Peppes Pizza

Peppes Pizza is a Norwegian pizza chain that serves American style and Californian style pizza (similar to Italian style pizza). Peppes Pizza is the largest pizza restaurant chain in Scandinavia.[1]

Peppes Pizza
TypeSubsidiary
IndustryRestaurant
Founded1970 (1970) in Solli plass, Oslo, Norway
FoundersLouis and Anne Jordan
Headquarters
Oslo
,
Norway
Number of locations
76 (2019)
Areas served
Norway
ProductsPizza, burgers, lasagne
ParentUmoe Restaurants AS
Websitepeppes.no

The restaurant chain was founded in 1970 by two Americans, Louis Jordan and his wife Anne from Hartford, Connecticut.[2]

The restaurant chain is currently owned by Umoe Restaurants AS, who also holds the rights in Norway to restaurants such as Burger King, TGI Fridays, La Baguette and Cafe Opus.[3]

Peppes Pizza was the first restaurant that brought pizza to Norway.[4]

Peppes Pizza is currently present in more than 76 locations all over Norway, and more than 9 million pizzas are served by Peppes Pizza each year.[5] Peppes Pizza also delivers pizza in over 11 cities in Norway. Their menu was first put online in March 1995. The servings have been described as enough for two people and that the pizza chain is "a cut above the rest".[6]

The bestselling fiction book The Seducer by Norwegian author Jan Kjærstad documents an actual history of the pizza chain.[7]

History

Peppes Pizza is associated with the Norwegian-American married couple Louis Jordan (born 1931) and Anne Jordan (born 1944). He was an insurance agent, but had a desire to find a new livelihood when his family moved to Norway. Anne Jordan suggested pizza because she thought the ingredients would suit the Norwegian taste.

Louis Jordan took a job at the pizza restaurant "Pepe Pizzeria" in Hartford, Connecticut. There he used his time well and brought with him important knowledge of American pizza. The knowledge and notes from the pizza restaurant were to form the basis for the pizzas he would later launch in Norway.

With $ 10,000, American pizza recipes and great courage, after six months in Norway, he started to realize his goal. His wife Anne followed up on the financial and legal obstacles they encountered along the way.

They took over a room at Solli Plass in Oslo where Ben Youcéf had started one of the first international restaurants in Oslo.

"Peppes Pizza Pub", as the restaurant was first called, opened its doors for the first time in May 1970.

Foreign locations

The pizza chain franchised restaurants in Kuwait and China a few years ago, but these has since closed.

The Chinese restaurants had some different items on the menu that Chinese people are more used to, such as soups and pastas. The first restaurant opened in Beijing, China because of Pizza Hut's success in the country. The restaurant ran a "Pizza & Film" promotion which included a large pizza, a large cola, and an animation DVD.[8]

A restaurant in Sanlitun located in Bejiing had a children's play area. Despite being known in Norway as having good food, eChinacities said "Although not renowned for its excellent food Peppes is fairly reasonably priced".[9] National Arabic Company operated six locations in Kuwait.

There was also a restaurant in Leytonstone High Street during the 1990s owned and run by a brother and sister.

References
  1. "Peppes Pizza – Store norske leksikon". Store Norske Leksikon. Store Norske Leksikon.
  2. "Historien om Peppes". Peppes Pizza. Peppes Pizza.
  3. "Umoe Restaurants". Umoe Restaurants. Umoe Restaurants AS.
  4. Hayford O'Leary, Margaret (2010). Culture and Customs of Norway. ABC-CLIO. ISBN 9780313362491.
  5. "Fast food is a fast industry" (PDF). Multi-Support.
  6. Planet, Lonely; Ham, Anthony; Butler, Stuart; Roddis, Miles (2011). Norway. Lonely Planet. ISBN 9781742204727.
  7. Kjærstad, Jan (2003). The Seducer. Arcadia. ISBN 9781900850841.
  8. "Peppes Pizza Opens First Chinese Store In Shanghai". China Retail News. 1 September 2006.
  9. "Peppes Pizza". eChinacities. 6 July 2011. Archived from the original on 28 September 2011. Retrieved 25 August 2011.
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