Hell puts pizza back on the menu

Julie Taylor | 27th November 2009

Hell Pizza Rotovegas is set to reopen thanks to a local restaurateur who has bought the Rotorua franchise.

Andy Allan (pictured above) already owns the Lone Star in Arawa St and told The Daily Post that, although he was not a big pizza eater himself, he jumped at the chance to invest in such a well-known brand and product.

"I knew the business had a good reputation around town and I liked the brand and the product.

"When it went into liquidation, that sparked an interest in me."

The pizza shop, on the corner of Tutanekai and Amohau streets, went into voluntary liquidation in September, with liquidator John Price of HPL Partners estimating creditor claims at "significantly more than $150,000".

Mr Allan investigated further and decided to buy both the franchise and its assets.

"I thought there was a lot of potential to crank it up again to where it was or even better."

Part of that potential he credits to the Hell Pizza franchise, which provides a known name that will attract customers and the advantages and savings of bulk ordering and national advertising campaigns.

The location also contributed to his decision, with a high volume of foot and vehicle traffic passing, giving the store a very visible profile.

Mr Allan is in the process of cleaning the premises and making a few "cosmetic" changes to reopen on Tuesday, December 1.

He can only see one barrier to the success of his new venture.

"There will be a bit of a hurdle getting the message out that it is open again after having been closed for nearly three months."

He said feedback so far had been very positive - it was just a case of getting the word out.

The store will be run by one of the managers from the Lone Star through the summer season and there are plans to employ a permanent manager.