CiCi’s Pizza Announces Franchise Expansion in Phoenix; Plans 25 New Restaurants Over Several Years

COPPELL, TX–(Marketwire – July 7, 2010) –  CiCi’s Pizza®, a leading family-dining restaurant serving endless flavor, variety and value with its hot and fresh pizza buffet, announced today franchise expansion in Phoenix as part of the company’s 2010 strategic growth plans. The company is currently seeking franchisees to develop 25-30 new restaurants in Phoenix and surrounding cities including Tempe, Glendale, Scottsdale and Tucson. CiCi’s expects to open 50+ new units per year over the next five years.

Currently, there are three CiCi’s operating in Phoenix with an additional two restaurants in development, and in Tucson there is one CiCi’s currently operating and an additional three in development. 

“For more than 25 years, CiCi’s has been serving its quality, made fresh daily pizza buffet and we’re excited to expand our footprint in Phoenix,” said Jim Sheahan, vice president of franchise sales, CiCi’s Pizza. “We are now actively seeking franchisees in and around Phoenix who want to own and operate their own restaurant and become more involved in the communities in which they serve.”

Executives from CiCi’s Pizza will be hosting an all-day franchising expo on July 15^th from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Courtyard Marriott – Tempe at 601 South Ash, Tempe, AZ. CiCi’s encourages all entrepreneurs interested in franchising to attend to learn more about the business opportunity of owning a CiCi’s Pizza. 

Formal presentations will be held at 12:00 p.m., 3:00 p.m., and 6:00 p.m. However, the CiCi’s team is available to meet one-on-one throughout the day to discuss opportunities and answer any questions. For more information or to RSVP, visit cicispizza.com or contact Jim Sheahan at 972-745-9318 or [email protected].

The company has embarked on a national growth plan that includes expanding in existing markets, while entering new cities throughout the country. CiCi’s is focused on attracting new qualified operators to open restaurants in priority markets, specifically California, New York, New Jersey, Arizona, Nevada, Philadelphia, Michigan, Minnesota, Illinois, and Wisconsin.

Start-up costs for a single unit averages $550,000 and includes a franchise fee of $30,000. Franchisees are required to fund 30 percent in cash. CiCi’s franchisees are provided the tools and resources needed to sustain and grow their restaurants. Franchisees benefit from multi-million dollar nationwide advertising and sales programs designed to promote and enhance the collective success of all restaurants in the CiCi’s system.

“Since our founding in 1985, we have shown consistent growth year after year,” added Sheahan. “We are looking for energetic, dedicated professionals to help us bring the freshest concept in affordable dining to more families in Phoenix and across the U.S. We encourage individuals in the Phoenix area who are interested in owning a restaurant to attend our franchising expo to learn more about the benefits of becoming a CiCi’s Pizza franchisee.”

With more than 630 restaurants in 35 states and 150 new restaurants at various stages of development, CiCi’s has ranked number one for Sales and Unit Growth in the pizza chain category by Nation’s Restaurant News for the past three years and number one franchise in the pizza industry by Franchising Business Review. Additionally, StartupJournal.com, Wall Street Journal’s guide for entrepreneurs, listed CiCi’s as one of the top 25 highest performing brands in the nation.

About CiCi’s Pizza
CiCi’s first restaurant opened in Plano, Texas in 1985. The family-oriented restaurant is known for its popular pizza, pasta and salad buffet featuring up to 20 varieties of pizza and fresh ingredients for $5 and change. Today, the expanding company has more than 650 restaurants in 33 states. CiCi’s commitment to value was recently recognized in USA Today, Restaurants & Institutions and Nation’s Restaurant News, which ranked CiCi’s No. 1 in sales and unit growth among pizza chains for the past three years. Entrepreneur magazine ranked CiCi’s Pizza first in the Italian restaurant industry category in 2009 and 2007. Also a franchise veteran, CiCi’s was named to a list of the top 25 performing brands in the Wall Street Journal’s guide for entrepreneurs and a top 200 franchise concepts by Franchise Today. For more information about CiCi’s, visit www.cicispizza.com or www.facebook.com/cicis. 

Click here to see all recent news from this company