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DALLAS, March 10, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- With pizzas cooked in just 140 seconds, Pie Five Pizza is known for moving fast and their expansion across the country is no different. The brand that creates customized artisan pies made with fresh dough, homemade sauces and unlimited toppings today announced a new development deal with former McDonald's franchisee, Peter Ballantine,thatwill add up to 34 new Pie Five locations in Ohio and Pennsylvania.

"Being in the restaurant business, I could see customer tastes changing," said Peter Ballantine, new Pie Five Pizza franchise partner. "Pizza is an enduring, iconic product with a wide customer base, and with Pie Five's strong pizza heritage, I know they understand the pizza business better than any of the other fast casual players. Besides the business case, my entire family is excited about Pie Five – the kids can't wait to tell their friends!"

As a former McDonald's franchisee, Ballantine brings over 20 years of restaurant experience to the table. Ballantine started working in restaurants at age 15 as a dishwasher and has served in nearly every restaurant position since. He owned eight McDonald's restaurants for the last 11 years and served as Chairman of the Board of Operators for five of those years, building regional strategies to grow the business. Ballantine plans to hit the ground running with sites in his hometown of Harrisburg, State College and Pittsburgh, as well as Columbus and the I-70 corridor.

"We can't wait for Ohio and Pennsylvania to join our very addictive Circle of Crust," said Randy Gier, chief eating officer of Rave Restaurant Group, Inc.  "We're glad Peter ditched the burgers for pizza! He is going to be a phenomenal franchise partner thanks to his extensive restaurant experience and passion for the brand."

Pie Five's newest development deal follows multi-unit deals recently announced in South Florida, North Carolina, Arkansas, Missouri, Maryland, Delaware, Tennessee, Colorado, Kentucky, and Indiana. This is in addition to company-owned expansion in Chicago, Atlanta, Houston and Dallas-Fort Worth. Pie Five has grown from one location to 87 in less than four years. The growth rate for the past fiscal year alone reached almost 200 percent.

Pie Five's unique fast casual pizza model allows patrons to customize a personal handcrafted pizza, choosing from a wide selection of fresh, artisan ingredients -- all in under 5 minutes. There are millions of possible pizza combinations Pie Five customers can create with four crusts (including artisan thin, classic pan, whole grain Neapolitan and gluten-free), seven sauces and 28 fresh toppings. Additionally, guests can add one of Pie Five's freshly-tossed hand-made salads or decadent desserts.

ABOUT PIE FIVE PIZZA CO.
Dallas-based Pie Five Pizza Co. is a subsidiary of RAVE Restaurant Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: RAVE). RAVE owns, franchises and supplies more than 300 Pie Five and Pizza Inn 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. Named among Fast Casual's Top "Movers & Shakers" for three consecutive years, 2015 "Best Franchise Deal" by QSR Magazine, 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 87 locations in 24 states. For more information, please visit PieFivePizza.com.

Contact: Marcus Dockter, MWWPR
213-234-1746; mdockter@mww.com

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SOURCE Pie Five Pizza