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Former Applebee’s President and CEO To Open 10 Pie Five Pizza Co. Locations in Kansas City Area

By: Pizza Inn |  4 Shares     130 Reads

Restaurant Veteran Dave Goebel joins Growing List of Prominent Pie Five Franchisees

April 09, 2013 // Franchising.com // THE COLONY, Texas – The Kansas City area will soon welcome its first Pie Five Pizza Co. restaurant in a 10-unit franchise agreement with former Applebee’s President and Chief Executive Officer Dave Goebel.

Goebel, a seasoned restaurant veteran who served as an executive at Applebee’s for seven years, will join forces with his sons Kerry and Kevin to bring Pie Five to the Kansas City area.

“We looked very carefully at several fast-casual pizza concepts before making our decision,” Goebel said. “Pie Five already has the franchise infrastructure and support system in place and this is our opportunity to get in on the ground floor of a concept that is rapidly expanding throughout the nation.”

Goebel was also impressed with the company’s industry and franchising experience, strong leadership team and approach to creating custom pizzas with the freshest ingredients, baked to order and ready to enjoy in just five minutes.

“Once we met the Pie Five leadership team, we were sold. They bring a wealth of restaurant experience from world-class concepts,” Goebel said. “I’ve been in this industry a long time, and I know a great brand when I see one. And Pie Five is not just great, it’s revolutionary.”

Goebel started in the restaurant industry almost 40 years ago after earning his undergraduate degree from University of Notre Dame and while working on his graduate degree from Ohio State University. He has held high level executive positions at well-known chains, including vice president of operations at Ground Round and chief operating officer and partner at Boston Market. Today he also sits on the Board of Directors for Jack in the Box, Inc.

“I fell in love with the restaurant business at an early age,” he added. “I love the fast pace and interaction with guests. I also love that the industry is always changing and evolving. Pie Five is a game changer in the fast-casual space.”

Goebel also owns Prime Catering, and operates Goodcents Deli Fresh Subs and Y-Leave Café locations as a franchisee in Kansas City. Goebel will open his first Pie Five location in Kansas City. The city was recently ranked number ten on Travel & Leisure’s “Best Cities for Pizza.”

With the addition of Goebel, Pie Five has signed development agreements in the last six months for 38 locations that will also take the chain to Utah, North Carolina and Florida.

“We are thrilled to welcome Dave, Kerry and Kevin to the Pie Five team,” said Randy Gier, CEO of Pie Five. “Dave and our growing franchise network bring a multitude of experience and pedigree to Pie Five. As we build and operate corporate locations alongside our franchisees, we are poised to become one of the top brands in the restaurant industry.”

Since the original Pie Five restaurant opened in Fort Worth, Texas, in 2011, the concept has been named a 2012 Hot Concept of the Year award winner by Nation’s Restaurant News and recognized by Forbes as one of the 10 hot new chains.

About Pie Five Pizza Co.

Pie Five is a subsidiary of Pizza Inn Holdings, Inc. headquartered in the Dallas suburb of The Colony, Texas. Pizza Inn Holdings, Inc. is an owner, franchisor and supplier of a system of restaurants operating domestically and internationally. Pie Five Pizza Co. is a fast-casual concept offering individual pizzas made to order and cooked in less than five minutes. Founded in 1958, publicly traded Pizza Inn Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:PZZI) franchises approximately 300 restaurants and directly owns and operates 13 restaurants. For more information, please visit www.piefivepizza.com.

SOURCE Pizza Inn

Media Contact:

Brooke Ezell
BizCom Associates
469-275-4921
Brooke@Bizcompr.com

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