LOCAL pizza chain, The Pizza Co. has announced a major investment of £550,000 following a recent change of ownership, marking the start of an ambitious growth strategy for the business, which currently operates six outlets in Greater Belfast and employs 200 dedicated staff.
The new management team comprising of Matthew Stevenson, formerly a manager of the Botanic outlet, Conall Humston, and Matt McGrath, has installed state-of-the-art technology such as a new POS system, touchscreen self-service tills, and real-time driver tracking, alongside a complete rebrand of all six stores across Greater Belfast, undertaken by Belfast creative agency, Aspect Media.
Matthew Stevenson, Director, commented: “Purchasing the brand with Conall and Matt is hugely exciting. I previously worked for The Pizza Co. at its Botanic Avenue store, so I know the business well. We have made significant investments in all areas, and we’re buzzing to open the next chapter in The Pizza Co. story, with a fresh identity that encapsulates our new approach to the exciting journey ahead of us.
“As three long-time friends with 50 years of combined industry experience, we are ideally placed to take The Pizza Co. to the next level. We recently opened our newest store in Lisburn, and have exciting plans in place for further expansion of the brand across Northern Ireland. Our passion for quality pizza, combined with an unwavering dedication to improving the customer experience, and a commitment to give back to the communities within which we operate, is a winning formula and one that we are excited about sharing through our planned expansion.
“We are already seeing the benefits of our new technology which has led to quicker delivery times and happier customers. Last week alone, we delivered 82% of our orders within 30 minutes,” says Matthew.
“Food provenance and quality is paramount to us, with the standard of our pizzas now significantly improved with dough meticulously hand-rolled, proven for up to four days and hand-stretched on-site by our skilled pizza chefs. We avoid synthetic cheeses - instead using 100% local diced Mozzarella - and our distinctive sauce uses tomatoes sourced from Northern Italy. Simply put, we aim to serve the best and freshest takeaway pizzas in Northern Ireland.”
Dedicated to supporting the local communities in areas surrounding their outlets, The Pizza Co. currently donates meal vouchers totalling £2,400 every week to local sports clubs, schools and youth groups, while also sponsoring local basketball, soccer and GAA clubs.
“We are a local company and as such see ourselves as an extension of the neighbourhoods surrounding our outlets,” explains Matthew. “This level of engagement is an integral aspect to our projected growth and expansion where we can share our success with customers.”
