The Observation Deck

William Campbell Manager
Roman Fountain Pizza & Subs
Day Phone: 216-221-6633
Night Phone: 216-221-6633
email: Pizza@romanfountain.com

The History Channel® Launches National Pizza Promotion

OXFORD, Miss. - The History Channel® has teamed up with PMQ to create the first-ever coast-to-coast independent pizzeria promotion. This is a groundbreaking and unique opportunity for 3,000 independent pizza operators across the country and pizza-friendly viewers of the Biography and History channels. "Everyone in our industry should benefit from the increased awareness of pizza during the months of August and September," stated Steve Green, publisher of PMQ Magazine. Those pizzerias participating in this promotion will be the first businesses offered future promotions of this magnitude. Roman Fountain Pizza & Subs in Lakewood, Ohio is one of the 3000 pizzerias in the United States to participate in this national event. The History Channel's promotion is designed to attract viewers to its Monday, September 5th premiere of ROME: ENGINEERING AN EMPIRE at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT.

The History Channel and independent pizzer ia operators have teamed up to begin the first-ever marketing campaign for independent operators. The History Channel is supporting the promotion with $500,000 in media support, including nationally-run television commercials on The History Channel, The Biography Channel® and History International? The History Channel will direct its viewing audience to participating pizzerias through television spots, while the pizzerias, like Roman Fountain Pizza & Subs will direct pizza consumers to visit The History Channel website to enter for a chance to win a trip of a lifetime to Rome, Italy. The national pizza promotion will combine the local in-store marketing of independent pizzeria operators with the national media exposure from The History Channel. While at The History Channel website, the customer can find their local participating pizzerias where they can print an exclusive online offer, which Roman Fountain Pizza & Subs will honor from August 15 through September 30, 2005.

Now reaching more than 88 million Nielsen subscribers, The History Channel®, "Where the Past Comes Alive®,?brings history to life in a powerful manner and provides an inviting place where people experience history personally and connect their own lives to the great lives and events of the past. In 2004, The History Channel earned five News and Documentary Emmy® Awards and previously received the prestigious Governor's Award from the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences for the network's "Save Our History®?campaign dedicated to historic preservation and history education. The History Channel web site is located at http://cl.exct.net/?ffcc17-fe541679746d06747210-fe271c777763017f741272-ff69167475www.HistoryChannel.com.

PMQ Magazine, based in Oxford, Miss., circulates six times a year to 40,000 pizza professionals who operat e America's 68,000-plus pizza stores. The company also publishes PMQ Canada, which circulates to 8,000 pizza stores in Canada, and PMQ Australia New Zealand, which circulates to 7,000 pizza stores in Australia, New Zealand, Singapore and 29 other countries. PMQ Online (http://cl.exct.net/?ffcc17-fe531679746d06747211-fe271c777763017f741272-ff69167475www.pmq.com) receives 2,500-plus visitors daily and is the most popular Web site of any restaurant publication, according to Alexa.com.

All right, I'm a convert. Next time I order pizza it will be from Roman Fountain.

I'm pro-Roman history documentaries anyway, but more importantly, pro-independent business and pro-Lakewood!

Tom,
The pizza is pretty good and the delivery is always super fast. I highly recommend it.

I do not know anyone that owns Roman Fountain or anyone who works at Roman Fountain. All that I know is that I approached them about donating some pizzas for a Lakewood Skate Park benefit and they where happy to help out (of course this was three years ago when many had no faith in the project).
I am happy that a good local business is getting some exposure. We have approached every business in Lakewood (IN 2004) and have received very minute support besides: Lion and Blue, Lakewood Hospital, and B-ware video(r.i.p.) and Westside Skates. I just feel compelled to point out this is a business that has supported the skaters from the get go and we do appreciate it. With out the minority of local business owners that support us we would not be on the road to the completion of phase two of the skate park. . Thank you Roman Fountain the exposure is well deserved.

Stosh

Roman Fountain Pizza is a legend in Lakewood for as far back as I can remember. They are truly part of the fabric of this city.

Many on this forum remember back in the 60s and 70s that Roman Fountain Pizza had a tasty pie, but you had to be pretty tough to go through the door. This probably helped the delivery business for them.

There is a large group of Lakewood Businesses that get it. I have been working on an article as an op-ed piece to one coming down the pipe, working title, "Some get it, some never will."

Jim O'Bryan

PS - Not to be picky but, are you sure you asked every business?

Actually Jim you’re correct in questioning that statement. I should be clearer in that we sent mailings out to those that where members of the Lakewood Chamber of Commerce in 2004. I was not thinking that some businesses in Lakewood might not be members of the Lakewood Chamber of Commerce.

Stosh-- Do I detect a moment of surprise on your part as you discovered that not all Lakewood businesses are members of the Lakewood Chamber of Commerce?

Stan (Stach) Austin

No, it is not shock at all; I very well understand why some would not want to associate with the Chamber of Commerce. Not because of any local reasons, but because of the association’s national agenda. When we did a mailing to seek donors it was simplest to get a list of businesses and addresses from the Chamber than walk the streets and seek addresses. We have excluded some businesses I am sure, but with limited time and resources at the time, this was the simplest way to seek out contributors.


And about the real subject at hand……….
I had no idea Roman Fountain was so rooted in Lakewood. That is great and says something about their business practices to survive in a town full of come and go pizza shops.

STOSH BURGESS wrote:[i]And about the real subject at hand……….
I had no idea Roman Fountain was so rooted in Lakewood. That is great and says something about their business practices to survive in a town full of come and go pizza shops.

Stosh

Not only does the legend and spot live on so do members of many generations of the Roman Fountain Gang! Spark was featured as one of Lakewood's most talented stained glass artists. Adam, Dan, Mikey, and Matt all work for City Services, and son of Cheryl, owns Pugs Mahone.

I believe it was in the 90s that Roman Fountain moved from the opposite of United Dairy Farmers to their present location. I also believe ownership has changed, but pizza, salads, sandwiches have stayed the same. Like a trip down memory lane. Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

Jim

Hmm, in the summer of '67 , the biggest fight between Rocky River's Bearden's "guys" and Roman Fountain's guys, was a history making event. That fight included around 200 guys and a few girls too. Tom O'Grady, then LPD officer, upon seeing us return from Beardens' not bad for wear, saw that all of us fine leather adorned men were escorted back to our respective hang-outs, since the Lkwd guys were made up of the groups that hung out at Roman's, Anna's and Maria's Roman Room. (A coalition).
Note- My wife and I have known Tom for the last 20 years, and he's been the west side's version of Henny Youngman-esqe one-liners.

By the way, Lakewood guys won.

I'll bet all that didn't make the History Channel!