Dion's
Encyclopedia
Dion’s Pizza is a privately owned chain of pizza
restaurant based in Albuquerque, New Mexico
. Currently (2010) Dion’s operates 15 restaurants; 13 in New Mexico
and 2 in Texas
. Expansion plans include two more stores in Albuquerque and one more in Lubbock, Texas
within the next 3 years.
. The pair moved to New Mexico with intention of opening a fast serve Greek Restaurant. They bought a small pizzeria called New York Pizza in Albuquerque with the intention of converting it to a Greek menu. The name for their new place was to be ‘Dionysus
’, the name of the Greek god of wine. When the two got the bid for their new sign they decided to shorten the name to save money.
The Greek menu was mildly successful but the customers really wanted pizza so that became the focus of the store. Today their Greek salad is the only vestige of the original menu. Jon and Bill had no experience in the restaurant business and neither had a business background. They learned their trade as they developed it gathering help and advice where ever they could.
.
which helped boost sales and sent them on their way to sustainable sales gains in the years to come.
In the early days their stores were located in strip shopping centers, and as they established themselves and built their credit they were able to open more stores in other centers around town. Their first free-standing units were made possible by the Savings and Loan crisis of the 1980s. They managed to get a good price on two former Mazzio’s Pizza
units and moved two of their nearby stores into the new buildings. The two new locations came with drive thru windows which allowed customers to call in their order ahead and pick it up at the window. The pick up window worked very well and eventually accounted for nearly 35% of each stores sales. It became a standard feature on all new freestanding stores.
In the 1990s Dion’s concentrated on moving existing stores out of shopping centers and into separate units where the company owned both the land and the buildings. Today all their stores are freestanding and range in size from 3500 to 6000 square feet (557.4 m²).
, salad
s and subs
. They have three sizes of pizza as well as the gourmet style pizzas. Pizzas are hand made.
the company likes to tout. Slow, steady, solid growth is the plan with a new market in Lubbock, Texas currently under development. There will be two new stores opened in 2010 with plans to look for the next out of state market.
Pizza
Pizza is an oven-baked, flat, disc-shaped bread typically topped with a tomato sauce, cheese and various toppings.Originating in Italy, from the Neapolitan cuisine, the dish has become popular in many parts of the world. An establishment that makes and sells pizzas is called a "pizzeria"...
restaurant based in Albuquerque, New Mexico
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Albuquerque is the largest city in the state of New Mexico, United States. It is the county seat of Bernalillo County and is situated in the central part of the state, straddling the Rio Grande. The city population was 545,852 as of the 2010 Census and ranks as the 32nd-largest city in the U.S. As...
. Currently (2010) Dion’s operates 15 restaurants; 13 in New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
and 2 in Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. Expansion plans include two more stores in Albuquerque and one more in Lubbock, Texas
Lubbock, Texas
Lubbock is a city in and the county seat of Lubbock County, Texas, United States. The city is located in the northwestern part of the state, a region known historically as the Llano Estacado, and the home of Texas Tech University and Lubbock Christian University...
within the next 3 years.
History
Dion’s was founded in 1978 by Jon Patten and Bill Scott, long time childhood friends from Birmingham, MichiganBirmingham, Michigan
Birmingham is a city in Oakland County of the U.S. state of Michigan and an affluent suburb of Detroit. As of the 2010 census, the population was 20,103...
. The pair moved to New Mexico with intention of opening a fast serve Greek Restaurant. They bought a small pizzeria called New York Pizza in Albuquerque with the intention of converting it to a Greek menu. The name for their new place was to be ‘Dionysus
Dionysus
Dionysus was the god of the grape harvest, winemaking and wine, of ritual madness and ecstasy in Greek mythology. His name in Linear B tablets shows he was worshipped from c. 1500—1100 BC by Mycenean Greeks: other traces of Dionysian-type cult have been found in ancient Minoan Crete...
’, the name of the Greek god of wine. When the two got the bid for their new sign they decided to shorten the name to save money.
The Greek menu was mildly successful but the customers really wanted pizza so that became the focus of the store. Today their Greek salad is the only vestige of the original menu. Jon and Bill had no experience in the restaurant business and neither had a business background. They learned their trade as they developed it gathering help and advice where ever they could.
.
Development
In 1979, year after starting out in business, Dion’s built their second location in Albuquerque. Soon after that they got a good write up in the Albuquerque JournalAlbuquerque Journal
-History:Its earliest predecessor, the Albuquerque Daily Journal, was first published on October 14, 1880. The newspaper is owned by the Journal Publishing Company, a family-owned business headed by president/publisher T.H. Lang; it is operated by the Albuquerque Publishing Company...
which helped boost sales and sent them on their way to sustainable sales gains in the years to come.
In the early days their stores were located in strip shopping centers, and as they established themselves and built their credit they were able to open more stores in other centers around town. Their first free-standing units were made possible by the Savings and Loan crisis of the 1980s. They managed to get a good price on two former Mazzio’s Pizza
Mazzio's
Mazzio's Corporation is the parent company of Mazzio's Italian Eatery and the former parent company of Zio's Italian Kitchen. In November 2007 Zio's Italian Kitchen was sold to a private company....
units and moved two of their nearby stores into the new buildings. The two new locations came with drive thru windows which allowed customers to call in their order ahead and pick it up at the window. The pick up window worked very well and eventually accounted for nearly 35% of each stores sales. It became a standard feature on all new freestanding stores.
In the 1990s Dion’s concentrated on moving existing stores out of shopping centers and into separate units where the company owned both the land and the buildings. Today all their stores are freestanding and range in size from 3500 to 6000 square feet (557.4 m²).
Employees
The company employees approximately 1100 people with about 175 working full time. Each store has a roster of about 60 individuals many of whom are part time teenagers. Dion’s also has a commissary/bakery with a staff of 53 people where much of the daily food preparation is done. The commissary is responsible for daily delivery to the stores dough, sandwich baguettes, sliced meats and cheeses and salad dressings as well as many other items. The Home Office in Albuquerque houses about 32 employees scattered around the many departments crucial to the operation of the company. There is also an in-house maintenance department which operates 7 days a week with six repair trucks carrying out daily repairs and routine maintenance.Food
Dion’s has a limited menu with the main items being pizzaPizza
Pizza is an oven-baked, flat, disc-shaped bread typically topped with a tomato sauce, cheese and various toppings.Originating in Italy, from the Neapolitan cuisine, the dish has become popular in many parts of the world. An establishment that makes and sells pizzas is called a "pizzeria"...
, salad
Salad
Salad is any of a wide variety of dishes, including vegetable salads; salads of pasta, legumes, eggs, or grains; mixed salads incorporating meat, poultry, or seafood; and fruit salads. They may include a mixture of cold and hot, often including raw vegetables or fruits.Green salads include leaf...
s and subs
Submarine sandwich
A submarine sandwich, also known as a sub among other names, is a sandwich that consists of a long roll of Italian or French bread, split lengthwise either into two pieces or opened in a "V" on one side, and filled with various varieties of meat, cheese, vegetables, seasonings, and sauces. The...
. They have three sizes of pizza as well as the gourmet style pizzas. Pizzas are hand made.
Future
“World Pizza Domination by the Year 3000” is the mottoMotto
A motto is a phrase meant to formally summarize the general motivation or intention of a social group or organization. A motto may be in any language, but Latin is the most used. The local language is usual in the mottoes of governments...
the company likes to tout. Slow, steady, solid growth is the plan with a new market in Lubbock, Texas currently under development. There will be two new stores opened in 2010 with plans to look for the next out of state market.