Leading fast-casual pizza chain adds five Texas cities to pipeline, crossing 200-unit milestone
LUBBOCK, Texas, July 15, 2014 /PRNewswire/ — It’s manifest destiny, and Pie Five Pizza Co. is leading the charge when it comes to roping the perfect, personalized, baked-to-order pizza out west.
The nation’s leading fast-casual pizza brand announced today that it has awarded eight franchise units to Lubbock native Nathan K. Cage. The new franchise operator will introduce Pie Five’s game-changing concept to Lubbock, Amarillo, Odessa, Midland and Abilene, beginning in early 2015.
Cage — who also owns several Wingstop restaurants in his hometown — has been recognized as “Local Restaurant Marketer of the Year” and with a “Top Gun Award” for his successful businesses. Having witnessed Pie Five’s proliferation in the Dallas-Fort Worth market and elsewhere around the country, Cage said he is looking forward to combining his industry know-how with the chain’s simple, yet revolutionary, fast casual concept.
“My wife, Twila, discovered Pie Five in Fort Worth in 2012 and suggested I try it as well. Seeing how she’s also the one who introduced me to Wingstop, I had a feeling this was going to be lightning strike number two,” recalls Cage. “Fast casual concepts are growing like wildfire and Pie Five has clearly distinguished itself within the pizza space. But the kicker was their red and black motif — absolutely perfect for us Red Raider fans!”
At Pie Five, guests can choose from more than a million combinations of handcrafted pizzas and a variety of specialty pie choices prepared in less than five minutes on one of four crusts, all for one low price. The rapidly expanding chain is capitalizing on growing consumer demand for fresh dining options and artisan pizzas in stylish environments without the wait.
“We’ve been building momentum in the Lone Star State for quite some time and I think the timing is perfect to head west. We chose one of Lubbock’s finest to pioneer our brand in the market, and to carry us over the 200-announced-franchise-units milestone,” said Randy Gier, chief executive officer of Pie Five Pizza. “Nathan has an exceptional restaurant track record, he understands our concept and he shares our passion for providing impeccable customer service. We’re honored to have him as a member of our franchise team.”
While Pie Five’s unparalleled success in other markets leaves Cage convinced that his restaurants will be a welcome addition to the dining scene in west Texas, all he really needed at the end of the day was his 11-year-old daughter’s nod of approval.
“My daughter and I have had many conversations about pizza over the years, mainly over why every time we order one it has to be pepperoni,” said Cage. “Kids like what they like, and I’ll be honest — I’ve gotten pretty tired of plain-ole pepperoni pizza. Now, thanks to Pie Five’s quality ingredients and personalized options, we’re no longer a family divided. And when you can have a customized pizza with all the fresh toppings you want in less than five minutes, at such a great price, you have a serious Texas-sized value!”
Pie Five Pizza has been named among Fast Casual’s 2014 Top 15 “Movers & Shakers,” a 2012 Hot Concepts winner by Nation’s Restaurant News and one of “10 Hot New Restaurant Chains from Established Brands” by Forbes.com. The company currently has 21 locations in seven states (Florida, Kansas, North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah and Virginia) with more than 200 announced franchise units in 12 states and Washington, DC.
Cage expects to open his first restaurant in the Lubbock market in the first quarter of 2015.