home to Baltimore.

The chain has also offered to give Phelps — and his male and female swimming teammates — free food for a year. That includes local Orange County stars and gold medal winners such as Aaron Piersol and Jason Lezak.

“In winning (eight gold medals), we’ve agreed to provide pizza and pasta for a year for Phelps and his teammates - both the mens and womens U.S. swim teams,” said Pizza Hut spokesman Chris Fuller. “We’re working with his agent now on the best way of getting the pizza and pastas to him.”

The chain wants the first delivery to come when he returns to Baltimore after the Olympics.

Related stories:

• What other brands are courting Michael Phelps? (AP)