A famous dish from Pictou County will soon make its way to Halifax.
Sam’s Pizza, known for its unique spicy brown sauce and thick sliced Brothers pepperoni, is opening a franchise location on Larry Uteck Boulevard.
Co-owner of the original location Spyro Kouyas says he and his sister and business partner, Maria Walker are nervously excited to expand the business.
“We know we’re under the microscope so [we’re] going to have all our die-hard customers up there saying ‘Ok. Is it the same or not the same?’,” Kouyas says. “We’re pretty confident we’re going to duplicate what we’re doing [in Stellarton].”
Kouyas and Walker will be working with the new franchise owner, Charbel Khattar, who owns and operates Pizza Co. in Halifax, to ensure the product remains the same across locations.
The original Sam’s Pizza location will supply the iconic sauce, Kouyas says, and he and Walker will work with Khattar’s staff as the shop launches.
“As far as the ingredients go: they’ll be using the same ingredients; we’re going to train his crew; we’re going to supervise what they’re doing; it should be practically identical – there won’t be any difference.”
Kouyas wouldn’t confirm a date for the new location to open, as the pandemic means the equipment that’s been ordered is slow arriving, but he says the shop will open sometime this summer.
They’ve always been thinking of franchising, Kouyas says, so when he and Walker met Charbel Khattar, they decided to go for it.
“He has a good understanding of the pizza market in Halifax, he understands pizza and we said ‘we’re going to roll with it’ and now we’re rolling – rolling the dough, I guess.”
“If the store’s a success – which we’re confident it will be – we’re going to start popping up stores everywhere.”
The original Sam’s pizza was opened by George Kouyas — Spyro and Maria’s father — in Stellarton in 1962.
