The Original Fast-Casual Pizza Brand Affirms Commitment to Adding Top-Tier Talent, Building Franchise Infrastructure
Your Pie, the original fast-casual pizza brand, is proud to announce the hire of Lisa Dimson as the brand’s first-ever Chief Marketing Officer. An industry veteran, Dimson brings more than 15 years of restaurant marketing experience, plus a robust understanding of the fast-casual landscape, having held leadership positions with brands like Yum! Brands, Arby’s Restaurant Group and Tropical Smoothie Cafe LLC.
As Chief Marketing Officer, Dimson is responsible for enhancing marketing strategy and brand development at both the national and store levels, with specific focus on leveraging technological innovation to raise brand awareness among new audiences and drive store sales.
“Within her first few weeks, Lisa has already proven a tremendous asset to the Your Pie team,” said Chief Operating Officer Dave McDougall. “Her background, expertise and deep understanding of our industry allow her to see unique opportunities to amplify the Your Pie experience across the system. We look forward to how Lisa will shape and influence our brand, both currently and in the years to come.”
For Dimson, immediate priorities include elevating the brand’s digital marketing efforts and streamlining its technological integration to improve the guest experience and support franchise owners’ in-market efforts.
“Your Pie invests heavily in supporting its franchise community, and marketing is no exception,” Dimson said. “My vision is to raise the bar for how we leverage marketing technology and accelerate Your Pie’s efforts beyond the industry standard to become a true leader in the space.”
In addition to Dimson, Your Pie also welcomed Ashley Williams as its new Director of Training. Prior to joining Your Pie, Williams spent 13 years in training and operations at Outback Steakhouse, where she led training for the Southeast market, opened 20 new locations and developed the brand’s delivery training materials. As Director of Training at Your Pie, Williams’s responsibilities include developing a more robust training system for the brand, implementing a digital training platform and delivering effective training programs for franchisees to create an exceptional experience for guests.
Heading toward the end of the year, Your Pie plans to continue positive growth momentum, having opened nine new franchise locations during Q3. Between July 1 and September 30, Your Pie welcomed four new Florida locations in Brandon, Jacksonville, Melbourne and St. Johns; four new Georgia locations in Dahlonega, Dublin, Fort Oglethorpe and Winder; and one new Texas location in Cypress. These third-quarter additions bring Your Pie’s total brand footprint to 70 restaurants nationwide, with plans to grow its presence in Georgia, North Carolina, Florida and Virginia during Q4.
“We’re thrilled to have grown Your Pie by nearly 15 percent last quarter,” said Vice President of Development Ken Caldwell. “Our growth is a testament to the hard work of our team, the commitment of our franchisees and the continued demand for high-quality fast-casual dining. As we round out the year, our focus remains fixed on supporting the franchise system as our teams work to create an unforgettable experience for guests.”
Your Pie was founded in 2008 by culinary entrepreneur Drew French, who aimed to create a first-of-its-kind restaurant concept offering high quality, brick-oven pizza at incredible speed. While family recipes and Italian culture helped lay the foundation for its processes and exceptional quality, Your Pie has continued to build upon this foundation with new ingredients, innovative recipes and endless choices to create a pizza experience with traditional roots, but a flair all its own.
Your Pie is the world’s originator of the fast casual, brick oven, customized personal pizza category. The brand was founded by Drew French in 2008 and is inspired by family recipes from the Italian island of Ischia. Your Pie offers personal pizzas, chopped salads, baked pasta and hot paninis, made with fresh ingredients and housemade sauces and dressings. The brand also offers vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free options, as well as local craft beer, wine and Italian-style gelato pairings. Your Pie has 70 locations open across 18 states and nearly 50 locations in development. For more information about Your Pie or franchising opportunities, visit www.yourpie.com.
