Azzip Pizza

Azzip Pizza, LLC
Company typePrivate company
IndustryRestaurants
Founded2014; 10 years ago (2014) in Evansville, Indiana, U.S.
FoundersBrad Niemeier (CEO)
HeadquartersEvansville, Indiana
Number of locations
10 (December 2020)
Area served
Indiana, Kentucky
Key people
Blake Kollker (Director of Growth and Development),
Dan Niemeier (Director of Operations),
Craig Niemeier (Director of Field Operations),
Laura Niemeier (Accounting),
Andy Niemeier (Co-CEO)
ProductsPizza
Websitewww.azzippizza.com

Azzip Pizza, LLC is an American restaurant chain based in Evansville, Indiana, specializing in pizza. Azzip features unique, highly customized pizzas baked in a conveyor belt oven in front of customers. Azzip Pizza offers over 16 million variations including gluten-free and vegetarian options.[1] Pre-created variations are sold on special occasions or as their "Pizza of the Month".

Interior of Azzip Pizza in Indianapolis, Indiana.

History

Brad Niemeier founded Azzip Pizza in 2014 after having won the Burton D. Morgan Business Plan Competition[2] at Purdue University in 2012, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Hospitality and Tourism Management. After two years of research and development the first location opened in February 2014 in Evansville, Indiana.[3] After only seven months the second location opened in Newburgh, Indiana. Niemeier's restaurant concept was resoundingly successful. The fast casual restaurant's popularity was confirmed when it was awarded "Best Restaurant Opened in 2014" by the Evansville Living magazine.[4]

In April 2015 Azzip Pizza was the Gold Winner of the Evansville Courier & Press Readers' Choice Awards - making it the "Best Place for Pizza" in Evansville. Later that year the first Illinois location opened in Champaign, Illinois,[5] followed by another location in Evansville.[6]

In 2016, the management moved into its new Evansville Headquarters. Azzip Pizza's fifth and first Kentucky location opened in the summer of 2016 in Bowling Green, Kentucky,[7][8] underlining the Illinois-Indiana-Kentucky tri-state area's importance to local businesses. A sixth location was opened in Terre Haute, Indiana, in the fall of 2016.[9]

An announcement was made in June 2017 that the seventh location was being opened in Bloomington, Indiana, that was scheduled for fall 2017.[10]

After two years of operations, Azzip closed their Champaign location in October 2017.[11] A few days after closing the company's only Illinois location, Azzip finally opened their Bloomington location during the same month.[12]

The firm's seventh location was opened in Lafayette, Indiana, in April 2018.[13]

Philanthropy

Azzip Pizza launched its We Give A’Zip Giveback Program in 2014 to benefit local organizations and schools.[14]

See also

References

  1. ^ Barichello, Jaclyn (October 8, 2015). "Champaign's New Azzip Pizza Offers Students 16 Million Ways to Order Pizza". Spoon University.[permanent dead link‍]
  2. ^ "Innovative pizzeria, wound-care technology are top winners at Burton D. Morgan Business Plan Competition" (Press release). Purdue University. February 22, 2012.
  3. ^ Sollars, Ashley (March 28, 2014). "AZZIP PIZZA Unveils a Uniquely Evansville Pizza – The West Sider". WGBF (AM).
  4. ^ "Best of Evansville 2015: The readers of Evansville Living have spoken". Evansville Living.
  5. ^ Sayeh, Atoosa (May 26, 2015). "Azzip Pizza to provide new dining experience on campus". Daily Illini. Archived from the original on 2016-01-28. Retrieved 2016-05-14.
  6. ^ Hall, Shannon (June 24, 2015). "Azzip to open restaurant on East Side". Evansville Courier & Press.
  7. ^ "Azzip Pizza to expand in Western Kentucky" (Press release). Azzip Pizza. Archived from the original on 2016-06-03. Retrieved 2016-05-14 – via Southwest Indiana Chamber.
  8. ^ Mason, Charles (July 19, 2016). "Bojangles, Azzip Pizza added to Bowling Green dining scene". Bowling Green Daily News.
  9. ^ Peak, Matt (July 18, 2016). "Azzip Pizza Opening Terre Haute Location". WEVV-TV. Archived from the original on September 1, 2017. Retrieved September 1, 2017.
  10. ^ Morris, Tyrone (June 12, 2017). "Azzip Pizza Opens New Location In Bloomington, IN". WEVV-TV. Archived from the original on July 20, 2018. Retrieved September 1, 2017.
  11. ^ Niemeier, Brad (October 4, 2017). "Farewell, Champaign". Azzip Pizza.
  12. ^ Niemeier, Brad (October 27, 2017). "Hello, Bloomington!". Azzip Pizza.
  13. ^ Peters, Trevor (April 6, 2018). "Former Purdue football player to open pizza shop in Lafayette". WLFI-TV. Archived from the original on January 17, 2021. Retrieved July 20, 2018.
  14. ^ Baltazar, Amanda (October 1, 2017). "Pizza restaurants raise money for charities, but receive beneficial kickback marketing, too". Pizza Today.
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