Emirates Petroleum Products Company LLC has acquired master franchise rights and opened six Paavo’s Pizza units in Dubai. Paavo’s is the newest pizza concept from Orion Food Systems, featuring fresh, made-from-scratch pizza coming from the heart of the Midwest in South Dakota. Danny Abou Aoun, food and beverage manager for EPPCO, says the new fast casual is an exciting and innovative new concept allows customers to view the prep process and receive their custom orders in five minutes or less.
“We’ve had a very positive response from our customers who enjoy watching their food being prepared in front of them,” Abou Aoun says. “Our foreign visitors and ex-pats living and working in Dubai especially enjoy the crispy crust and healthier toppings.”
“Paavo’s capitalizes on an exciting new trend in foodservice,” adds Steve Watkins, president and CEO of Orion Food Systems. “We’re seeing a dramatic growth in the consumers’ preference to get a high quality pizza while having their food made fresh in front of them, and to watch the entire process unfold before them quickly to meet the demands of their fast-paced lifestyle.”
Paavo’s customers can choose from six different sauces, eight different meats, 13 different veggies, four different cheeses, and two different styles of crusts. Customers can create their own personalized pizza or they can select from one of the suggested signature recipes such as Meat Paavo, Buffalo Chicken, Paavo Garden, and more.
Abou Aoun says plans are already under way to open two more locations this summer and 60 locations over the next five years.
