Q+A With Ray Zandi, VP Of Business Development

Q+A with Ray Zandi, VP of US Business Development with MTY Group

For those seeking a unique franchise opportunity in the restaurant industry, Sauce Pizza and Wine offers an intriguing blend of fast-casual convenience and high-quality dining. In this insightful interview, Ray Zandi, VP of US Business Development with MTY Group, shares his expertise on what makes the Sauce Pizza and Wine franchise stand out in a competitive market.

Tell us about the Sauce Pizza and Wine franchise concept.

Ray: The Sauce brand is something that is very unique. In the restaurant world, you have fast food, some fast casual, and then sit down models. What makes the Sauce brand so special is that it is sort of a hybrid between the models. Our quality of food is fresh, vibrant, often made from scratch, and most importantly, craveable. People love it. They can come into a casual atmosphere and experience a high quality sit down type of service.

What is special about the Sauce menu?

Ray: Firstly, the mac and cheese changed my mind about mac and cheese forever. It is the most amazing mac and cheese that you will ever have in the industry. It’s that good. What I absolutely love about the menu is it is so unique. It is cool. It’s hip. It’s flavorful. The best part is that a lot of items are made from scratch. You can taste the difference between a different restaurant concept using primarily pre-made product versus Sauce.

Who do you think is an ideal franchise owner with Sauce Pizza and Wine?

Ray: The type of franchisee that would be very successful with Sauce is someone that is really passionate about serving high quality food. A Sauce franchise owner is someone who is very passionate about serving something they can be proud of, something that they can serve to their friends and family. Somebody who is proud of what they’re doing in their own business.

What type of support is offered with the Sauce Pizza and Wine franchise opportunity?

Ray: What’s really impressive about Sauce franchising is that we’re there from the very beginning. When you first inquire, we’ll help you do your due diligence. We’ll make sure you understand the business and what you’re getting into. We’re very transparent. Once agreements are signed, the next stage is real estate. We will help you understand real estate and assist you through that entire process. Next comes construction and design, and we’re there to hold your hand to the end. When it’s time to open your restaurant, we’ll be there prior to opening, post opening, grand opening, and as needed for support from then on.

What is the franchise culture like?

Ray: I’ve worked with many different brands and continue to work with many different franchises. The one thing that’s impressive about the Sauce brand is the people. Not just the people internally, meaning the people on the ground, but the servers, the support staff, the kitchen staff, but the corporate staff, everyone. This is the most special group of people I’ve ever had the opportunity to work with. The culture is tremendous. Everyone works together for one goal, and that is to keep the brand successful, keep it energetic, keep it vibrant, and make sure that they’re all there together to support the franchisee.

Is Sauce a scalable franchise opportunity?

Ray: The Sauce brand is set up very well for scalability. It’s been proven here in Arizona, with 13 restaurants currently operating very well. Of course, we want to make sure that we’re the right fit, and we want to make sure the franchisee is the right fit, but the franchise itself is ready to grow. The infrastructure is there. The quality is there. The energy is there. The quality of the product is unsurpassed.

Why is now a fantastic time for someone to invest in Sauce Pizza and Wine?

Ray: It’s a great time to become a Sauce franchisee, because everything’s established. It has been proven over the course of 20 years. The quality is there too. People love it. We have a lot of regulars. It’s like a pizza and pasta cult. As we continue to grow, we’re confident that it’ll become something that everyone will be passionate about in other territories, anywhere we franchise.

Learn More about Franchising with Sauce Pizza and Wine

Interested in introducing the Sauce Pizza and Wine concept to your neighborhood? Learn more about the Sauce business model, how we support franchise owners, and the cost to franchise by visiting our research pages here.

If you’re ready to start a conversation with our franchise development team about investing in the Sauce Pizza and Wine franchise opportunity, we invite you to fill out our inquiry form here. Once we receive your information, we’ll be in touch to set up an introductory call, and share with you more details about the Sauce Pizza and Wine franchise opportunity.