By Andrew Shearer | October 22, 2021
When Watkinsville-based restaurateur Brandon Broadwell first visited a Pizza Factory franchise in his hometown of Temecula, Calif., he thought the gourmet concept would be a great fit for his new home in Georgia.
Broadwell plans to open a Pizza Factory location in Athens by spring 2022, marking the brand’s first venture on the East Coast.
The restaurant will be located at 122 Alps Road in the shopping center spot formerly occupied by Stevi B’s Pizza, a buffet-style eatery. Pizza Factory will also offer a salad bar, pastas, soups, sandwiches and more, and will include curbside takeout and third-party delivery options.
Broadwell, who also owns a Subway restaurant in Lawrenceville, was impressed by the Pizza Factory brand because it offers vegetarian options that makes it unique among the existing family-focused pizzerias in Athens.
“I wanted the first East Coast Pizza Factory to be close to the University of Georgia, because it can accommodate the variety of dietary needs students have,” Broadwell told the Banner-Herald. “All the franchises are different, but the Athens menu is going to be similar to the Temecula, Calif., location.”
Founded in Oakhurst, Calif., in 1979, Pizza Factory is looking to continue expanding in Arizona, Idaho, Oregon and Washington. The brand currently operates more than 100 franchises in the United States.