For Andrew Gamm, brand director for Pizza Patrón, uniquely engaging with customers is the key to success for his company. Providing an engaging customer atmosphere, which focuses on Mexican
customers and their culture, continues to resonate proficiently.
Gamm talked about the following quote’s impact on the culture at Pizza Patrón: “Bypass the brain, bypass the wallet, touch the heart.”
“Great brands inspire passion or belief because they stand for something meaningful,” Gamm told Loyalty360. “At Pizza Patrón, we stand for something much bigger than pizza. We stand for respect of Mexican culture. If you were born in Mexico, like a Mexican peso or a Mexican person, or if your first language is Spanish, we respect you and we accept you at Pizza Patrón. This commitment gives customers a reason to do business with us that goes beyond product and price.”
For more than 20 years, Pizza Patrón has been committed to celebrating the diversity of the Latin culture. While most companies merely market to Hispanics, Pizza Patrón’s entire brand is centered on creating a unique experience that respects and honors the multifaceted traditions and heritage found within the Latin lifestyle. Pizza Patrón operates locations in Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, and Texas. The chain opens locations in mainly Hispanic neighborhoods, catering primarily to the Hispanic market. In addition to the franchise’s 100 locations across the southwest, 40 more are currently under development. The franchise's logo features a face in a fedora hat.
The chain’s original slogan was Más Pizza. Menos Dinero, which is Spanish for “More Pizza. Less Money.”
“Our entire brand focus is to make a strong connection with the Mexican demographic,” Gamm explained. “That is what differentiates us in the marketplace. All of our branding and marketing decisions are based on this, which we believe gives us an advantage over other general market concepts. The Mexican demographic is the youngest and fastest-growing segment of the U.S. population making the future very bright for a brand like Pizza Patrón if we do our job right.”
Pizza Patrón has concentrated on building Mexican culture into every aspect of the customer experience.
“From the names of our products to the types of promotions that we execute, we always try to touch the heart of our Mexican-born target customer,” Gamm said. “Because of our laser-sharp brand 
focus on the Mexican-born demographic, we are able to take risks that other companies would not for fear of alienating non-Mexican customers. Promotions like Pizza por Pesos®, where we accepted Mexican pesos in all of our stores, or Pizza por Favor®, where we gave away free pizza to anyone who ordered in Spanish, created a lot of buzz and media attention that resulted in strong sales growth. We knew these concepts might offend some non-Hispanics, but we didn’t care—they were not going to be our customers anyways.”
Pizza Patrón has an employee incentive program called “El Mero Mero,” which translates to the best of the best.
“It rewards the top team in the country every month with a financial bonus and special uniforms that highlight their accomplishments,” Gamm explained. “The employees fight hard for the privilege of wearing the Mero Mero uniforms.”
Customer loyalty, Gamm said, means that customers “will do business with you for reasons that stretch beyond product and price. At Pizza Patrón, we continue to look for unique ways to connect culturally and give customers more reasons to be devoted to our brand. Customer experience means that there is something very unique about your brand. It should penetrate every aspect of everything your customer experiences with their senses. The visual design, the unique nomenclature in all communications, the music played, and the customer service all play a role in creating a different experience for customers.”