Pizza Fusion to Expand in Georgia with Opening of Atlanta's First LEED Certified Restaurant
America's most environmentally friendly restaurant to open five restaurants in Atlanta with first location opening this September to feature organic beer and wine bar
July 10, 2008 // Franchising.com // Atlanta, Ga. – Pizza Fusion (www.pizzafusion.com), America's most environmentally friendly restaurant, will introduce Atlanta's first LEED certified restaurant with the opening of the first of five LEED certified locations scheduled for the Atlanta market this September at 2233 Peachtree Rd., Atlanta, GA 30309. Entrepreneur Jeff Melnick is the franchisee behind Pizza Fusion's five store area development deal for Atlanta.
"Pizza Fusion's socially conscious values are a good fit with the likeminded residents of Atlanta," Melnick explains. "With seven Whole Foods and five Trader Joe's for a total of 12 organic food markets, in addition to 53 LEED certified buildings in Atlanta, Pizza Fusion's eco-friendly, organic cuisine will be a welcomed addition to the city's restaurant portfolio. It's going to be a great hybrid ride providing gourmet organic food to the residents of Atlanta. We're very excited to bring Pizza Fusion to Atlanta."
Pizza Fusion, whose motto is 'Saving the Earth, One Pizza at a Time,' serves a gourmet, organic menu of pizza, ciabatta sandwiches, wraps, desserts, beer and wine. They also offer health conscious alternatives for people with selective diets and food allergies, including gluten-free, casein-free, vegan and lactose-free options.
"High on the list of things our members wish for is to sit down at a restaurant and have gluten-free pizza," Tom Flynn, president of Atlanta Metro Celiacs, states. "With Pizza Fusion's opening, we are now going to have that here in Atlanta. I have heard good reviews from our members who have eaten at Pizza Fusion's in other parts of the country. The celiac forums have seconded those good reviews. I understand prevention of cross contamination is built into their staff training, having a gluten-free preparation area and having the top shelf of their oven, GF only. I am looking forward to their opening."
Taking the lead in environmentally sustainable restaurant practices, Pizza Fusion upholds an eco-friendly approach to their entire existence, including their restaurants' build-out, service and overall operations. From delivering their food in hybrid vehicles to offsetting their power consumption with certified renewable energy certificates to heating the water in their restaurants with their oven, Pizza Fusion is a socially responsible example for businesses and individuals alike, to follow.
"Georgia is a great market for Pizza Fusion," Vaughan Lazar, CEO and co-founder of Pizza Fusion, continues. "Their environmental initiatives have placed them among the top green states in the U.S. We believe our socially conscious approach to restaurant service will be warmly welcomed by the residents of Atlanta. Furthermore, expanding into the neighboring states of our headquarters is very important to us. We believe Jeff, possessing the socially responsible values we seek in our franchisees, is a perfect fit with our team. We're proud to welcome him into the Pizza Fusion family and look forward to his success in Atlanta."
Jeff is currently a member of Georgia Organics and sits on the Energy and Technology committee for the Green Food Service Alliance. Jeff, his wife and their two children have lived in Atlanta for a total of 14 years. Prior to Pizza Fusion, Jeff was Vice President of Media Solutions, an independent media buying firm. As a Marketing Consultant with Scholastic, Jeff helped coordinate a $2 million two year youth violence multi-media prevention program with Zell Miller, Governor of Georgia, called "Safe Schools, Safe Streets." Through volunteering, networking and strategic alliances, Jeff has begun to aggressively reach out to the organic and socially responsible communities in Atlanta.
About Pizza Fusion
From seed to plate, Pizza Fusion was founded in the best interest of society and the planet. Pizza Fusion combines an eclectic, organic menu with an industry-leading environmental approach to service in chic LEED certified full-service restaurants. Pizza Fusion, whose motto is 'saving the Earth, one pizza at a time,' specializes in gourmet pizzas, ciabatta sandwiches, salads, desserts, beers, wines and more in their purest form - untainted by artificial additives, such as pesticides, preservatives, antibiotics and hormones. Additionally, Pizza Fusion caters to the needs of selective diets with gluten-free, vegan, casein-free and lactose-free menu items. With more than 75 locations already in development in 15 states since the launch of their franchise program in 2007, Pizza Fusion is well on its way to redefining the restaurant industry. For additional information, visit: www.pizzafusion.com.
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