Andrew Mankiewicz, PizzaExpress President Photo by Georgia Jacobs

PizzaExpress is an international company that is changing the way Japan views one of the world' favorite foods. Currently they are looking for chefs, in particular. Maki Nibayashi spoke to President Andrew Mankiewicz about some the hot prospects.

Please tell us a bit about your company.
Firstly, we are not a home delivery pizza chain. Despite its name, PizzaExpress is a sit-down pizza restaurant, which began in London in 1965, and now has over 300 restaurants in 20 countries worldwide. In November 1999, PizzaExpress opened its first restaurant in Japan in the heart of Harajuku.

PizzaExpress prides itself on high quality, authentic Italian pizzas and pastas, great service and also on modern, trendy designed interiors. PizzaExpress is also well known for its jazz, and was voted the best live music venue in the UK by Time Out magazine. This tradition is followed in Harajuku. Live music from jazz to Bossa Nova is on Friday and Saturday night, and it's on offer free of charge. Opening hours Mon to Sat (11am-11pm), Sun (11am-10pm).

Customers are enjoying the PizzaExpress concept all over the world, including major cities like Cairo, Dubai, Paris, Lyon, Moscow, New Delhi, Warsaw, Dubai and Washington. We are planning to open many more restaurants and cafes throughout Japan during the next five years, so there are many opportunities for our staff

How is the food business here in Japan?
I would say that Japan has been one of the biggest challenges in the world for PizzaExpress. The most difficult barrier has been to convince the Japanese consumer that pizzas can be enjoyed in a sophisticated, modern interior. Many Japanese perceive pizza to be a snack-type food delivered on a bike to their door. The concept of PizzaExpress is successfully breaking this perception.

Generally the restaurant business in Japan is very tough, and particularly during the past few years, many restaurants have become bankrupt. Not only must we offer the Japanese consumer excellent food, service and atmosphere, but as a company we must understand the "kitchen economics" of the business of the country we enter in order to make it profitable.

What position(s) are you seeking to fill?
As we expand, we are always looking for excellent management, waiting and kitchen staff, both full-time and part-time. Presently we are particularly eager to look for more chefs with some restaurant experience. PizzaExpress is a very multinational and multicultural company, and therefore we are interested to hire Japanese and non-Japanese staff. A basic knowledge of English would be useful, particularly since many of our customers are foreign.

Could you tell us a little about salary, benefits, etc?
We offer very competitive salaries in line with industry levels. We also offer all the standard benefits including health benefits, paid vacations and travel. Some of our chefs have also been trained at the PizzaExpress Training Academy in London.

Contact information
Please send your resumes with cover letter to Mr Honma (Manager) or Mr Watanabe (Assistant Manager) at PizzaExpress, t's harajuku 3F, 4-30-3 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-0001
Tel: 03 5775 3894 or fax: 03 5775 3895. Email: harajuku@pizzaexpress.co.jp
Website: www.pizzaexpress.co.jp


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