Kono Pizza Announces First Walmart Location; Inks 10-Unit Deal in Texas

Kono Pizza recently signed a deal to open 10 new locations in the greater Dallas area, as well as signing a lease for the brand's first Walmart store location in Lancaster, S.C., which will be open by the holidays.

Oct 5, 2015 - 14:00
Kono Pizza has much to celebrate during National Pizza Month in October. The fast-growing franchise, which offers a progressive new way to enjoy a favorite Italian dish – healthier and portable pizza cones – recently signed a deal to open 10 new locations in the greater Dallas area, as well as signing a lease for the brand’s first Walmart store location in Lancaster, S.C., which will be open by the holidays.

The Walmart location will be a franchise unit owned and operated by Gayle and Carl Adams, scheduled to open before Black Friday. Kono Pizza executives say additional locations will also be open within Walmart stores in 2016.

The 10-unit deal in Texas was signed with franchisee Sadashiva Pai and will include a variety of formats including potential mall kiosks, event carts, in-line and storefront locations. His first location is scheduled to open in the beginning of 2016 inside a Walmart in the Dallas market.

In addition, a new Kono Pizza kiosk unit will open in the Cherry Hill Mall in New Jersey, also set to open before Black Friday. It is the second of five locations in the Philadelphia and South Jersey area owned by multi-unit franchisee Eric Ciancaglini. His first unit – a mobile event cart in Philadelphia – opened earlier this year and kept him busy with events, including the Pope visit to Philadelphia in September.

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Served in a cone, featuring a thinner crust and low-moisture cheese and filled with fresh, quality ingredients (including dough and sauce imported straight from Italy), “The Original” Kono Pizza offers consumers a less messy, on-the-go format to enjoy pizza. After opening their first traditional location in New Jersey in 2013 to introduce the concept to U.S. consumers and train new franchisees, co-founders David Ragosa and Carlo Ruggiero have expanded the franchise offering to include three types of models, a kiosk, mobile cart and in-line stores, giving franchisees flexibility in their markets.

“The momentum we have built and continue to sustain has put us on track for a total of 50 locations in various stages of development in the pipeline by the end of the first fiscal quarter in 2016,” co-founders Ragosa and Ruggiero said. “We are thrilled to be growing at such a healthy pace, and look forward to sharing our fresh, innovative concept with more and more people for years to come.”

The Kono Pizza menu features three types of customizable cones – breakfast cones, pizza cones and dessert cones – all of which are filled with fresh, quality ingredients inspired by original Italian recipes and baked in just three minutes in the brand’s proprietary oven. The recipes and cooking processes are standard throughout all locations, simplifying the hiring process for franchisees. The mobile cart, kiosk and in-line store models require minimal staff of 1-2 part-time employees and one full-time manager.

According to Ragosa, the brand’s recent growth momentum confirms the demand for their unique product and ideal franchise model.

“Interest in our concept continues to grow on a daily basis,” Ragosa said. “Entrepreneurs share in our vision to bring an internationally tested and proven concept to consumers across America. Our new carts, kiosks and in-line store models allow franchisees to break into the growing pizza segment at a significantly lower point of entry than other fast-casual brands.”

Founded in Edison, N.J., “The Original” Kono Pizza was established in the United States in 2013 by seasoned entrepreneurs David Ragosa and Carlo Ruggiero, who took the already popular European concept and brought it to America. Kono Pizza cones are filled with fresh, quality ingredients inspired by original Italian recipes, giving consumers an on-the-go, healthier way to enjoy their favorite food. There are currently 130 Kono Pizza locations operating in 20 countries, with over 20 additional locations in various stages of development across the United States.