By George Anderson
Pizzerias expected to see sales spike with more Americans staying home to watch the latest news on the war.
Instead sales, at least at the major chains, are off and some expect that this short-term glitch portend future changes.
Mike Smith, a restaurant analyst at Fahnestock & Co. told Reuters, "On a longer-term basis, they (pizzerias) probably suffer more than other fast food companies from the aging of America."
Harry Balzer of NPD said, "The fastest-growing segment of the population is now empty-nesters. They don't need family food as much. It may be just a basic, fundamental shift in the role of pizza in the American diet."
Moderator's Comment: What fundamental shifts do you expect to see in the American diet as the demographics of the country changes in the next 10, 25, etc. years? [George Anderson - Moderator]