Sarpino’s USA, one of the fastest-growing pizza and Italian food delivery companies in the country, announced today the signing of a multi-unit franchise agreement with new franchisees Samar Sawaged and Sid Demirovski, two Denver-area entrepreneurs with more than 30 years of combined experience in business ownership, operations, and management. As part of the agreement, Sawaged and Demirovski will be ushering the Sarpino’s USA brand into Colorado for the first time with a commitment to develop its first five locations in the Denver metro area, the first of which is slated to open in Westminster in 2023.
“This agreement marks a significant milestone in our company history as we enter our ninth state and develop our first-ever locations in Colorado,” says David Chatkin, president of Sarpino’s USA. “Denver is an ideal market for Sarpino’s USA, with high consumer demand for elevated food options and strong economic growth and development. We’re so excited to have Samar and Sid join our fast-growing franchise system and bring unrivaled Italian recipes from the heart of Calabria, Italy to the Denver area.”
Sid Demirovski has a longstanding history with Sarpino’s USA; he was hired as a manager at the brand’s Evanston franchise location in 2010 at just 18 years old. He stayed with that franchisee for six years, working at his five locations throughout Illinois and learning the ins and outs of the business’ operations. Demirovski left the company in 2016 to explore working in property management before moving across the country to Denver in 2020. He applied the operations tactics he learned during his time with Sarpino’s USA to launch his own plumbing business. In 2021, Demirovski met Samar Sawaged, who moved to the U.S. from Jordan in 1996. Sawaged has been a Denver resident for more than 25 years and has owned several successful businesses throughout the area including liquor stores, a burrito restaurant, and a home daycare. After discussing going into business together, Demirovski brought up the idea of opening a Sarpino’s USA store in the heart of Denver.
“When Sid first introduced me to Sarpino’s USA, I was blown away by the quality of its food and knew immediately that it was different from big chain pizza delivery concepts. The brand takes an artisanal approach to pizza-making and offers a large, inclusive menu with an array of pizzas and Italian favorites, as well as an entirely separate vegan menu,” says Sawaged. “There is tremendous opportunity for Sarpino’s USA in Colorado, and we’re excited to bring the brand to Denver and be part of its early growth in the region.”
Sarpino’s USA’s multi-unit development agreement for Denver accelerates its national franchise expansion plan, a strategic five-year plan that aims to open dozens of new locations by the end of 2027. In addition to targeting untapped markets in Colorado for growth, the brand is zeroing in on where it’s already having great success, including South Florida; Kansas City, Missouri; and other states throughout the Southeast and Midwest.
Since entering the U.S. in 2002, Sarpino’s USA has grown to nearly 50 locations across Illinois, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, and Texas. The delivery-focused concept has developed a reputation for blending Old World Italian authenticity and American ingenuity, offering a robust menu with roots traced back to Calabria in Southern Italy as well as a convenient, seamless customer experience.
Today, Sarpino’s USA offers more than 60 specialty and gourmet pizzas, roughly 20 calzones and 20 sandwiches, 12 pastas, 11 salads, five bone-in wing flavors, and a variety of appetizers, plus an entire separate vegan menu. In a world of sameness and low-quality, factory-made pizzas, Sarpino’s USA has forged an entirely different path and makes its food from scratch, taking an artisanal approach to pizza-making simply not found in big chains.
