by Steven Doyle
It seems the business model for fast casual restaurants are gearing quickly to look like Chipotle. This makes sense for restaurateurs wanting to give plenty fresh and fast options to their clientele who are seeking higher quality than the average fast food chain. Enter the latest in the arena of the Chipotle model, Project Pie, a chain from San Diego. Project Pie customers will find it easy to select from seven different pizzas on the menu for a fast exchange of $7.85, or choose from a myriad of ingredients including sauces, meat, and vegetables, also $7.85 regardless of the amount of toppings.
If this sounds eerily similar to local chain, Pie Five, you are correct. In fact many are looking at getting into the fast casual Chipotle-like pizza restaurants across the country. Be on the look out for such chains as Blaze Pizza (which is also making way to Dallas), PizzaRev and 800 Degrees. Everyone wants to be that next big chain the conquers all.
As for Prject Pie, you may have already noticed them building around Dallas in lux restaurant locations such as Preston Center near Hopdoddy, or the Greenville Avenue location directly across the street from long time pizza champ, Greenville Avenue Pizza Company. They are filling the space a few doors north on Greenville from HG Sply.
“Everybody’s saying this is the Chipotle of pizza. I’m really getting tired of that,” says Randy Grier, CEO of Pie Five parent Pizza Inn Holdings, with a laugh. “But I think it’s a reference that maybe helps consumers understand the concept.”
Eno’s in Oak Cliff has amazing thin crust pizza and great salads