&pizza Announces Funding
New Locations for DC Announced; Company Exploring Plans to Expand Outside of Region
WASHINGTON, Feb. 20, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- &pizza, a Washington, D.C.-based company known for its trademark ampersand, gourmet handmade pies, inventive flavour combinations, localized store design and dedication to the communities they serve, announces it has received a $10 million investment for growth and expansion.
The brand plans to leverage the investment along with the investors' experience in branded consumer retail for expansion of its stores in key markets. Already with nine locations in the DC metropolitan area, and with six more slated to open in the first half of 2015 in Barracks Row, Chinatown, Dupont Circle South, North Bethesda, Maryland and within Reagan National and Dulles International Airports, the not yet three-year-old brand promises not to outgrow its britches.
Founded in 2012 in Washington D.C.'s historic H Street NE corridor, &pizza founders Steve Salis and Michael Lastoria set out to create a different kind of pizza shop - one where experience is the focal point, and every shop reflects the culture and people of its neighbourhood. Evidence of their disruptive success can be found in the organizational culture of its employees (the brand calls them Tribe Members), its rapid expansion and numerous recognitions, including Best Pizza and Best Vegetarian in Washington, DC.
But the &pizza experience doesn't stop with its Tribe. The pizza itself, made with fresh ingredients of your choosing, including housemade mozzarella, and served with unparalleled guest service—all in under four minutes – is the main attraction. As a compliment to the acclaimed pizza, &pizza also has a variety of mouth-watering housemade and branded wines, hand-crafted sodas, salads, and desserts.
&pizza's impact goes far beyond its four walls; the company prides itself on its community outreach efforts and localized charity programs, held under its umbrella foundation, &charity, all of which have created an unprecedented level of brand loyalty in the Washington, D.C. region.
Said co-founder and CEO Steve Salis, "We've built a company from the ground up that has a real purpose, and this investment will allow us to expand our mission, both deeper inside the city limits of the nation's capital, and far beyond." Adds co-founder and president Michael Lastoria, "We have built a brand with an incredible amount of guest loyalty, and we are proud of what our tribe has accomplished in the past three years. We are incredibly excited to bring &pizza into the next phase of its growth."
Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150219/176671
SOURCE &pizza
Share this article