Adrie Groeneweg, co-founder and president of pizza-buffet concept Pizza Ranch, decided in 1981 to open his first restaurant in his hometown of Hull, Iowa, after watching too many neighbors head to nearby Sioux City for pizza.
Although trend watchers find that Americans are slightly more upbeat than they had been in the depths of the downturn, they remain wary when it comes to dining out.
Despite a tough couple of months at the beginning of the year, Mike Shumsky, chief executive of CiCi’s Pizza, thinks the 625-unit pizza buffet chain is doing well considering the effects of the economy on the restaurant industry.
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