Native Texans Open First Uncle Maddio’s Pizza Joint in the Southwest; New Franchisees to Bring Fast Casual Pizza to Austin, Dallas and Waco
Atlanta, GA (PRWEB) January 07, 2014 -- Two chefs and an aerospace engineer have come together in their love for the Lone Star state and great food to bring Uncle Maddio’s Pizza Joint to the Southwest. In a new multi-unit development agreement, Stewart Geyer will join Janie Stephens and Emily Stephens in giving Texans a taste of a top franchise concept. The first of five units is slated to open in Austin at 5601 Brodie Lane Suite 1200A in April. The team plans to open additional restaurants in Waco and Dallas by the end of 2014.
Geyer is a former Lockheed Martin engineer turned entrepreneur. Both Emily and Janie Stephens received culinary training from Le Cordon Bleu in Paris. All three are University of Texas alumni and are excited about blending Geyer’s business expertise and the Stephens’ chef experience together in this new venture.
“The single most important thing that resonated with us is Uncle Maddio’s ‘Served with Love’ mantra. It’s what the founders and employees live by. It’s instilled in managers and you see it truly come to life in the customer experience,” said Geyer.
Stewart is originally from Texas and has deep roots in Texas and the Uncle Maddio’s group. After completing his undergraduate degree at The University of Texas, he moved to Atlanta to pursue his Master of Science degree in Aerospace Engineering at Georgia Tech. While completing his graduate degree in Atlanta, he met founder Matt Andrew and Roger Wagerman and helped build the Uncle Maddio’s concept.
“It’s been amazing for us as franchisees to see what makes Uncle Maddio’s so different. It’s a real restaurant serving up quick and fresh food in a fast-casual setting,” said Geyer.
While Geyer is an investor in Uncle Maddio’s, he believed the industry leading franchise would be great for Texans for a number of reasons. As the original create-your-own-pizza place, Uncle Maddio’s emphasizes its fresh ingredients including made-from-scratch dough and sauces, locally grown vegetables, and gluten-free and Vegan options.
“Janie and Emily are happy that they’ll get to use their in-depth knowledge and skills from culinary school in Uncle Maddio’s intricate and sophisticated recipes. Everything is made on-site with the highest quality ingredients. We prepare homemade dough every morning and sauces from scratch,” added Geyer.
For Janie and Emily, the restaurant passed their test for culinary and healthy eating standards. Both prefer organic, hormone-free and are cognizant of their gluten intake. Initially, they weren’t necessarily looking to work with a pizza chain, but they were excited about the opportunity to use their culinary expertise and contribute to a growing franchise.
Founder Matt Andrew values variety and choice, so that every customer is able to create their own pizzas, salads and paninis. Uncle Maddio’s offers a made-from-scratch 9-inch individual pizza with up to three toppings, baked in 6-minutes, for $6.99. Completely customizable, guests choose one of three crusts, including a gluten-free option, and have the choice of 48 toppings including six sauces, 27 vegetables and 15 meats. Uncle Maddio’s offers healthful options like whole wheat and gluten-free crusts, hormone-free chicken, fresh local vegetables, Daiya vegan cheese and organic greens. A “take and bake” option offers a quick family meal at home.
The menu also features create-your-own salads with a vast variety of crisp garden-fresh vegetables, as well as a menu full of signature salads such as Greek, Chicken Caesar, and Santa Fe. Uncle Maddio’s also features an assortment of toasted panini sandwiches, including choice creations such as Maddio’s Steak and Cheese, Basil Chicken, Tuscan Meatball, Turkey Bacon Cheddar and more.
“With more than 5-million choices, there is something for everyone at Uncle Maddio’s,” said Andrew. “We are excited to expand into Texas and are delighted to have two more culinary chefs among the ranks of our franchisees. We look forward to working with them to bring our customers the best ingredients, and maintain the highest standards for our pizzas, salads and paninis.”
Texas is just one of the latest additions to the fastest-growing fast casual pizza brand. The Uncle Maddio’s Pizza Joint franchise operation is expanding with 165 units in development. Key expansion markets include Georgia, Alabama, Florida, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas, Tennessee, Virginia, and Washington, D.C.
For more information on Uncle Maddio’s Pizza Joint, visit http://www.unclemaddios.com. Interested franchisees can visit http://www.unclemaddios.com/franchise-info/ or contact Roger Wagerman at roger(at)unclemaddios(dot)com.
About Uncle Maddio’s Pizza Joint
Celebrating its 5th year, Uncle Maddio’s Pizza Joint is the original create-your-own fast casual pizza restaurant. Operating 18 restaurants in six states, Uncle Maddio’s is the fastest growing fast casual pizza brand in the US, with an additional 35 franchise restaurants in development for 2014, and 165 units committed through its franchisee network. Uncle Maddio’s pizzas are completely customizable, made-to-order, and served up in just six minutes for under $7. Uncle Maddio’s offers four pizza sizes, three types of crusts, including gluten-free, six sauces, and 48 fresh toppings, many vegan, organic, and hormone-free. The freshest and largest menu in the category, Uncle Maddio’s also serves toasted paninis and gourmet salads -- all prepared with locally sourced ingredients and salad dressings that are made daily. Based in Atlanta, Uncle Maddio’s management team has 50 years combined experienced in the fast casual category. Uncle Maddio’s has targeted Georgia, Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkansas, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas, Colorado, Tennessee, and Virginia.
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Media Contact: Ellen Hartman (678) 399-3335, ellen(at)hartmanpr(dot)com
Ellen Weaver Hartman, Hartman Public Relations, LLC, http://www.hartmanpr.com, +1 (678) 399 3335, [email protected]
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