Fireaway was established in 2016 and its first location was in the United Kingdom in south London, and earlier this year it opened its first location abroad in Holland. Customers can customize their pizzas in the restaurant. Fireaway’s distinctive selling feature is its quick stone-baked pizza. You can enjoy your favorite customized pizza hot from the oven in less than 180 secs. In this interview Mario Aleppo, Founder & CEO, Fireaway shares his big dreams for his fast growing brand.
1. How did you enter the franchise business?
Originally I was going to open a subway but changed my mind at the last minute but kept the subway open kitchen layout which I think works well when you use fresh toppings.
2. Where and how did the idea of your concept come from?
Being Italian I always wanted to open a pizzeria but decided against the traditional restaurant vibe and opted for a more modern fast food look.
3. What inspired the brand name?
We wanted something that relates to our handmade, 400 degree Italian fire oven as we think this oven helps set us apart from our competition.
4. What is the story behind the brand’s logo?
Similar to how we came up with the name we wanted something that reflected how we make our pizzas. The oven is a centerpiece of each store so when we thought about it we knew it had to be a flame.
5. What makes your brand different from your competitors?
The fact that we use handmade dough using flour and tomatoes from Naples in Italy. We also offer unlimited toppings and are able to fire up our pizzas in our signature oven in 180 seconds.
I looked back to my Italian heritage when it came to how to make the best pizza which I think gives us a sense of authenticity that our customers appreciate.
6. What are the essential qualities that you look for in a franchisee?
Ideally we want someone with great management skills and a love of food.
Related read: Investors purchase Fireaway Pizza for £18.7 million
7. How long does it take, on average, for your franchisee to realize their investment?
It takes approximately 18 months to 2 years.
8. What was the major challenge you faced in your career and how did you overcome it?
A big challenge for us was finding good chefs for all our stores. The best solution we found was setting up our training centre to ensure that customers across all our stores get the quality food they expect from us.
8.1 What is your best achievement?
Recently I was the recipient of the Food & Drink Entrepreneur of the Year Award at the Great British Entrepreneur Awards 2022.
9. How does your business day start?
The start of my day involve multiple calls and meetings but I make sure I get through it with a strong cup of coffee.
10. What was your best moment throughout your franchise career?
Being able to hit 100 stores within 5 years.
11. Where do you see your brand in the next 5 years?
In the next 5 years I want us to have 500 stores worldwide and for Fireaway to be in top 5 pizza franchises in the world.
12. Any tips you want to impart to our readers who want to be in the franchise industry?
My advice is to make sure your franchise is succesful is to choose a good product first and foremost. Then make sure that product is provided with a good service and wrap it up with good branding.
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