Pizza Factory is strengthening its foothold in California thanks to a monumental development deal that will bring five locations to parts of San Bernardino and Riverside counties.
Longtime franchise investors and multi-brand operators with 17 Wingstop locations, Larry Yanez and Jesus Martinez, will be the ownership team developing these Pizza Factory locations which will feature the brand’s Express model, specializing in delivery and carryout. The first restaurant is on track to open in the Inland Empire later this year.
“Jesus and I were interested in diversifying with a new brand and when searching for the right concept, Pizza Factory stood out to us,” says Yanez, owner of Fresh Up Restaurants, a restaurant development group. “The brand’s existing fanbase in California, continued commitment to innovation and hands-on corporate team were all aspects that we were searching for with our next brand. Given our experience with restaurant operations in and around San Bernardino, we’re confident Pizza Factory’s Express model will perform well in the market with its seamless approach to off-premise dining. We’re excited to expand our restaurant footprint with Pizza Factory and add the West Coast icon to our ownership portfolio.”
With Yanez’s franchise development experience and Martinez’s restaurant expertise, the pair will make an excellent team to spearhead Pizza Factory’s newest California restaurants. Jesus and Larry are looking forward to continue cultivating community-wide connections with Pizza Factory in the cities they already know so well.
From multiple fast-casual prototypes to a new Express quick-service model, Pizza Factory maintains its reputation for family-friendly dining and high-quality products. The brand specializes in its vast menu offerings, serving fresh, never frozen hand-tossed pizza, pasta, wings, sandwiches, salads, beer, wine and more. As Pizza Factory continues to develop into new markets, the brand is providing multi-unit operators flexible new-build or conversion options with delivery / curbside and traditional dine-in prototypes ranging from 1,000 – 4,000 sq. ft. The largest option typically features multiple dining sections, an arcade area for the kids, banquet rooms for parties and social gatherings and big-screen TVs throughout the restaurant.
“It is so exciting to see seasoned multi-brand operators like Larry and Jesus show interest in diversifying with our growing concept,” says Pizza Factory CEO Mary Jane Riva. “The duo’s experience in the restaurant space and quick-service operations make them the perfect franchisees to bring our Express model to communities around Southern California. I’m looking forward to seeing them open our concept in communities they know so well while expanding our location count in our home state.”
With aggressive development efforts underway, Pizza Factory is actively growing across the nation and seeking multi-unit operators to develop within Georgia and the Southeast. Additionally, the brand has a special development focus on California, Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, Texas, Wyoming and Washington.