Caesar takes on ... a chicken?
By Steve Herring
Published in News on April 1, 2010 1:46 PM
Full Size
News-Argus/STEVE HERRING
Little Caesars employees Deandre Mathis, dressed as the company mascot, and Allison Collins wave to motorists Wednesday on North Berkeley Boulevard. In the background Pizza Hut mascot Hot Wings, aka Adam England, competes with them for motorists' attention.
No dough was tossed. No togas tugged. No feathers flew -- although Pizza Hut mascot Hot Wings, also known as Adam England, said he did feel like the chicken suit he was sweltering in was beginning to molt.
It was a Wednesday afternoon pizza war of signs and mascots that had motorists traveling past the Goldsboro Promenade on North Berkeley Boulevard waving, blowing their horns and, in some cases, shouting.
Little Caesars opened Tuesday in the Goldsboro Promenade.
England, holding what appeared to be a hastily made sign advertising a large pizza for $6.99, paced just yards away from Little Caesars employees Deandre Mathis, who was dressed as Little Caesar, and Allison Collins, whose sign hawked a large pizza for $5.55.
"Our pizza is bigger," Mathis said. "Theirs is more like a medium compared to ours."
"We are having fun letting Goldsboro know that Little Caesars is in town," Ms. Collins said as she waved and twirled the sign at passing vehicles. "We are having a good response."
"People have been blowing their horns and coming in to get pizza," Mathis said.
Ms. Collins had been waving her sign on Spence Avenue, but was repositioned to Berkeley to counter England's appearance.
England said Pizza Hut officials had noticed that traffic was down somewhat Tuesday night and had talked about a possible response.
"I volunteered for this," said England, a waiter at the Ash Street Pizza Hut. "I am the class clown. I get a lot of waves and stuff. As long as it stays nice and friendly, it will be OK and it is just a friendly competition."
Why a chicken costume?
"Hot Wings," he said.
England didn't mind that he was outnumbered or that Mathis' costume include a spear-skewered pizza. Besides, England was expecting possible reinforcements in the form of the Pizza Hut Pizza Slice.