The Pizza Press, a leading fast-casual, build-your-own pizza restaurant, has taken a bite out of the rapidly growing pizza category. Last year proved to be a record-breaking year as the brand reached a total of 84 awarded franchise units. The company aims to continue its growth momentum with plans to have 50 locations open in 2018 while awarding 25-30 more, through strategic franchise partnerships.
“It was important to us that 2017 was a year composed of building a solid foundation for our brand to grow,” says Dara Maleki, CEO and founder of The Pizza Press. “By focusing on building a strong corporate team, infrastructure, and system for development, we were able to effectively set standards and welcome a diverse network of franchisees. In fact, we have seen a 517 percent increase in franchise unit sales from the start of franchising in 2015 to the end of 2017.”
The Pizza Press has already identified 2018 as a breakout year, aiming to make quantum leaps as a brand while driving continued growth both nationally and internationally. With eyes set on expanding outside of its regional territory of Southern California, it has already broken into Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, North Carolina, Texas, Nevada, Washington, and internationally in China. The brand will kick off 2018 with a total of 30 new restaurants projected to open by end of Q3 and 50 to open by year’s end, tripling the number of locations open in less than a year.
The driving theme for this growth is derived from the brand’s hunt for multi-unit franchisees who present strong leadership abilities to elevate the company to new heights. This paired with The Pizza Press’ superior product, unique ambience, and exceptional customer experience opens the doors for immense growth potential.
The Pizza Press is a unique concept dedicated to elevating the build-your-own pizza model to an experiential level, by creating an immersive 1920s Americana newspaper theme in which great food, craft beer, ambiance, and service are combined. Inspired by the mechanized dough press, The Pizza Press harkens back to an industrialized era when newspapers were the foundation of the community. Each location offers locally brewed beers, specialized design elements, and fundraisers to provide community support—all proving to be attractive features to consumers and prospective owners alike.
The rapidly growing franchise is offering prospects opportunities to expand in all parts of the world, developing in metropolitan markets, college towns, suburban regions, and with non-traditional locations. By 2020, the brand projects to have 300 franchise locations awarded.