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HISTORY OF THE ORIGINAL ITALIAN PIE
The Original Italian Pie was founded in 1992 by Musa Ulusan and his wife Fatima when they opened their first restaurant located on Bienville Street in New Orleans, La. Italian Pie quickly
won over the hearts and mouths of those seeking flavor combinations above and beyond sausage and pepperoni.
By 1993, Musa had three New Orleans restaurants, each offering a delicious menu of gourmet pizzas, salads, sandwiches and calzones. In 1996, Serdar Tiglioglu joined the Ulusans as partner
and controller, bringing with him a wealth of experience as the previous controller for the 107-store Pizza Outlet chain headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pa.
Together, they continued to build the company and open more restaurants, eventually capturing the attention of restaurateur Tom Cangemi in 1997. As CEO and new partner, Cangemi relied on
his expertise and previous CEO experience with both Ruth’s Chris’ Steakhouse and airport restaurant giant Dobbs House to take the Italian Pie experience to the next level a first-class
franchise operation.
With Cangemi at the helm, The Original Italian Pie grew to 12 locations in the New Orleans market by the end of 2001. This year, franchise restaurants have begun expanding beyond New
Orleans into markets across the southeastern United States, with nearly 30 restaurants already slated to be in operation by the end of 2003.
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