Garlic Jim’s focuses on take-out and delivery of gourmet-style pizza
Another competitor in the tough pizza market entered Clark County this month. Everett-based franchise Garlic Jim’s Famous Gourmet Pizza opened its first Vancouver area location in Salmon Creek on Feb. 14. Franchisees Dave and Teresa Quinn are operating the restaurant at 13317 N.E. 12th Ave., and they expect to open a second Garlic Jim’s location in Fisher’s Landing by first week of May.
Dave Quinn said the demographics in both locations met the criteria, including a certain percentage of household incomes over $75,000 and at least 15,000 rooftops with a large number of families in the area.
Quinn said there are not a lot of restaurants in Salmon Creek and, while there is more competition in the Fisher’s Landing area, continued growth north and east of 164th Avenue makes it feasible.
“I think Vancouver is ready for gourmet type pizza,” said Quinn. “It’s what people have not had in the past in the Vancouver market.”
Garlic Jim’s, though selling at a higher price point than most competitors, attempts to separate itself from the pack and capture a larger piece of the $30 billion pizza industry pie with higher-quality ingredients.
A third location is reportedly planned for the area by another franchisee.
Quinn was introduced to Garlic Jim’s when the franchise’s Portland-area locations began advertising with his former employer Dex yellow pages.
He learned more about the company and liked what he saw.
“I knew with my marketing background and a good system and product that it could make a good franchise,” said Quinn.
Garlic Jim’s offers take-out or delivery only, allowing for location sizes of just 1,000 to 1,500 square feet.
With carry-out and delivery accounting for 80 percent of the pizza business, Garlic Jim’s concentrates on the largest segment of the market, said Quinn.
Each location employs 20 to 25 workers, mostly part-time.
Garlic Jim’s, launched in 2004, has more than 20 locations in operation in Oregon, Washington and Arizona. The company expects to have 50 locations open by the end of 2006. The company is looking to expand immediately into Nevada and California, with plans of eventually franchising nation-wide.
Vancouver-based Papa Murphy’s ranks as the sixth largest pizza chain in the country with more than 900 locations.
