Houston-Based Italian Restaurant Franchise Sizzles with Success

HOUSTON, TX, March 13, 2013 (Press-News.org) Russo's New York Pizzeria is excited to announce the launch of their new gluten-free frozen pizza line (Chef Anthony Russo's) into the retail market. Pizzas are now available in more than 1,000 grocery stores across the nation. Chef Anthony Russo's new gluten-free pizzas are hand-topped with premium toppings, fresh vegetables, organic Sicilian extra virgin olive oil, and 100 percent mozzarella cheese.

The idea to introduce the pizza line stemmed from Anthony Russo and his R&D team's discovery of the lack of flavor in Gluten Free offerings and the continued growth in this category. The gluten-free food category in the United States has grown over 29%, in the last 6 years. When creating something new, Anthony Russo and his team respond to the requests and needs of the consumers. All gluten-free pizzas have received the Recognition Seal from the Celiac Sprue Association (www.csaceliacs.org).

"What sets us apart is simple: it's quality and healthy ingredients," says Anthony Russo, Founder of Russo's New York Pizzeria and Russo's Coal Fired Italian Kitchen. "Consumers want fresh, high quality products that are good for you and taste great.

Russo's Gluten Free Pizzas are so delicious, it's virtually impossible to tell they are gluten free. The Russo family promise is that 'If it isn't fresh, don't serve it.'"

All six varieties of pizza are currently available throughout Houston, Dallas, Fort Worth, and Oklahoma, selling at Randalls, Tom Thumb, Reasor's Foods, Rice Epicurean Markets, Belden's, Kroger Southwest, Market Street and more.

Russo's gluten-free pizza retail line features six different varieties, including:

Greek - Roma Tomatoes, Feta & Mozzarella Cheese, Garlic Sauce, Black Olives & Fresh Spinach
New York Style Cheese - Mozzarella & Pecorino Romano Cheeses, Pizza Sauce, Extra Virgin Olive Oil & Oregano
Margherita - Fresh Roma Tomatoes, Basil, Olive Oil & Mozzarella Cheese
Chicken Rustica - Grilled Chicken, Roma Tomatoes, Olive Oil, Fresh Spinach, Feta & Mozzarella Cheese
Uncured Pepperoni - Uncured Pepperoni, Mozzarella Cheese & Robust Pizza Sauce
Mulberry - Italian Sausage, Beef, Uncured Canadian Bacon, Uncured Pepperoni, Pizza Sauce & Mozzarella Cheese

The pizza crust is vegan, made with rice flour, tapioca flour, potato starch and extra-virgin olive oil, infused with honey and Italian seasonings.

"As we enter 2013, we are very excited about the direction that the Russo's brand is headed in," said Russo. "With our relentless commitment to freshness, our pizza dough is made daily with all natural flour and the pizza sauce is made from scratch in all of our stores using hand-selected, vine-ripened tomatoes. We have a passion for cooking with only the finest and freshest ingredients. This has been a commitment at my restaurants for more than 20 years and we are now carrying it over into the Chef Anthony Russo retail line."
The gourmet pizza line is also available at all Russo's New York Pizzeria and Russo's Coal Fired Italian Kitchen locations.

Along with the expansion of the brands product line, Pizza Today magazine included Russo's New York Pizzeria in the annual Top 100 Pizza Companies list for 2012. The magazine ranked the company at no. 81 this year, a fourteen-spot jump over last year. With nearly 30 pizza franchise locations operating throughout Texas, Florida, Tennessee, Oklahoma and Arkansas, the top pizza franchise plans to open 11 franchise restaurants in 2013, including Austin, TX, San Antonio, TX, Dallas, TX, and Houston, TX domestically, and its first international restaurant in March in Dubai.

The Russo's franchise opportunity is available to single and multi-unit franchise owners looking for business opportunities in Texas, Florida, Arkansas, Maryland, and all across the United States, as well as internationally.

For product information and distribution of Chef Anthony Russo's retail line, contact Scott Treadaway at 713-821-1784 or s.treadaway@nypizzeria.com. To view Russo's full ranking in Pizza Today's Top 100 Pizza Companies list, click here.

To learn more about the history of Russo's, visit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MhMvbhcjcEg.

About Russo's New York Pizzeria and Russo's Coal-Fired Italian Kitchen
Russo's operates with a simple promise: "If it isn't fresh, don't serve it." Founded in 1992 by Chef Anthony Russo, Russo's New York Pizzeria is known as the only place to find authentic New York Pizza and Italian dishes in Texas. Russo launched his Coal-Fired Italian Kitchen Italian food franchise concept to complement the Pizzeria in 2008, with an expanded selection of Italian menu items. Current company operations include nearly 30 restaurant franchise in the United States, as well as 18 opening in the UAE, with plans for significant expansion through franchising in key U.S. markets and abroad already underway. For more information and to learn about available low cost franchise opportunities visit http://www.nypizzeria.com.