Ben Allen, Buckhead's Daily Operations Manager
Your Pie Regional
Manager, Ben Allen, will be managing the daily operations of
Your Pie’s first
prototype restaurant. The new restaurant will be the first corporate location
that is not under the sole ownership of founder Drew French;
Your Pie recently
partnered with
Georgia Oak Partners, who will be part-owners of the new store.
Unlike other restaurants,
which target the college crowd, this prototype store in Buckhead is located in
a major commercial hub. Buckhead is home to a large number of young
professionals, businesses, and residential high rises. “We wanted a prime
location with heavy traffic to help further expand our reach into the Atlanta
market,” Allen explained. “This will be the first store that features the new
design and vibe that we want for all our stores moving forward. Rather than getting
franchisees to travel to Athens, this Atlanta location will also be the
restaurant that we will show all future potential franchisees.”
Allen has been a
member of the
Your Pie team since 2009, before the brand became a franchise
operation. Since joining founder Drew French as a general staff member at his
first
Your Pie restaurant, Allen has made his way up to become the regional
manager of the brand in 2011, acting as the first point of contact for all
franchisees.
Allen assists Kevin Altman,
the director of training, with training for all new stores in the first couple
of weeks of their opening.
Allen grew up in
Roswell, Ga. and majored in economics at the
University of Georgia. It was
through his fraternity that he first met French. After graduation, Allen worked
for a healthcare staffing company until there was a merger and his offices
dissolved in 2008. While trying to figure out his next move, French invited
Allen to help out at his restaurant. Unexpectedly, Allen discovered a passion
for the food industry and was appointed the general manager of
Your Pie’s
second location.
Allen volunteered to operate the new location
and prototype store, confident that his experience and knowledge of the brand will
help it successfully grow in the prime spot.
Your Pie was recently featured in Pizza Marketplace. The article entitled “How small pizza chains are competing through high cheese prices”, focuses on the increase in cheese prices through the
beginning of 2014 and how the large pizza chains are able to withstand
the increase, and what smaller chains do to remain competitive. Drew French is
quoted about how they don’t compete with the “big boys” on price, but
rather focus on a quality product and experience.
