Pie Five Pizza is a chain of fast-casual restaurants specializing in personal pizza. Customization, freshness, and speed are the goals; they boast custom pizzas made to order, topped with whatever the customer wishes, and served in five minutes. They also offer a wide range of already made styles, from classics such as Margherita to newer twists such as crab dip.

Pie Five Pizza is the property of the Rave Restaurant Group corporation, whose other claim includes Pizza Inn, a much older chain. Formerly known as Pizza Inn Holdings, the group was renamed in 2015. They have 42 restaurant locations, most of them spread across the southern United States and throughout the mid-west. However, they also have a location in Washington, D.C.

History

Before there was Pie Five, there was Pizza Inn; a small venture started by Texas brothers Joe and R. L. Spillman. Situated across the street from Southern Methodist University campus, its popularity quickly spread. By the mid-80s, a business arrangement had been struck up with the Von Erich family, who appeared in its commercials.

Pie Five itself is a very new company whose doors only opened in 2011. Although there exist plenty of franchises that serve pizza quickly (for example, Cicis and Domino’s) and no shortage of places where fresh, quality pizza is worth the wait and then some, the niche for fast-casual gourmet pizza was still somewhat empty.

Despite the restaurant’s newness, the company appears to be very optimistic about the future, and not without good reason. It was a Hot Concepts winner in 2012, while Forbes included it on a list of exciting new restaurants from established brands. Its “fast and fresh” approach is certainly very different from Pizza Inn’s buffet style offerings.

In 2015, parent company Pizza Inn Holdings set out to rebrand itself amid sinking numbers. Not only did they adopt the aforementioned Rave Restaurant Group name, but they changed their stock ticker from PZZI to RAVE. A fresh, red-hot image was what they were after, and Pie Five played its part in this.

Review

The chain is strongly committed to providing a wide range of options. They offer four crusts (including whole grain and gluten-free) seven sauces, five types of cheese (including vegan), seven types of meat, one meat substitute, seventeen veggies, and four “finishes”, such as fresh basil and chopped cilantro. The crusts are made by hand and the sauce is preservative free.

Apart from ingredients, one of the restaurant’s bigger draws is the “Circle of Crust” rewards program. Under this concept, customers earn 2 points whenever they purchase a pizza or large salad and 10 points just for signing up. For every 10 points they accrue, they receive a voucher for a free pizza or large salad.

Another hook is the “half-birthday pizza” program. Rather than receiving a free pizza on their birthday, customers who sign up for the “Circle of Crust” program become eligible for a free pizza 6 months prior to their birthday month. This voucher is good for the entire month in question, though it expires after 30 days.

The chain’s locations are clean and airy, with a somewhat industrial decor. Wait times are minimal, as pizza is prepared and quickly cooked right in front of the customer. Opening hours are 11 AM to 10 PM, seven days a week, and the price range is generally around $10. Certainly, this is a company with big plans for pizza.