 | |
| Company type | Franchise |
|---|---|
| Industry | Restaurant/Pizza |
| Founded | 2006 |
| Fate | Defunct |
| Headquarters | Deerfield Beach, Florida |
Key people | Michael Gordon, Co-founder Vaughn Lazar, Co-founder Randy Romano, VP/Franchise Development |
| Website | pizzafusion.com |
Pizza Fusion was a pizza restaurant chain based in Deerfield Beach, Florida. [1] Using mostly organic ingredients and emphasizing green building methods, the restaurants operated under the tagline Saving the Earth, One Pizza at a Time. [2]
Pizza Fusion was founded in 2006 by Michael Gordon and Vaughan Lazar. Lazar and Gordon had targeted Newman's Own, Patagonia, and Starbucks as role models, before opening their first store. [3] In April 2009, the company signed a franchise agreement for Saudi Arabia with the Samir Group, a Saudi Arabia-based conglomerate. [4]
It specialized in oval-shaped gourmet pizzas, [5] salads, sandwiches, and beverages made from natural ingredients — along with gluten-free, vegan, and lactose-free menu items. [5] [6]
At its peak, in 2008, the restaurant chain had 63 locations [6] including those in California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, New Jersey, Ohio, as well as in Jeddah and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. [7] Although it had projected growing to 300 stores by 2010, [3] as of 2011 the chain was down to 13 locations. [8] Its Web site in 2023 listed seven locations in the US, and ten in Saudi Arabia and Dubai.
Green construction materials and techniques used by the restaurant included a website powered by renewable energy, 100 percent post-consumer paper products, countertops remanufactured from plastic detergent bottles, wall insulation remanufactured from recycled blue jeans, 100% post-consumer drywall, non-VOC paint (volatile organic compounds), floor finishes with low VOC concrete sealant or renewable resources such as bamboo or cork, tiles from recycled glass bottles, low-flow toilets and sinks, Forest Steward Council wood, energy efficient—compact fluorescent lighting, super-efficient air conditioning and a heat exchange system that recaptures heat from the pizza ovens for the domestic hot water needs. [1]
The chain offset 100% of the power consumption in its locations by using purchasing carbon credits and using environmentally sustainable building practices. The restaurant delivery drivers used hybrid electric vehicles.[ citation needed ]
The Pizza Fusion website won a national Webby Award for best restaurant website in 2010.[ citation needed ]
