Award-Winning Pizza Concept Opens in Omaha Suburb of Papillion
SPIN! Neapolitan Pizza’s newest franchisee, longtime international operator Dee Jay’s, opened its first SPIN! Pizza location on Thursday in the Omaha suburb of Papillion, NE. SPIN! Pizza’s agreement with the experienced restaurant operator calls for Dee Jay’s to open a minimum of five restaurants in Nebraska, South Dakota, and North Dakota over the next six years. The new franchisee currently operates a number of successful dining concepts in those markets.
Honored with numerous awards for its food and concept, including being named one of the “Rest of the 101 Best Restaurants” in the nation by top foodie website TheDailyMeal.com and a “Breakout Brand” by Nation’s Restaurant News, SPIN! also has franchises in California, six company-owned locations in its home market of Missouri and Kansas, three units under construction in Dallas, TX, and three more under construction in Greater Kansas City.
The newest SPIN! opened its doors at 248 Olson Drive in Papillion’s Midland’s Place shopping center. Franchisee Dee Jay’s has operated restaurants for more than 50 years. Dee Jay’s currently operates a number of top-ranked fast food concepts in Canada and the United States, including KFC, Taco Bell, Long John Silvers, and A&W, and its own casual dining concept, Eddie Websters. Dee Jay’s is based in Estevan, Saskatchewan, Canada.
SPIN! Pizza’s Ed Brownell — one of four partners experienced in large multi-unit expansion, franchising, and operations — said that Dee Jay’s is a great match for SPIN! because of its shared values and proven record operating successful food establishments.
“SPIN!’s franchisees are seasoned restaurateurs who share our commitment to delivering a quality product and experience. We are confident that, in Dee Jay’s, we have found a partner who shares our core values for operating restaurants,” Brownell says.
Brian Johnson, President and CEO of Dee Jay’s, said he had been searching for the right entry into the premium fast casual industry because he is convinced that it is the growth segment within the food service environment. While looking for a location for one of Dee Jay’s existing brands, he came across a SPIN! restaurant.
“Right from our first look, we knew this was the right concept,” Johnson says. “There are a lot of artisan pizza places to choose from, but they’re all playing catch-up to SPIN!”
With recipes developed in collaboration with James Beard Award-winning Chef Michael Smith, who also was just named national Chef Innovator of the Year, SPIN!’s Margherita Pizza was crowned one of the nation’s best dishes of the year by a trade magazine, and its architecture won Best of Show at the Mid America Design Awards. Ranked number one by Zagat among Kansas City pizza restaurants, SPIN! has been awarded “best pizza” by numerous publications in its hometown of Greater Kansas City, where it also was honored for the city’s best gluten-free menu.
SPIN! is known for its exceptional, artisan food made from fresh ingredients without the gourmet price and its eclectic, affordable premium wines.
In addition to a diverse selection of hand-spun, stone-fired traditional thin-and-bubbly crust, rustic whole wheat, and gluten-free pizzas, SPIN! serves an array of appetizers, soups, salads, signature Panini and Italian deli sandwiches, and gelato ice creams.
SPIN!’s homemade soups and salad dressings as well as its pizza toppings and ingredients are prepared daily from fresh produce and meats. SPIN! takes the unique step of boosting flavors by roasting all toppings and ingredients in its stone hearth ovens each day, including mushrooms, caramelized onions, artichokes, and even capers, pecans, pineapple, pine nuts, and pancetta.
SPIN!’s pizza dough is made fresh every day and its gluten free crust is renowned for its flavor and texture. SPIN! offers both traditional Pizza Rossa (red pizzas with crushed tomato sauce) and Pizza Bianca (white pizzas with roasted garlic olive oil glaze), and many hand-grated cheeses.
Known for a roster of affordable premium wines, SPIN! also makes homemade white, red and blood orange sangrias and offers a selection of craft beers.
In addition to its wines and artisan menu, SPIN! is recognized for its pioneering hybrid service model, which combines traditional fast casual ordering in the restaurant’s lobby with a robust full-service experience at the table. The premium fast casual system appeals to diners who want to control the speed of their meal without sacrificing service.
Founded in 2005 in Kansas City, Mo., this is the second national concept created by SPIN! partners Gail and Richard Lozoff, Edwin Brownell, and Michael Kramer.
Award-winning SPIN! Neapolitan Pizza is known for its exceptional, artisan food made from fresh ingredients without the gourmet price and its eclectic, affordable premium wines. Named a 2013 Breakout Brand by industry authority Nation’s Restaurant News, SPIN! was named one of the “Rest of the 101 Best Restaurants” in the nation by top foodie website TheDailyMeal.com. Its Margherita Pizza was crowned one of the nation’s best dishes of the year by Restaurant Business magazine, its architecture won Best of Show at the Mid America Design Awards, and it was named a “Top 100 Movers and Shakers” by Pizza Marketplace. Ranked number one by Zagat among Kansas City pizza restaurants, it has been named best pizza by every major Greater Kansas City publication. SPIN!’s menu is created in collaboration with James Beard Award-winning chef Michael Smith. Founded in 2005, SPIN! currently has six locations in the Greater Kansas City area with three more under construction, restaurants under construction in Dallas, and franchises in California, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota. This is the second national concept created by SPIN! partners Gail and Richard Lozoff, Edwin Brownell, and Michael Kramer, who are experienced in large multi-unit expansion, franchising, and operations. www.spinpizza.com.