Pizza Magia International, a regional pizza chain based in Louisville, Kentucky, has joined forces with Snappy Tomato Pizza, headquartered in Florence, Kentucky. Seven Louisville Pizza Magia locations will convert to Snappy Tomato Pizza operations this summer. Additionally, another three former Magia sites were purchased by a Snappy development team in central Alabama. Conversions on all ten locations will be completed by late summer. The Snappy Tomato Pizza Company was founded in 1978 in Fort Mitchell, Kentucky. The operation will have grown to nearly 80 locations by the end of August. Pizza Magia CEO Dan Holland began talks with Snappy Tomato several months ago. "To continue growing in this economy, we needed a stronger yet agile entity," Holland notes. "Snappy Tomato Pizza's larger number of stores dramatically increases buying power and provides significant economic efficiencies in key areas like procurement and marketing. I reviewed several emerging regional concepts and determined that Snappy Tomato was the best fit for our group." Holland says he was impressed with the Snappy Tomato history and growth. "They have proven that they can stand the test of time. I really liked the Snappy Tomato management team and am expecting a very smooth transition." "Converting the existing Pizza Magia stores will bolster Snappy Tomato's current growth rate," Holland continues. "The process of converting our Pizza Magia stores to Snappy Tomato Pizza is underway and will be completed some time this summer." Opening nearly 30 locations since 2002, Snappy Tomato Pizza has been very active lately. In addition to the ten Pizza Magia stores in conversion, six Snappy locations have already opened in 2005 and five more sites are currently under construction. Adding to all the excitement, other development deals have recently been signed that put Snappy area developers in parts of Tennessee, Alabama, Maryland and Delaware. Operations Director Vito LaCorte explains, "We have been fortunate to have established relationships with new franchisees who are very aggressive and eager to serve our quality products in their communities. We will continue to seek more qualified individuals who possess the same desire and drive that will help Snappy Tomato Pizza grow." In addition to the growth in number of units, same-store sales continue to increase. In Cincinnati, a market containing 26 Snappy locations, comparable sales are up nearly 11 percent versus 2004. This is in addition to three consecutive years of same-store sales increases. Bret Witte, Snappy Tomato's marketing director, says, "As sales continue to rise throughout our company, more focused local marketing strategies and new product innovations gives Snappy Tomato Pizza a competitive advantage." Snappy is well known in its markets for making fresh pizza dough inside each location every day and using only fresh cheese, never frozen. Additionally, they have been responsible for introducing some unique niche items within their markets. Some Snappy-exclusive products include The Ranch PizzaTM (uses a base of Ranch dressing instead of pizza sauce), THE BEASTTM (24 big slices that feeds eight to 10 hungry adults), The Buffalo Grilled Chicken PizzaTM (uses a base of buffalo hot sauce) and The SnapperoniTM (double pepperoni and extra cheese). "We've been very successful in introducing these new products to our existing customer base, while still attracting new consumers to our brand with these distinctive products," says LaCorte. "This lets our customers know that our backbone is still our traditional quality recipe, yet we are fresh enough to adapt to the ever-changing needs of our customers." Although most of Snappy's successes can be attributed to a committed effort on serving top-quality products, improving customer service and unique local marketing initiatives, growth capabilities lie within their franchise community. Witte says, "It is up to us, the corporate staff, to come up with the right tools and processes that allow our franchisees to grow and become successful. The hard work, dedication and effort comes from within each franchisee. Things are coming together nicely for us now. We are privileged enough to have an energetic group of hard-working franchise owners." To find out more about Snappy Tomato Pizza or inquire about franchise opportunities call 888.463.SNAP or visit Snappy on the Web: www.snappytomato.com.
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