Down-the-Line Pizza Segment Pioneer Plans to Expand Nationally
Your Pie, the originator of the fast-casual, down-the-line pizza category, is celebrating seven years since its first restaurant opened in Athens, Ga. The brainchild of founder Drew French, Your Pie has been innovating and leading the way in the booming fast-casual pizza industry since the very first pizza was put into the famous Your Pie brick oven back in April 2008.
“We could not have made it seven years without such a great Your Pie family,” French said. “Our guests, team members, vendors, families and communities continue to drive us to craft the best pizza in the world. Over the past seven years, many competitors have latched on to what we knew from the beginning would be a hot idea, but we haven’t lost our focus on creating an unparalleled experience and product.”
French didn’t set out to create one of the most innovative business models in the history of pizza, but that’s exactly what he did. According to NPD Group, the fast-casual pizza segment has grown to a $21 billion-per-year industry. Meanwhile, Technomic reports 55 percent of pizza consumers eat at a fast-casual pizza restaurant at least once every month.
Appropriately enough, the Your Pie story began in the birthplace of pizza. French was on his honeymoon in Italy during the spring of 2006 when he got a taste of authentic, brick oven pizza. He sketched out the idea for the Your Pie concept on a napkin and brought it back with him to the states. At the age of 24, he opened the doors of the brand’s first location.
Seven years later, Your Pie has grown to more than 20 locations and shows no signs of slowing down. The brand ended 2014 with agreements to open franchise locations in Chicago, Houston and Oklahoma City, as well as in Arizona, Delaware, Virginia and southeastern Florida. The company plans to keep expanding in 2015, with franchise opportunities available across the U.S.
“We’ve accomplished and learned so much over the past seven years, and everything we’ve done is to continue improving the Your Pie experience for our customers and support the success of the franchisees that make up the Your Pie family,” French said. “It’s been a labor of love, and with the momentum we’ve built, we are poised to make Your Pie a household name in all corners of the country.”
More information on Your Pie franchise opportunities can be found at http://www.yourpie.com/your-franchise/.
Your Pie is the world’s originator of the quick-serve, brick-oven, customized personal pizza category. Your Pie owner and concept originator 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 at incredible speed. Drawing from family recipes from the 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. Customers who dine at Your Pie have come to expect a custom-made and delicious pizza delivered to their table well within 10 minutes of ordering – the definition of fast casual. As a result, the Your Pie brand is synonymous with success and a fan favorite of families in the communities it serves. For more information about Your Pie or franchising opportunities, please visit www.yourpie.com.
