WILLARD, Ohio, May 2, 2001 /PRNewswire/ — A new East of Chicago Pizza Company
location will soon have a potential customer pool of 3.5 million happy people
when it opens May 5 at 2015 5th Street in Sandusky, Ohio. The nondescript
address alone doesn’t tell the story, though, because 5th Street is the
causeway and only entrance to Cedar Point, one of the largest amusement parks
in the world, with an annual attendance of 3.5 million fun-seekers.

This special location is owned by the company and is not a franchise. It
represents an invaluable marketing opportunity, placing the East of Chicago
brand in front of families from all over the Midwest and beyond. Development
consultant and store manager Shawn Roth said, “We will be promoting brand
awareness in new markets and creating new opportunities for East of Chicago
restaurants everywhere.”

Approximately $25,000 has been lavished on signage for the restaurant,
which now has one of the biggest pole signs in the chain. “We will get
noticed,” said Scott Granneman, East of Chicago’s founder and president. “We
have remarkable visibility, a strong staff with good leadership, and we are
very focused on making this a huge achievement.”

The Sandusky dine-in/carryout location seats 120 and serves East of
Chicago’s namesake deep-pan pizza dough, which is made fresh daily. In
addition to 14 traditional toppings, the chain’s specialty pan pizzas include
The Tower Pizza, BBQ Chicken Pizza, the Taco Pizza, and Peanut Butter and
Jelly Pizza. It will also feature the company’s unique-to-the-industry
buffet, with the same pizzas, delicious sub sandwiches, and salad. The
restaurant will also deliver to hotels in the Cedar Point area, and opens each
day at 11 a.m. and closes one hour after the park closes. The phone number is
(419) 621-9090.

East of Chicago Pizza Company is one of the fastest growing pizza chains
in America, and it has gained national recognition within the last two years.
It was ranked 217 on “Entrepreneur Magazine’s” 20th annual Franchise 500 list,
and the trade publication “Pizza Today” rated the company 25 on its Hot 100
Franchises List. East of Chicago Pizza Company has more than 3,000 employees
and more than 135 dine-in and delivery/carryout locations in five states.