Pizza Studio has named William “Hank” Simpson chief operating officer of the 15-unit fast-casual chain, the company said Wednesday.
Simpson, who was senior vice president and chief franchise officer at Panera, joined the fast-casual bakery-café chain in 2002 as director of retail operations and joint venture partner. He later became chief company and joint venture operations officer, as well as chief development officer.
Pizza Studio chief executive Samit Varma said Simpson’s experience gives him invaluable knowledge in developing and building emerging fast-casual brands.
“We have the confidence that he will enable our company to continue its accelerated expansion across the country while further optimizing our operational excellence,” Varma said in a statement.
Pizza Studio is one of a growing number of fast-casual pizza concepts that let guests build their own pies, which are baked in only a few minutes in high-temperature ovens.
Founded in Los Angeles in 2013, the concept was developed by Varma, a former venture capital fund manager, along with former Wolfgang Puck Express licensing executive Ron Biskin.
Guests can choose from among four thin, crispy crust styles, along with a variety of sauces, toppings and cheese, all for the same price of $7.99. The pizzas are cooked in self-venting conveyor ovens.
Pizza Studio has an art theme, with restaurants designed to look like an artist’s studio, and guests are invited to “Create Your Masterpiece.” Local artists are invited to show and sell their work, with no commission going to the restaurant.
After opening its first location in downtown Los Angeles, Pizza Studio began franchising, but corporate growth has also continued. About half of the 15 units currently open in seven states are company owned.
Pizza Studio hopes to expand to nearly 100 locations across the U.S. by the end of 2015, including 20 to 25 units expected to open before the end of 2014.
Simpson said Pizza Studio stands out in an increasingly crowded niche, with its quality of product and crust variety, consistency of execution, strong franchise base and scalable unit economics.
“I think it’s an exciting segment, or else we wouldn’t have as many players as we do,” Simpson said. “We think Pizza Studio is going to play well in many venues.”
Contact Lisa Jennings at [email protected].
Follow her on Twitter: @livetodineout
