The owner of The Red Pizza Company believes he can take on Dominos

“It was an accident, like most things in life”. This was the response when I asked Paul Singh about the creation of his business, The Red Pizza Company.  

You’ll find their solitary store-front in Hotwells, where they specialise in bringing people fresh, hot pizza, desserts and alcohol every day until four in the morning. Paul kindly agreed to meet me to discuss his business, how it began and what they have in store.

“We looked at how pizza companies operate. It was very dull, extremely dull. We wanted to found a pizza company that was completely different. Not a standard pizza company, it had to be very raw, very edgy, with a better product”.

Their love for their product is evident, with “artisan dough”, hand-chopped local veg and pepperoni from an Italian friend of theirs, which doesn’t “turn into a sea of orange grease”. As Paul puts it, “we don’t believe in bullshit”.

Of course, a business is nothing without its image. “Red is passion, love…tomatoes”. It offers clever marketing strategies, like the “caught red-handed” posters distributed at Fresher’s Fair, along with their own branded condoms. You might also have noticed their David versus Goliath style comic, which references one competitor in particular.

The rivalry is strong between the two companies, and Red seems to be thriving under pressure. “They keep sending area managers to our store, we’ve told them to get out. Very desperate. An independent company can put a huge corporate into a corner, and we look to do this to them nationally”.

At this point Ed Howell, Bristol graduate and Red’s new marketing manager, speaks up. “You get a Tops pizza voucher through the mail, and you get a Dominos one and they look exactly the same. We think students are a great market because students, especially in Bristol, are massive fans of independent, Bristol for Bristol kind of stuff.”

Employee Ayush and Ed Howell

I ask Paul for his advice to students who want to pursue an idea like he did. “Students should try. Never have fear. If you have an idea, you should try it. Without a doubt, try it. Never be afraid of failing.”

With plans to open a new store-front, Red are optimistic that they can take on the titans of the takeaway industry.  All I can say is that I can’t wait to see how it all pans out.