May 28, 2008 // Franchising.com // Everett, WA - Garlic Jim's Famous Gourmet Pizza, the first and only gourmet carry-out and delivery pizza chain, is proud to announce the debut of their new gluten-free pizzas in the Portland/Vancouver Metro area on Tuesday, May 27.
Gluten-free pizzas are being introduced by Garlic Jim's at the request of many customers who have family members and friends who suffer from gluten intolerance. As a result of these requests, the Garlic Jim's Operations Department conducted extensive research and testing culminating in a gluten-free pizza menu that recreates Garlic Jim's famous specialty pizzas with a special crust developed by a Vancouver, WA company.
"I was amazed by the public's enthusiasm for gluten-free pizzas" says Dwayne Northrop, CEO, Garlic Jim's. "I'm glad that we can provide Garlic Jim's amazing gourmet pizzas to those who have been denied pizza due to gluten intolerance."
Brandon Hodges, Vice President of NW Operations at Garlic Jim's, says "We worked closely with the Gluten Intolerance Group of North America to make certain that our stores had the proper training and knowledge so they could be compliant and avoid cross-contamination. We're confident that our franchisees are ready to roll out this exciting addition to the Garlic Jim's menu."
The Cedar Hills, OR store (12480 SW Walker Road, Beaverton) will be hosting a special tasting of Garlic Jim's new gluten-free pizzas from 2:30 - 4 pm on Tuesday, May 27th. The store is located in the Walker Center Mall at the intersection of Cedar Hills Boulevard & Walker Road. For more information, contact the store directly at 503.645.3400.
ABOUT GARLIC JIM'S
In the $33 billion dollar-a-year, highly competitive U.S. pizza industry, Garlic Jim's Famous Gourmet Pizza is proud to be the first pizza franchise to focus on quick delivery pizza made fresh with gourmet toppings. Garlic Jim's in-store system and team member training allows them to make pizza in 15 minutes or less "from order to out the door," thus pioneering the concept "Gourmet, Right Away!"
At Garlic Jim's the term 'gourmet' signifies more than just the finished pizza - it refers to the finest ingredients: fresh packed sauces, fresh whole-milk mozzarella and fresh dough made daily, where the customer can certainly taste the difference. Garlic Jim's offers customers two crust choices; hand-thrown thick, made with parmesan cheese and buttermilk, or garlic thin; four cheese options: whole-milk mozzarella, cheddar, feta and grated parmesan; seven sauces: classic red, garlic basil, basil pesto, zesty chipotle pesto, creamy ranch, smokin' sweet BBQ or garlic-infused olive oil, and a variety of meats, vegetables and gourmet toppings such as roasted garlic, marinated artichoke hearts, roasted corn and sun-dried tomatoes.
With gourmet pizzas such as Nutty Chipotle™, zesty chipotle pesto topped with spicy Italian sausage, pepperoni, red onions, tomatoes and cashews, Jim's Gourmet Garlic™, basil pesto sauce, marinated artichoke hearts, roasted garlic, sun-dried tomatoes and feta cheese, and Chicken Bacon Ranch, grilled chicken, bacon, cheddar cheese, tomatoes, red onions and creamy ranch sauce, Garlic Jim's is putting a new spin on pizza. "We've gone out of our way to source the best ingredients available to create our specialty pizzas and as a result we also have the best tasting pepperoni pizza you will ever find," says Northrop.
Garlic Jim's has grown from two open stores in 2004 to 48 open stores as of May 2008. Garlic Jim's currently has locations in Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, New Jersey, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas and Washington. With projections of substantial growth in 2008, Garlic Jim's is sure to become the fastest growing gourmet pizza franchise in the country. In the September 2007 issue of Pizza Today Magazine, Garlic Jim's is named 96 on their Top 100 Companies list, an amazing number for the up and coming franchise. For more information on Garlic Jim's pizza and franchising, visit their Web site at www.garlicjims.com, or call 866.918.JIMS (5467).
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