Your Pie and Georgia Oak Partners announced that they have entered into a partnership in which Georgia Oak will invest substantial growth equity into the emerging, customized pizza franchise brand.
Georgia Oak’s capital infusion will be used to support Your Pie’s infrastructure growth and provide capital to promote further franchise expansion of the customized pizza franchise brand. The company has 17 locations in the southeastern United States and plans to open eight additional locations by the end of 2013.
“Our partnership with Georgia Oak will allow Your Pie to further innovate its delicious fast casual brand of pizza and to develop in more cities across the United States,” said Your Pie Founder Drew French. “Georgia Oak’s approach of adding value to its investments in a variety of ways will improve our brand positioning, increase the support we offer our franchisees and, moving forward, sharpen our growth vision.”
“We are excited to join in this partnership with our Georgia neighbors at Your Pie,” said Mike Lonergan, Managing Partner of Georgia Oak. “Your Pie has led the pack in the booming fast casual pizza category behind visionary leadership and with a proven concept that has been fine-tuned over the company’s five years of remarkable success. Georgia Oak Partners is proud to join Your Pie as the company continues their aggressive expansion in the Southeast and across the country.”
In addition to the financial support provided by Georgia Oak Partners, the partnership will include an investment of the company’s wealth of intellectual capital. David Barr, Director for Georgia Oak Partners, has more than two decades of success in the restaurant industry with experience as CEO of Great American Cookies, Inc., Chairman of Don Pablo’s, and on the board of directors of Mrs. Fields Cookies, TCBY, and Del Frisco’s Restaurant Group. In addition, Barr has previous experience working for Pizza Hut as well as other national non-restaurant retailers. Barr will work closely with existing management to guide the acceleration of franchisee and unit growth.
Your Pie is the world’s originator of the fast casual, brick-oven, customized personal pizza concept. Your Pie founder Drew French tapped his restaurant background and knowledge of the conveyor-driven quick-serve and married it with brick oven technology to create the highest quality pizza available in a fast and customized format for customers to enjoy. Drawing from authentic family recipes from the Italian island of Ischia, Your Pie uses only fresh ingredients, homemade pizza sauces and salad dressings, and offers vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free pizzas, as well as traditional pizzas. As a result, the Your Pie brand has become a favorite of customers in communities throughout the southeastern U.S. and continues to expand with rapid franchisee development. For more information about Your Pie or franchising opportunities, please visit http://www.yourpie.com.
Georgia Oak Partners is a highly differentiated investment platform focused on growth private equity investments in the Southeast US. Georgia Oak seeks to invest $2 to $10 million in privately owned companies in the transportation, manufacturing, business services, and consumer or restaurant sectors. Georgia Oak’s team includes seasoned industry executives who work to supplement incumbent management teams in accelerating performance and value. More information can be found at http://www.GeorgiaOakPartners.com.
