WEDNESDAY, JULY 4 UPDATE: The Star is back.
It’s back to the future for The Upper Crust restaurant as it has been rebranded Four Star.
From 1990 until 2006, the chain was known as Four Star Pizza, but changed its name to Upper Crust.
Marico Thomas, president and general manager, said that while customers loved the food they never stopped calling it Four Star.
In responses from Facebook and Twitter, the public basically agreed with that sentiment.
Diarra Smith told the Bermuda Sun on Facebook: “It was always four Star, even when it wasn’t.”
Sportsman Daniel Oatley said: “I’m for it. The new Four Star logo looks great, and I think it’s safe to say most people preferred the original name.”
*Hannah Collins added: “It doesn’t really matter whether They called it Four Star or Upper Crust, but Upper Crust was kind of a pretentious name, which didn’t seem to match up to the product and service.”
On Twitter, UShouldSaluteMe said: “Good! Never called it Upper Crust anyway” while Only1karstar tweeted: “Hope the pizza will taste the way it used to” and Tizita_xXx thought it was a “Good move.”
But not everyone was happy with the name change.
Olivia2191 tweeted: “Irritating! I am used to saying Upper Crust now.”
Linda DeSilva posted on the Bermuda Sun’s Facebook page the Four Star should go back to the old prices along with the name change.
She said: “The name Upper Crust is remembered now (and) they want to switch back... bored? Create a new pizza.”
Mr Thomas said In 2006, Four Star expanded to add Indian and Chinese food.
“At that time we firmly believed that customers would not buy Indian food from a pizza delivery place and so we changed the name and the brand to give credibility to our Indian and Chinese menus.
“We changed that brashness that Four Star Pizza was known for. We toned down the brand — more subtle colours, thinner fonts, much less bold marketing, etc. There was a different style to the whole brand, which included the way we connected through it to community.
“Years later, results have been great. The same trust and acceptance we earned with our pizza menu, we have achieved with our Indian and Chinese menus.
“Even with all that, all these years later, the number of people who still call us Four Star is unreal. They would see the sign that says Upper Crust and still call us Four Star.”
He gave other examples of the Gap and Coca-Cola changing logos and formulas which their public did not embrace with open arms.
“Their customers demanded and they changed back. It’s been a long time coming but we’re giving the name back to our customers.
“It is important to note however, that we are not going back to Four Star Pizza. We are Four Star and our tag line is ‘More Than Just Great Pizza.’ Today a customer expressed it perfectly. He said – ‘Wow! New logo, new uniforms..., and same great food.’ I said ‘Yes! ...but with a lot more fun!’”
He said the company has been “evolving”, starting with painting the Angle Street building blue. The Flatts building was given some blue, with the Somerset building getting the full Four Star Blue colour. He added Warwick would soon also get the blue treatment.
“There’s been a lot of double-takes with people seeing our signs this morning (Monday). We’ve been getting smiles, honks, and waves because the memory of what Four Star represented is so iconic.”
“It’s like if Trimingham’s came back tomorrow as long as they had the sailing ship logo, everyone would likely fall right back in step.”
He said everything isn’t going to be the same though.
“The most important message I would like to convey is that the Four Star Fun is back. Evolving from Upper Crust, we’ve decided to put more fun, more special deals, more community into our business. Some of the ways you can have fun? Ordering online.”
Customers will begin ordering online on Monday, July 9 Four Star will be offering a 10” cheese pizza — only $10 as an incentive to get people to use the website www.fourstar.bm.
* The word 'they' was missing from the quote.