PIZZA-TEURS
The entrepreneurialism of the pizza industry is reflected through store ownership opportunities where 54 percent of the nearly 73,000 pizza stores nationwide are independently-owned and operated. The pizza industry contributes nearly 1 million jobs to the nation’s economy bringing employment to communities across the country through hourly employees, delivery drivers, supply vendors, and local store owners and operators.
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Many pizza store owners started as part-time and hourly workers before embarking on their path to ownership. Here are stories of pizza-teurs around the country:
Amy Kesecker
Owner of Figaro’s Pizza in Philomath, Oregon
Amy began working at the pizza store in high school 17 years ago and became an owner of the same store ten years ago.
Betsy Clemenson
Owner of Pizza Factory in Moreno Valley, California
Betsy started out as an assistant manager to help out the family who owned the local Pizza Factory and 12 years later became the owner of her own franchise.
Bre Hawkins
Owner of Pizza Factory in Temecula, California
Bre started out as a part-time counter worker in high school sixteen years ago at a Pizza Factory in Washington before becoming an employee of her current store in California.
Betsy Clemenson
Owner of Pizza Factory in Moreno Valley, California
Betsy started out as an assistant manager to help out the family who owned the local Pizza Factory and 12 years later became the owner of her own franchise.
Brad Price
Owner of 15 Godfather’s Pizza restaurants in
Iowa and Minnesota
Brad started working at a local Godfather's Pizza while still in high school as an hourly employee. After graduating, Brad worked his way up through management before buying into the local franchise. Thirty-eight years later, he owns 100 percent of the company with 15 Godfather's Pizza restaurants.
Christian Reisch
Owner of Pizza Factory in Moreno Valley, California
began his career in 1992 as a part-time delivery driver while serving in the Army. After transitioning back to civilian life in 1993 and continuing to deliver while going back to school, Christian realized his true dream was to own his own business. In the fall of 1997, Christian took on a management role and quickly climbed through the ranks becoming the supervisor for all downtown Washington, D.C. stores in 2001. By 2004 he achieved his dream of becoming an owner with two stores and now proudly owns seven stores.