Two chefs and an aerospace engineer have come together in their love for the Lone Star state and great food to bring Uncle Maddio’s Pizza Joint to the Southwest. In a new multiunit development agreement, Stewart Geyer will join Janie Stephens and Emily Stephens in giving Texans a taste of the fast-casual pizza concept. The first of five Uncle Maddio’s is slated to open in Austin at 5601 Brodie Lane Suite 1200A in April. The team plans to open additional restaurants in Waco and Dallas by the end of 2014.
Geyer is a former Lockheed Martin engineer turned entrepreneur. Both Emily and Janie Stephens received culinary training from Le Cordon Bleu in Paris. All three are University of Texas alumni and are excited about blending Geyer’s business expertise and the Stephens’ chef experience together in this new venture.
“The single most important thing that resonated with us is Uncle Maddio’s ‘Served with Love’ mantra. It’s what the founders and employees live by. It’s instilled in managers and you see it truly come to life in the customer experience,” Geyer says.
Stewart is originally from Texas and has roots in Texas and the Uncle Maddio’s group. After completing his undergraduate degree at the University of Texas, he moved to Atlanta to pursue his Master of Science degree in Aerospace Engineering at Georgia Tech. While completing his graduate degree in Atlanta, he met founder Matt Andrew and Roger Wagerman and helped build the Uncle Maddio’s concept.
“It’s been amazing for us as franchisees to see what makes Uncle Maddio’s so different. It’s a real restaurant serving up quick and fresh food in a fast-casual setting,” Geyer says.
While Geyer is an investor in Uncle Maddio’s, he believes the franchise would be great for Texans for a number of reasons. As a create-your-own-pizza place, Uncle Maddio’s emphasizes its dough and sauces, locally grown vegetables, and gluten-free and vegan options.
“Janie and Emily are happy that they’ll get to use their in-depth knowledge and skills from culinary school in Uncle Maddio’s intricate and sophisticated recipes. Everything is made on-site with the highest quality ingredients. We prepare homemade dough every morning and sauces from scratch,” Geyer says.
Founder Matt Andrew values variety and choice, so that every customer is able to create their own pizzas, salads, and panini sandwiches. Uncle Maddio’s offers a 9-inch individual pizza with up to three toppings, baked in six minutes, for $6.99.
Texas is just one of the latest additions to the fast-casual pizza brand. The Uncle Maddio’s Pizza Joint franchise operation is expanding with 165 units in development. Key expansion markets include Georgia, Alabama, Florida, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas, Tennessee, Virginia, and Washington, D.C.
