A fast-growing pizza franchise is moving into Charles Village and plans to open 10 to 12 new stores this year.
Ledo Pizza System Inc. of Annapolis will open a 108-seat standalone restaurant next month at 3105 St. Paul Street near Johns Hopkins University and the Baltimore Museum of Art. That is according to the restaurant's General Manager and franchisee Burhan Ahmed.
He and his three partners invested $400,000 in the new restaurant. The bulk of that money is going toward equipment, design and construction. The restaurant will employ 40 and house two separate dining areas. Construction on the store began last month.
The pizza chain, which currently counts 90 locations, is eyeing Northern Virginia, Prince George's County and West Virginia for the new stores it plans to open this year, Ledo's Vice President of Marketing Will Robinson says.
Though the average Ledo Pizza restaurant is between between 2,000 to 2,500 square feet, Ahmed plans to go bigger with the Charles Village eatery. He hopes the 3,500-square-foot restaurant can attract Johns Hopkins students and staff craving its square-shaped, thin-crust pizza, pasta and salads. Pizzas will cost between $6 and $25, depending on the size.
The Charles Village restaurant will also serve beer and wine as Ahmed has applied for a "Class B" liquor license, available to business owners that invest more than $200,000 into a new restaurant. Store owners are also applying for a license to cater and serve customers outside during the warmer months.
Ahmed expects the restaurant to open between March 15 and March 25.
Sources: Will Robinson, Ledo PIzza; Burhan Ahmed, Ledo Pizza
Writer: Julekha Dash