Pizza Factory facts for kids
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Pizza Factory in Groveland, California
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| Industry | Restaurants |
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| Founded | 1979 in Oakhurst, California, US (as Danny's Red Devil Pizza) |
| Founder | Danny Wheeler Carol Wheeler |
| Headquarters |
Oakhurst, California
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United States
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Number of locations
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110 (2017) |
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Areas served
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Western United States |
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Key people
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Mary Jane Riva (president and chief executive officer) |
| Products | Pizzas and other food |
| Revenue | $60.3 million (2015) |
| Owner | Mary Jane Riva |
Pizza Factory Inc. is a popular chain of pizza restaurants. You can find these restaurants mostly in the western United States. The company started in Oakhurst, California. It began in 1979 when Danny Wheeler and his wife Carol opened their first pizza place. They called it Danny's Red Devil Pizza. Later, in 1981, Ron Willey and his wife Joyce opened a second restaurant. This one was called Pizza Factory.
In 1986, the Wheelers and Willeys started letting other people open Pizza Factory restaurants. This is called franchising. By the year 2000, Pizza Factory had grown across the western U.S. In 2012, Mary Jane Riva bought the company. She had been a Pizza Factory owner for a long time. She became the new president and chief executive officer. By 2016, there were 115 Pizza Factory locations in six U.S. states.
Contents
How Pizza Factory Started
The First Pizza Places
In 1979, Danny Wheeler and his wife Carol bought a pizza restaurant. It cost them $5,000. They named it Danny's Red Devil Pizza. It was in Oakhurst, California, near Yosemite National Park. Ron Willey and his wife Joyce often ate there. In 1981, the Willeys opened their own pizza place. It was in Mariposa, California, and they called it Pizza Factory.
Growing the Business
By 1982, friends wanted to open their own Pizza Factory restaurants. The Wheelers and Willeys let them use the name for a fee. They also helped set up new restaurants. These new places were in small towns across the San Joaquin Valley. Carol Wheeler and Joyce Willey wanted the food to taste the same everywhere. They convinced their husbands to start franchising in 1986. This meant others could open Pizza Factory locations.
The owners chose to open restaurants in small towns. These towns usually had fewer than 15,000 people. They felt they could not compete with bigger companies in large cities. Each restaurant was designed so customers could watch their food being made. Owners were encouraged to add local pictures and join community events. They also supported local sports teams. Joyce Willey said, "Our customers are like family."
Expanding Across States
By 1988, the chain had 36 franchise restaurants. They were in California, Arizona, Idaho, and Oregon. The company wanted to add 20 to 25 new restaurants each year. This was to keep the company small enough to manage. They hoped to have 200 locations by 1992.
Pizza Factory set up training schools. These schools taught new owners how to run a restaurant. The company also held yearly meetings. Field directors, who were also owners, checked each location. They looked for cleanliness and food quality. In 1988, Entrepreneur magazine listed Pizza Factory as one of the top franchises.
By May 1989, there were 45 restaurants. They were in six states: Arizona, California, Florida, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington. Pizza Factory started its first TV, newspaper, and radio ads. The company decided to focus on opening more restaurants in these six states.
New Leadership and Growth
Mary Jane Riva Takes Over
In September 2012, the Wheelers and Willeys sold the company. Mary Jane Riva bought it. She was a longtime Pizza Factory owner from Murrieta, California. Riva became the new president and chief executive officer. At that time, Pizza Factory had 111 restaurants in five western U.S. states. Riva had owned her first Pizza Factory in 1989. She had also helped expand the company in southern California.
Plans for the Future
In January 2013, Riva planned to lower costs. She also wanted to get more customers. She used TV ads and mail promotions. Riva also planned to open 15 to 20 new stores. Some of these would be in bigger cities.
Riva also started an anti-bullying campaign. It was called "No Bully Zone." She had started this program at her own restaurant in Temecula, California in 2009. T-shirts were sold to support the program. The anti-bullying message was also on billboards and in school videos.
In 2014, Pizza Factory got a new look. They updated their dishes, menus, and signs. Riva also brought back the open kitchen idea. Customers could watch cooks toss pizza dough. The company's slogan became, "We Toss 'Em, They're Awesome!" By the end of 2014, Pizza Factory planned to expand into Montana and Canada. In 2015, the company made $60.3 million. This was almost $10 million more than the year before.
Recent Expansion
In August 2016, Pizza Factory had 115 locations. They were in Arizona, California, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington. Riva hoped to double the number of locations in the next five years. Pizza Factory still focused on being a restaurant for families and friends. Riva said that many successful restaurants were in small towns.
In March 2017, Pizza Factory announced plans for a Montana location. It would be in Billings. In June 2017, they planned another location in Kalispell, Montana. This was part of a plan to grow in five states. These states included Colorado, Montana, New Mexico, Texas, and Wyoming. Riva noted that most restaurants were in cities with fewer than 25,000 people.
In August 2017, Pizza Factory teamed up with the San Jose Sharks. This is a National Hockey League team. Pizza Factory became the only pizza provider at the SAP Center. This partnership also helped promote the "No Bully Zone" program. As of October 2017, the company had 110 restaurant locations.
What Pizza Factory Serves
Pizza Factory offers more than just pizza. They also serve calzones, sandwiches, and soups. You can also get appetizers like chicken wings and "Breadstix." Pizzas are made with fresh, hand-tossed dough every day. Pizza sizes range from 8 to 16 inches.
Some special pizzas include Fajita Chicken and Meat Lovers. They also have Pesto & Garlic and Western-Style BBQ Chicken. Some locations even have a pizza and salad buffet. In 2015, a poll ranked Pizza Factory as one of "America's Favorite Pizza Chains."
