“The cool thing is, with modern technology, we can cook a pizza in under three minutes, resulting in the pizza being ready by the the time the person pays for their food at the cash register — or if not by then, by the time they have filled their soft-drink cup,” Wiley said.
Wiley projected that Rapid Fired Pizza, in 2,800 square feet of leased space, could open as soon as June 15. The restaurant also has applied for a license to serve alcohol. “Our hopes are to offer a wide selection of craft beers and wine,” Wiley said. Plans call for expanding the pizza concept “soon,” Wiley said.
Ryan Lee, zoning and development manager for Washington Twp., said he has had informal discussions with Wiley about the space, but has not yet received detailed plans. Lee noted that the space has not had a retail tenant for several years, and said township officials are pleased with the spinoff development occurring around the Whole Foods center. The specialty grocery store is slated to open late spring or early summer, township officials have said.
Wiley’s fast-casual Mexican food chain has engaged in a fast-track growth strategy since the first Hot Head Burritos opened in Kettering in 2007. Earlier this year, Wiley announced Hot Head signed a contract with an area developer to open 20 new restaurants in the Central Massachusetts and Northern Connecticut areas over the next four years as part of a plan to expand Hot Head’s reach nationwide. Hot Head’s footprint already extends to six states: Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Florida.
Wiley is also co-owner of the first Sumera Sushi location in Kettering.
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