Franchisee Embodies American Dream; Part of Nationwide Expansion
PHOENIX–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Humberto Valdez has been chasing the American Dream since he was a 17-year-old line cook at a neighborhood diner. His parents encouraged him to work hard and now those lifelong dreams have come true: Valdez will be opening five new Peter Piper Pizza locations in San Diego County over the next five years.
Valdez and Peter Piper have been together since the 1980s. He started as an assistant manager and after several promotions became a Franchise Business Consultant who oversaw all the Peter Piper operations in Mexico.
“I always clicked with the brand,” Valdez said. “The food is great, and the brand really speaks to families, and needless to say it’s a family affair for me.” His wife, Olivia Valdez, is also part of the Peter Piper family enjoying a career that includes 18 years with the company. After a collective 40 years with Peter Piper, the Valdez family decided it was time to take the next step and become franchisees. The couple has taken over two existing Peter Piper locations in the San Diego area, and then they will open the five new restaurants starting in the summer of 2009.
“This is a really big deal for us,” said Valdez, whose oldest son will manage one of the San Diego stores. “The pizza and entertainment experience offers a unique opportunity for our family, as well as for the families that live in San Diego.”
For Valdez, it’s all about the people behind the pizza and entertainment that make Peter Piper a unique brand. He said the friendly environment, the great food and the economic opportunities that include multiple lines of revenue (food and video games) made owning a Peter Piper franchise too good to turn down.
Peter Piper Pizza, which started in 1973 with a single restaurant in Glendale, Ariz., has grown into one of the top 20 pizza restaurant chains in the nation, totaling 139 locations between the U.S. and Mexico. Valdez said he is excited about expanding the Peter Piper franchise that features an 8,500-to-10,000 square foot facility with dozens of video and redemption games to such an attractive market.
Peter Piper offers made-from-scratch pizza, appetizers and desserts and a weekday, all-you-can-eat pizza and salad lunch buffet. The restaurants in San Diego will provide quality family entertainment for the popular, growing market of Southern California. He said that Peter Piper Pizza’s franchise development team has made the process easy, providing help with marketing, site selection and overall operation, something they plan to do for franchisees across the country.
Frank Sbordone, President and CEO of Peter Piper Pizza, said Valdez’s experience supporting and working with franchisees made him “a perfect fit for our team.”
“Humberto and Olivia are like family,” Sbordone said, “and we feel this is an important step for our expansion plans in Southern California.”
About Peter Piper, Inc.
Peter Piper, Inc. is based in Scottsdale, Ariz., and is the Southwest’s leading family pizza and entertainment restaurant chain. The company and its franchisees operate 139 restaurants in Arizona, California, Nevada, Texas, New Mexico and the Republic of Mexico, and have been satisfying guests for more than 30 years. The restaurant locations offer an abundance of dining and entertainment options. For more information about owning a franchise, contact Don Pijut at Peter Piper, Inc. at (480) 609-6413 or visit www.peterpiperfranchise.com.
