West Coast Ventures Group Corp (fka WCVC)

[trader53]

WCVC - &pizza - Getting their House in Order



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May 14, 2025

&pizza
CEO Mike Burns
discusses how

the brand
* lost its identity,
* found it again
* and began franchising.

https://www.fastcasual.com/podcasts/pizza-ceo-doubles-down-on-franchising-efforts-increasing-growth/

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https://www.fastcasual.com/news/

October 17, 2025

&pizza
has inked a deal
to bring 12 locations to
Orlando, Atlanta, Charleston and Raleigh,
according to a press release.

The concept's franchising strategy will include
selling its existing corporate-owned locations
as well as
engaging operators and entrepreneurs
that are looking to build their own portfolios
and help the brand break into new and exciting markets
outside of the East Coast
where
&pizza has been building over the last 13 years.

https://www.fastcasual.com/news/pizza-inks-deal-to-bring-12-locations-to-florida-georgia-north-carolina-south-carolina/


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June 18, 2025

Just two months after &pizza announced it was franchising,
the brand has its first franchisee, I Will Pizza.

I Will Pizza
has acquired three of &pizza's restaurants in Washington, D.C.,
according to a press release.

https://www.fastcasual.com/news/pizza-gets-first-franchisee-with-sale-of-3-restaurants/

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&pizza CEO
doubles down on franchising efforts, increasing growth
&pizza
CEO Mike Burns
discusses how the brand lost its identity,
found it again and began franchising.

May 14, 2025

"Really, there wasn't a staple pizza here in D.C.," Burns said in the podcast.
Astoria built one shop, unsuspecting that it would take off.

Burns said the brand got "too corporate"
and lost the edginess it was known for
after Astoria stepped away from &pizza in 2018.
He came back into operations,
but then the COVID-19 pandemic hit.

Astoria
wanted to stay as the creator and founder,
but didn't want to run it on a daily basis.

Enter Burns,
who joined about a year and a half ago.

“It's been everything I thought it would be," Burns said.
"It's a really fun brand and we're just trying to kind of bring it back to its roots
of the fun, urban-centric college campus brand when it first started.”

The brand has begun franchising.
Burns said
&pizza
wanted to stay corporate for a long time
thinking it could grow faster and the leadership team could control the brand.

Burns said
he believes &pizza
should have franchised six or seven years ago when it was at its peak.

"It's such a cool, fun brand," he said.
"Everybody loves it.
There's a need for it in the market.
Potential franchisees
have been reaching out for years trying to franchise this brand,
and to me to be at 45 restaurants,
or 46 with a couple of airport units,
is a shame."

https://www.fastcasual.com/podcasts/pizza-ceo-doubles-down-on-franchising-efforts-increasing-growth/


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May 27, 2025

&pizza
lowering prices

https://www.fastcasual.com/news/pizza-lowering-prices/