Charlotte, NC (PRWEB) January 12, 2007 — Brixx Wood Fired Pizza is stoking its wood-burning ovens and preparing to expand throughout the southeast … and the country. The company announced today that it has teamed with Neil Newcomb, co-founder of McAlister’s Deli, to form Brixx Franchise Systems, LLC.

The new company is actively seeking qualified business people to join the Brixx team as owner/operators and is hoping to establish five to 10 new franchise locations in the next year.

“Since opening its first location in Charlotte in 1998, Brixx has rapidly grown to nine locations throughout North and South Carolina,” said Newcomb. “Brixx’s success is built on simple, smooth operations and a high-quality menu that provides great value to the customer at reasonable operating costs for the owner.”

The centerpiece of each Brixx location is its wood-burning oven that enhances the natural flavors of the restaurant’s pizzas and focaccia breads. Brixx serves a variety of gourmet pizzas, as well as salads made with locally grown greens and sandwiches served on bread baked on-site daily. Customers can also enjoy a wide variety of wines by the glass and beers on tap. The average Brixx location is 3,200 to 3,400 square feet and employs 40 to 50 people.

“Another key to Brixx’s success is that its founders applied a fine-dining quality to pizza and placed it in a fun, colorful and casual environment,” said Newcomb. “Ultimately, Brixx has extremely loyal customers who view it as a neighborhood hangout –
somewhere they want to visit on a weekly basis. And, they always know they’ll get a fantastic meal at a reasonable price.”

Creating successful neighborhood restaurants is Newcomb’s passion. While in college, Newcomb co-founded McAlister’s with his father and brother when they opened their first location in Oxford, Miss., in 1989. When success followed, so did requests for franchising opportunities. Today, there are more than 200 McAlister’s Deli locations throughout the United States.

Newcomb is a welcome addition to the Brixx management team, which is a bit of a family affair itself. Managing Partners Jeff Van Dyke and Eric Horsley met while working at the same restaurant almost 25 years ago. They have worked together ever since, founding several restaurant concepts, including Brixx. Brixx controller and operating partner, Barbara Morgan, joined Van Dyke and Horsley 20 years ago. After carefully expanding Brixx to ensure steady success, they see franchising as the logical next step.

“Our customers have embraced Brixx everywhere we’ve gone,” said Van Dyke. “Almost since day one, we’ve received substantial interest from customers who wanted to open a Brixx of their own … one as far away as Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. We’re confident that Neil’s experience and his belief in the business practices we’ve established are the ingredients we need to make Brixx a national brand.”

What franchise owners/operators can expect
Franchisees will receive strong support from Brixx, starting with a comprehensive managers’ training school. One of the hallmarks of the company is its ability to train and retain managers. In fact, many of Brixx’s general managers have come up through the ranks at other Brixx locations, ultimately earning the opportunity to open and manage a new location. This is something of a rarity in an industry known for high turnover.

Franchisees will be able to tap into a team of food vendors, architects and consultants that have worked with the original Brixx locations and will provide services and materials at reasonable rates. Brixx will also provide franchisees marketing support and consulting from Newcomb, Van Dyke, Horsley and other members of the Brixx team. This includes assistance in scouting and identifying locations that set Brixx up for success.

For information on franchise opportunities, visit http://www.brixxpizza.com/f_franchise.shtml

About Brixx
The first Brixx opened in Charlotte’s historic Dilworth neighborhood in 1998. To date, Brixx has nine locations throughout North and South Carolina: Charlotte, N.C.; Greensboro, N.C.; Chapel Hill, N.C.; Mount Pleasant, S.C.; and Greenville, S.C. Brixx Wood Fired Pizza is owned by New South Pizza Inc.

Additional information, including a complete menu, and high-resolution images of Brixx locations, is available at http://www.BrixxPizza.com