Pie Five Pizza will open its first local restaurant in the St. Louis area this fall. Franchise co-owner Jamey Tasker says he and his partners at TFPie Group LLC plan to open the first of up to 20 Pie Five franchise units in the St. Louis area in the October time frame. The group, comprised of experienced restaurateurs, logistics experts, and seasoned operators, spent roughly a year searching for the right opportunity and found it when Tasker walked into a Pie Five restaurant in Allen, Texas.
"From the first time I tried it, I knew this was the one. And when I introduced it to my partners, they fell in love as well," Tasker says. "The fast-casual market is clearly where the growth is, and the Pie Five concept in particular seems ideally suited to the demographics and restaurant landscape of the St. Louis market. The company's leadership is second-to-none, the operational model is excellent and the food is fantastic."
TFPie Group's franchise territory spans from the five Illinois counties around St. Louis as far west as Columbia, Missouri.
"We've been scouting the St. Louis area for quite some time, and I just don't think we could have found a better group to carry our brand into the market than Jamey and his partners," says Chris Smith, senior vice president of operations at Pie Five Pizza. "They understand our concept and operating model, share our passion for providing impeccable customer service and know the local area backwards and forwards. We're very pleased they are joining our team."
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 expanding chain is capitalizing on growing consumer demand for fresh dining options and artisan pizzas in stylish environments without the wait.
"Of course, the first thing you notice about Pie Five is the cool look and feel of the restaurant," Tasker says. "Then you see how fresh their ingredients are, and how quickly they can make such a delicious, made-to-order pizza. It's really impressive. But what really hit home is how committed they are to supporting their local communities. That, to me, was the clincher. We can't wait to bring the Pie Five revolution to St. Louis."
