Upstate restaurateurs hope to grab piece of pizza business

Four Upstate entrepreneurs opened their American Pie Factory restaurant Wednesday, with hopes that it may be the first of many.
Ron Mueller, Joe and Laura Mahaffey, and Bob Armstrong began operations at 103 Beacon Drive, near Pelham Road and I-85.
The group said the 6,000-square-foot restaurant, which specializes in New York-style pizza, wings and homemade desserts, is the prototype for possible future expansion.
According to Joe Mahaffey, president of American Pie Factory of Greenville LLC, the restaurant’s concept stems from a favorite pastime — going out for pizza after Little League ball games.
Mahaffey said the idea is to create a restaurant with a family-friendly environment that caters to today’s sports teams like the restaurants of childhood days.
Later into the night, the restaurant atmosphere is transformed into an upscale sports-type bar for the mature crowd. It offers 24 different types of beer on tap.
Mueller, the group’s vice president, said, “We want to be a family restaurant first and a bar second. I don’t think we ever want to confuse ourselves in that.”
Mueller and Joe Mahaffey owned a finance business before deciding to sell it and open the restaurant. Mahaffey and Armstrong, who has 18 years of restaurant experience, played Little League baseball together in the Greenville area.
The former Tony Roma’s restaurant site was “completely gutted” and remade for the American Pie Factory, Mahaffey said
Armstrong, managing partner of the group, believes the restaurant will do well in this economy.
“We’re giving a great value for the typical middle-class family to be able to eat and relax in a middle-tier type of restaurant,” he said.
A lunch buffet, featuring pizza and wings, will be available Monday through Friday. During that time, customers still have the option of ordering from the full menu.
American Pie Factory is open from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., Monday through Saturday and from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Sunday.
1. Do you believe that the owners did a good job of market research?
2. Do you feel as thought this business can be successful or are there too many sports bars and pizza places to go to?
3. With the economy, how can they make sure this business survives?
4. How would you markt this business to possible customers? Give your bets sales pitch!!