Away we go!!!

Things have been rather surreal in my world lately. What started out as a great idea to open a couple of "hip" organic pizza joints has turned into all that and a bag of chips too. (Yes, Organic chips!) We just sold two locations in Philadelphia, two in Pittsburgh, and single units in Pembroke Pines, Delray Beach, Weston, Jupiter and Plantation. The future of Pizza Fusion looks like a bright one!

As each day passes, this has not only become an amazing business venture, but more importantly it has become a personal crusade as well. I have been blessed with an opportunity to be a part of something that will make an impact in this world. I have always dreamed of finding something that I am truly passionate about and said that I would play a part in "making a difference" in this world. If this translates to one business changing their model, then I have achieved my goal. If everyone were to just take ONE thing... one simple thing to do their part, then it would have a huge impact on our fragile planet.

A recent study shows that the average American has an "ecological footprint" of 24 acres of land. In other words, if everyone lived like we do, then we'd need approximately FIVE planets to accommodate everyones style of living. Now... here comes the wake-up call... we only have ONE planet!

Here a few simple things you can do that would truly make a difference:

1. LIGHT UP :: replace three incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescent (CFC) bulbs in your home and eliminate 300 lbs. of CO2 (lasts longer, burns less).

2. RECYCLE :: recycling half of the aluminum, glass, plastic, and paper you use reduces 2400 lbs. of CO2.

3. PURCHASE GREEN POWER :: if available in your area, purchase 100% green power from a company and prevent 3800 to 6200 lbs. of CO2 from entering the atmosphere.

4. BUILD GREEN & USE SOLAR POWER :: if remodeling or building a new home, use green materials and solar energy (use federal tax credits and state buy down programs if available) to reduce 1000 to 6000 lbs. of CO2.

5. TURN IT DOWN, TURN IT UP :: turn your heater down and your air conditioner up by three degrees and save 1050 lbs. of CO2 per year.

6. WASH COOL :: do two loads of your laundry per week in cold or warm water instead of hot (and hang stuff out to dry when you can), save 500 lbs. of CO2 a year.

7. STORE SMARTLY, SAVE MONEY :: buy energy star refrigerators and other appliances and save money as well as 1000 lbs. of CO2 a year.

8. BE WATER WISE :: buy low-flow toilets that can save up to 22,000 gallons of water per year for a family of four.

9. USE GREEN PAINTS :: buy No-VOC (volatile organic compounds) or low VOC paints that can eliminate eye, nose and throat irritation, and more severe health threats.

10. FAN IT :: Installing a whole-house or ceiling fan improves interior comfort by circulating cold and warm air and dramatically reduces the need for air conditioning at 1/10 the price.

For other great ideas on how to make your home more green, visit www.globalgreen.org.

We have store #3 under way!

It's so exciting to see a seed that was planted only 15 moths ago start to sprout. With strong roots, we have signed the paperwork to make Pizza Fusion store #3 official. We have been speaking with Rick and Linda Wilson of Hillsboro Mile since January. They are truly great people and I am very excited to have the opportunity to work with them on their Palm Beach Gardens location. It will be our largest store to date at approximately 1,500 square feet. It is being built in a BRAND NEW retail and residential community on PGA Boulevard. It reminds me of Mizner Park in Boca.

I will post some pictures of the spot pre-construction so you can track the progress.

Back in (blog)Action

So, it's been quite some time since my last post. A lot has happened since the Holidays. Where do I start? Well, first, we made a giant leap into the world of franchising! Michael and I had received such an overwhelming response to the concept, that when approached by my best friend to have "a chat" with his soon-to-be father in-law about franchising, we had to hear what he had to say. In short, we could create a company that could create profitablity through franchising while using it as a vehicle to help spread our message of environmental integrity and social responsibility.

Michael and I decided that this "chance" encounter with our now partner, Randy Romano, was no chance and found ourselves the perfect cog to our wheel. We have setup our corporate office in Fort Lauderdale and have started on this amazing journey. We have also made a few key hires when we brought on Eric Haley as our V.P. of Communications, and Katy Livingston as our Creative Director and Brand Manager. Both of them appeared at just the right time and we wouldn't be where we are if it wasn't for their talent and dedication to Pizza Fusion becoming a household name.

We made an area development deal with the B&Y Restaurant group for the rights to the Miami-Dade territory. Michael Block and Jeffrey Yagoda have been an incredible asset to the parent company, as well as key operators for our inaugural store in Fort Lauderdale... our 1st Franchise! They are currently seeking prime retail locations for the 2nd of 5 locations they have in the works. It looks like South Beach will be store #3 of Pizza Fusion

On May 1st, we brought seasoned franchise expert, John Driedger, on to the Pizza Fusion Team. He has taken off out of the gates and has been busy interviewing potential new family members for our expansion efforts through franchsing! He's been speaking to people from all over the United States and I should be reporting some great news in the near future... right here, so stay tuned!

Your fearless, blogging, eco-friendly, low-impacting, organic pizza franchising leader!

Vaughan Lazar