DALLAS, Dec. 8, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Hot, artisan pizza in under five minutes?! That's the promise of Pie Five Pizza Co., the fast casual pizza chain that's introducing the nation to the notion of quick, quality, handcrafted personal pizzas.

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The trend-setting pizza eatery renowned for its handcrafted, personalized pizzas and high-quality ingredients, has announced the expansion of company operations into three major markets: Houston, Chicago and Minneapolis.

The first Houston-area restaurant, located in Spring, TX, opens Friday, Dec. 12. Chicago, home to millions of proud pizza aficionados, will welcome its first Pie Five in February. And the Twin Cities, a hotbed for fast casual restaurants, will get their first taste of the nation's leading fast casual pizza brand in March.

"Who wants to wait 30 minutes or more for great pizza?" said Randy Gier, CEO of Pie Five Pizza. "Pizza lovers want quality, they want it their way, and they want it fast. Pie Five offers the perfect combination...and it's faster than a speeding delivery driver."

"We're introducing pizza lovers to a new and better way to enjoy the greatest food on Earth," continued Gier. "Customers create their own high-quality handcrafted pizzas that bake in 145 seconds using our patented ovens. We make everything from scratch in every restaurant...from making the dough to shredding the cheese, to blending the sauce, to chopping the fresh vegetable toppings. That's how we guarantee our customers a high quality pizza experience. And the whole process - Make It, Bake It and Take It - is less than five minutes. Always fresh, from high-quality ingredients, virtually unlimited variety, and speedy service. It's a winning combination."

Here's how it works. As Pie Five pizza lovers step to the counter, our Pie-artisans help them choose their favorite crust - artisan thin, classic pan, whole grain Neapolitan or gluten free thin. Then they can choose from seven sauces, four cheeses, eight meats and 16 veggies and best of all, there's no penalty for piling on...there's more than a million combinations of handcrafted personal pizzas to choose from.

Pie Five bakes each perfect personal pizza in a specially designed oven. By the time the guest arrives at the register, their hot, bubbly, pizza perfection is ready. And whether they select from one of Pie Five's specialty recipes or create their own, it's all the same great price: A handcrafted, artisan pizza that would cost $13-15 in an upscale restaurant for under $7.

Pie Fivers can also add a fresh, hand-made salad, tossed right in front of them while their pizza reaches hot, cheesy perfection. Dessert offerings include Turtle brownies and chocolate chip pizza cookies, as well as seasonal pies and cakes, all baked fresh daily.

"The addition of three more company markets raises our company-owned growth potential to nearly 100 units over the next five to six years," said Gier. "That's in addition to the more than 300 restaurant openings projected by our franchise partners over the same period."

Pie Five has been named among Fast Casual's 2014 Top 15 "Movers & Shakers," a 2012 Hot Concepts winner by Nation's Restaurant News and one of "10 Hot New Restaurant Chains from Established Brands" by Forbes.com. The company currently has 29 locations in nine states (Florida, Kansas, Maryland, Missouri, North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah and Virginia) with more than 400 announced company-owned and franchise units under contract in 16 states and Washington, DC.

ABOUT PIE FIVE PIZZA CO.
Pie Five Pizza is recognized as the leader in the rapidly growing fast casual pizza category. Since opening its first store in 2011, Pie Five is showing the nation's pizza lovers that they can get a quality, custom-made pizza the way they want it, five minutes at a time. Pie Five is a subsidiary of Pizza Inn Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: PZZI), based in the Dallas suburb of The Colony, Texas. Pizza Inn Holdings is an owner, franchisor and supplier of more than 275 restaurants operating domestically and internationally. Pie Five Pizza Co. is the leading brand in the rapidly growing fast-casual pizza space, offering individual handcrafted pizzas with fresh ingredients made to order in less than five minutes. For more information, please visit piefivepizza.com.

Contact: Ladd Biro, Champion Management
972.930.9933; lbiro@championmgt.com

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SOURCE Pie Five Pizza Co.

SOURCE: Pie Five Pizza Co.