id not have variety and the prices were extremely high."35 Pizza Hut was struggling in the end of 1996 and PepsiCo was thinking about selling its restaurant divisions in 1997. In order to avoid going out of business, just like the unit Dr. Almeida mentioned in her interview, Pizza Hut had to do some drastic changes. According to Reinaldo Zani, manager of marketing in So Paulo, Pizza Hut was having some problems with product adaptation, and also problems with operations and administration.36Pizza Hut no longer belongs to PepsiCo. Even though PepsiCo still owns a small percentage of Pizza Hut, the main owner now is Tricom. Tricom is an autonomous company owned by shareholders. This transfer of ownership solved many administrative and operational problems.37 Pizza Hut in Brazil is not considered a fast food restaurant. It is a whole different cultural concept. Pizzaria in Brazil is a restaurant to go with the family on the weekends, especially on Saturday nights. It is a tradition. Especially in So Paulo where Italian influence is significant. Pizza Hut's main competitors in Brazil are: TGI Fridays, America, and Brazilian pizza places in general. Zani claims that the presence of competitors is positive because "it forces the search for different markets."38 To compete with Brazilian pizza, Pizza Hut had to modify its product to make it more acceptable to Brazilian tastes. Pizza Hut had to create new toppings. Examples are: frango com catupiry, and portuguesa. The first one consists of chicken and a special cheese only produced in Brazil. The latter consists of : eggs, onions, ham, olives, and olive oil, for the astonishment of Americans, it has no cheese. Claudia Arajo, a PE teacher from Baur, says: "I like Pizza Hut a lot. It is my favorite restaurant, especially now that they have different toppings. It is a mix of America and Brazil. It is an American pizza with a Brazilian topping."39Pizza Hut remains openly optimistic about its futur...
