There's some heated competition in the pizza business in Lake City.
Two managers of a local Domino's Pizza in the north Florida city are facing felony arson charges after police say they set fire to a nearby Papa John's pizzeria, according to firstcoastnews.com.
Bryan Sullivan, 22, and Sean Everett Davidson, 23, were arrested last week in the Oct. 20 blaze. Both were being held Monday on $20,00 bond and it was unknown if either has an attorney.
Lake City Police Capt. John Blanchard says the pair hatched the scheme to increase sales at Domino's. The papa John's chain had been inbusiness just three months but was apparently doing well.
"We've been doing really well in sales since we got there. I'm sure that was a factor in them deciding they had to do something," owner Jacob Wilkes said. "I was dumbfounded over how somebody could go to those lengths over pizza."
Domino's said Sullivan and Davidson were acting on their own initiative.
"We are as shocked as anyone. This incident is the result of individuals acting independently," Domino's corporate spokesman Tim McIntyre said. "Domino's Pizza has nothing but the greatest respect for the Papa John's brand."
The Papa John's was burned to the ground, but Wilkes said he already has plans to rebuild. He said he feels sorry for Sullivan and Davidson.
"I'm more sympathetic toward the families of the guys that did it. I can only imagine the regret and what they're looking at now and thinking how stupid it was," Wilkes said. "Just to think back, it's only pizza."
