Love is part of the dining experience at Uncle Maddio’s. At each of the fast casual pizza brand’s 50 stores, a “served with love” guarantee can be found on one of the walls of the dining room, and each pizza delivered to a table is accompanied by the “served with love” greeting from an Uncle Maddio’s employee. It originally started as a way to make diners feel cared for and has become a core part of the brand. “That motto has become something that we can all get behind,” says Matt Andrew, CEO of Uncle Maddio’s.

The Uncle Maddio’s brand is poised for rapid expansion in 2016 and beyond, thanks to several key differentiations. The brand began when Andrew noticed that pizza was one of the few segments of fast casual left where diners still shared a main dish instead of ordering their own. “I always thought it was interesting that pizzas came in one size,” he says. “So we decided to do something different. We started offering four different sizes of crusts for pizza.”

Andrew didn’t stop there, and spent close to a year in a test kitchen working with chefs to develop proprietary dough and sauce recipes, plus a blend of cheeses for Uncle Maddio’s pizza. “You need three things to make a great pizza,” he says. “You need great dough, great sauce, and great cheese. And we’ve got all three.”

It paid off, and diners have packed the dining rooms of the Atlanta-based chain consistently since it opened in 2008. The success of the brand is due in part to the premium toppings and delicious pizzas, but also the fact that pizzas start at $8 each and can be ready in 6 minutes thanks to the company’s fast-bake ovens. That equals 200 pizzas baked and sold in an hour. “Our diners say we have the best pizza and the best prices,” Andrew says.

The addition of key investors, S&S Group, which has a proven record of investing in successful franchises, and Rutherford Sydell, who brings a wealth of real estate knowledge, showcase the brand’s commitment to expansion.

Potential franchisees who “have a desire to succeed and a desire to work hard” will fit in perfectly with the Uncle Maddio’s team. The company requires franchisees have minimum liquid assets of $120,000, and the cost to open a store starts at $400,000. After applying, franchisees are brought to the company’s Atlanta headquarters for a discovery day and the opportunity to meet the corporate team before completing 10 days of training. Buildout of a store can take as little as eight weeks.

For Andrew it’s all about providing franchisees with the tools to be successful. “We’re really giving our franchisees the keys to our brand,” he says “and we’re only as good as our partners.”

Franchisees who want to join a team where every dish on the menu is served with love, and owners are an important part of the brand, should join the Uncle Maddio’s team.

For more information about franchising opportunities with Uncle Maddio's, visit www.UncleMaddios.com