800 Degrees secures financing for New York City locations

(Press Release) Los Angeles, CA, December 4, 2013 — 800 Degrees Neapolitan Pizzeria announced today that it has raised financing to build its first New York City location and will be opening within the next year. 800 Degrees has identified several sites in Manhattan with an eye towards opening a NoMad flagship restaurant with up to 4 additional locations to follow across the five boroughs.

“New Yorkers have an ingrained pizza culture but we see an opportunity,” said Anthony Carron, Co-Creator of 800 Degrees. “There are a lot of $1 slice joints and expensive boutique pizzerias. We have an unusual mix of authentic Neapolitan pizza with fresh, amazing ingredients, fast service and an incredible price for the quality. We believe 800 Degrees will be as big a hit in New York as it has been in California.”

800 Degrees Neapolitan Pizzeria serves build-your-own personal pizzas prepared to each guest’s liking and baked in around a minute in an 800-degree wood-burning oven, right before their eyes. After opening its Westwood Village location in January 2012 to rave reviews, 800 Degrees has been turning out, on average, 800-1,200 pizzas per day, serving 300,000 pizzas in its first year. 800 Degrees recently opened at the Tom Bradley International Terminal at LAX, opened an expanded to-go shop in Westwood, and plans to open in Santa Monica this December and Pasadena next year. The 800 Degrees team is currently scouting additional locations in Hollywood, Studio City, Downtown Los Angeles, Marina del Rey, Orange County, San Diego, New York and more.

800 Degrees was created by Chef Anthony Carron, in partnership with Umami Restaurant Group’s Adam Fleischman and Allen Ravert. For more information on 800 Degrees, visit www.800degreespizza.com.

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About Anthony Carron

A St. Louis native, Anthony Carron spent four years at Macalester College in St. Paul, MN before following his true calling in the gastronomic world. In 1998 Carron took a position as a prep cook in a local café. Inspired by the experience, he returned to St. Louis in 1999 and purchased and reinvented the 40 year-old Olivette Diner to much success and local acclaim. He later moved into fine dining with positions with the PB&J Restaurant Group leading him to San Francisco and ultimately a sous chef position at Aqua. In 2004, Carron was made the Chef de Cuisine to open Restaurant Michael Mina at the Westin St. Francis. Carron’s talents led to a promotion as Corporate Executive Chef, where he opened 12 new restaurants with Mina. Carron’s other interests include volunteerism, sustainable food production, nature and the environment. In 1994 he was awarded the United Way Volunteer of the Year Award for the St. Louis Area. In January 2012, Anthony opened 800 Degrees Neapolitan Pizzeria in Los Angeles, a concept that he created and co-developed. Anthony also created and opened Top Round Roast Beef in Los Angeles, to critical acclaim in June.

About Umami Restaurant Group

Umami Restaurant Group is a Los Angeles-based restaurant group founded by Adam Fleischman, a self-taught chef and successful food and wine entrepreneur best known for his revolutionary burger concept, Umami Burger. Umami Burger was named “Burger of the Year” by GQ magazine. Umami Burger’s first location opened on La Brea Avenue in 2009 and currently has over twenty locations open across California, New York and Florida, with additional locations planned across the country. Umami Restaurant Group is involved with 800 Degrees Pizza in Westwood and Red Medicine in Beverly Hills. For more information on Umami Restaurant Group and Adam Fleischman, please visit umami.com.

About Allen Ravert

Allen Ravert is a Los Angeles restaurateur with over twenty-nine years of restaurant management experience, including seventeen years as creator and co-owner of Studio City, CA mainstay Mexicali Cocina & Cantina. Allen began his management career opening the very first Hard Rock Café in the United States. He then moved on to help other burgeoning franchises like The Cheesecake Factory and Hamburger Hamlet open some of their most successful and promising locations. Before opening his own restaurant he was the director of operations for Marix Tex Mex restaurant group with annual revenues of over $10 million dollars. Allen is currently the co-owner of Umami Burger Valli, part of the Umami Restaurant Group. He designed and built the latest location next door to Mexicali; its unique flair has become a huge hit with the valley patrons. More recently, Allen assisted in founding and developing 800 Degrees Neapolitan Pizzeria, to critical acclaim. He is currently helping to grow the Umami Burger and 800 Degrees Neapolitan Pizzeria brands. Allen also has over fifteen years as a property manager, managing twenty different residential and commercial entities, including the Studio City Shopping Center where Mexicali and Umami Burger Valli are located.