Eagle Boys Buys Pizza Haven

Australian pizza maker Eagle Boys Pizza has bolstered its national expansion drive with the purchase of Pizza Haven Australia, the nation’s fourth largest pizza chain. The move will see Eagle Boys operate 270 stores across Australia and see the company enter the Sydney and South Australian markets for the first time.

Under the deal, Pizza Haven franchisees will be offered the opportunity to convert their stores to Eagle Boys stores so they can take full advantage of the company’s proven business model, buying power, marketing force, training and support systems.

Eagle Boys Pizza Managing Director Todd Clayton said the purchase helped cement Eagle Boy’s position as one of the country’s largest pizza makers. He said Pizza Haven was a perfect fit for the company, adding to its network of regional stores and giving it an immediate and considerable foothold into new markets.

Their current expansion strategy will see them with 400 Australian stores operating across all store models by 2011. “This acquisition is a great step towards this goal,” according to a spokesperson for Eagle Boys.

Eagle Boys’ same store sales growth increased during 2007-08 by 13.9%, with total network sales up 21.9%. Strong growth of 32.0% over the past two years proves that their business model works and they’re keen to share this success story with Pizza Haven franchise owners.

“We’re working on a number of exciting store and product innovations which we know will further meet the high demand for great tasting pizza,” Pizza Haven Australia spokesperson, Michael Gilchrist said.

“The acquisition was the best possible outcome for Pizza Haven franchisees. The pizza market is highly competitive and this acquisition offers strong benefits to our franchisees by aligning them with one of Australia’s leading and fastest growing pizza chains.”

Eagle Boys is one of Australia’s largest pizza retailers and is 100% Australian-owned. It operates more than 230 franchised stores throughout Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland, Western Australia and the Northern Territory, employing more than 4,000 staff and making more than 13 million pizzas a year.

Eagle Boys Pizza has been named as Australia’s Supreme Retailer and Best Franchise Retailer by the National Retail Association at an awards ceremony in June 2008. It was the second consecutive year that Eagle Boys was crowned Australia’s Best Franchise Retailer. The award, part of the National Retail Association’s 2008 American Express Rewards for Excellence, recognised Eagle Boys’ growth, marketing initiatives, customer service, staff training and franchise best practice. Just another reason Eagle Boys Pizza is one of Australia’s most successful franchise organisations.