"We feel confident about expanding at a quick rate" in the San Diego market, says Leslie Brown, senior director of development and administration for the 33-year-old pizza chain. She adds that the chain "did extensive demographic research which indicated the market could be a great match for us," before it opened its two existing San Diego area locations.
Peter Piper Pizza offers made-from-scratch pizza, fresh salads and a variety of appetizers and dessert in what it calls "a family-friendly environment that appeals to all ages." Its locations, usually 8,500 sf to 10,000 sf, feature entertainment such as interactive skill and redemption games, video attractions and an indoor playground.
The new expansion plans represent a growth spurt for the chain, which began in 1973 and reached 100 restaurants by 1986. The first store opened in Glendale, AZ, and the chain now operates its existing 135 restaurants in Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas and Mexico. Chainwide growth plans include expanding into the Northwest in cities such as Portland and Seattle, as well as into other western markets including Denver, Salt Lake City and throughout Riverside County, CA.
In San Diego, the pizza chain is looking at sites in places such as Oceanside, Santee, San Marcos and Escondido. In the Dallas-Fort Worth area, in addition to the four new restaurants by the end of 2008, the plan calls for a total of 10 during the next five years. The chain has its eyes on locations in Frisco, McKinney, Arlington, Grapevine and Hurst.
Peter Piper, which typically seeks to locate its stores in regional or neighborhood shopping centers with strong anchor tenants, also prefers freestanding buildings or end-cap space. It looks for locations convenient to residential areas, schools and recreational facilities.
In its site selection, the company looks for locations with a permanent population of at least 80,000 in a five-mile radius with a positive population growth trend over the most recent five years. In addition, it requires an average household size of 2.8, a median age of 35 or less, and a minimum of 25% of the population in the trade area should be under the age of 18.
About two-thirds of the Peter Piper locations are franchises and the remainder are company-owned. The chain also operates concessions at US Airways Center, home of the Phoenix Suns basketball team; and Chase Field, home of the Arizona Diamondbacks baseball team
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