Kono Pizza USA, a fast-casual restaurant franchise that sells pizza in a cone-shaped crust, announced the signing of a multiunit franchise development deal that will bring three Kono Pizza locations to the Queen City.
The new Kono Pizza locations will be owned and operated by Matthews, North Carolina–based Guilford Adams LLC, comprised of astute entrepreneurs Carl and Gayle Adams. Gayle, the deputy division manager at VSE Corporation, and Carl, a patent examiner for the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office who also has experience working in foodservice franchise operations, chose Kono Pizza to further diversify their business development and management skills.
“After decades of devouring countless slices of triangle or square-cut pizza, Charlotte consumers are about to experience a progressive new way to enjoy their favorite Italian dish,” says Gayle Adams. “We’re excited to introduce Charlotte to a healthier and portable alternative to traditional pizza, the pizza cone.”
Served in a cone and filled with quality ingredients with its dough and sauce imported straight from Italy, Kono Pizza offers consumers a healthier, on-the-go alternative to one of their favorite foods. Featuring a thinner crust and low-moisture cheese, Kono Pizza cones are 250–280 calories each, compared to 450 calories in the average traditional pizza slice.
“In a flooded market with more than 70,000 pizzerias and fast-casual pizza concepts, we stand alone with a unique pizza product like no other franchise in the U.S.,” says David Ragosa, cofounder of Kono Pizza USA. “We expect our success in Charlotte to act as a catalyst for further expansion across the state, offering entrepreneurs the opportunity to get in on the ground floor with an innovative franchise in the fast-casual pizza segment.”
Kono Pizza USA was established in the U.S. in 2013 by a trio of entrepreneurs, David Ragosa, Carlo Ruggiero, and Greg Kinlaw, who took the popular European pizza cone concept and catapulted it into the U.S. marketplace with sights set on changing the pizza game. There are 130 Kono Pizza locations in 20 countries and an additional 15 stores in various stages of development across the U.S.
