San Francisco - Ca - 1 September, 2002 -

Tell us what you do (or what your team or organization does) and the specific challenge you faced. While studying abroad in Paris in 1987, I was intrigued by the flocks of Parisians who gathered daily at crepe stands throughout the city for a delicious gourmet meal-to-go. I foresaw demand in the U.S. for healthier and more gourmet alternatives to typical American ?fast food.? Extreme Pizza distinguished itself from the high-volume, mass market pizza chains by offering a higher quality, gourmet product. The first Extreme Pizza originated in the restaurant mecca of San Francisco in 1994, where hordes of people sought the convenience of fast food but the healthy aspects and quality of a gourmet product. The original concept was ?take and bake? (Mistake #1). I quickly learned, however, that although our customers loved our pizza, they wanted it cooked and delivered. As Extreme?s reputation grew, businesses demanded lunch deliveries, and so we jumped into our cars and delivered. Today we regularly deliver thousands of pizzas everyday!!! What was your moment of truth? (Mistake #2) I started Extreme Pizza as a 50-50 partnership with a friend. The moment of truth came when I realized that in order to survive and grow into something more than a mom & pop pizza joint, we would have to adapt our business model to what our customers were demanding: cooked and delivered pizzas. My business partner insisted that we stick serving only ?take & bake? pizzas, but I knew that we would have to adapt and evolve in order to survive. After a messy separation period, I took control of the business and transformed it into what our customers had been clamoring for-- a gourmet pizza establishment that offers healthy and innovative pizzas, both cooked and uncooked, as well as an array of salads and sandwiches. Adapting our business model has allowed Extreme to expand beyond our wildest dreams. We have established partnerships with the Marriott Corporation and colleges such as the University of San Francisco. By maintaining flexibility in our business model and always listening to the root of Extreme?s success ? our customers ? we have reworked concepts and achieved financial and operational success in a very competitive marketplace. (The exact date? 11/11/1996) What were the results? Extreme Pizza: ? ranked on the INC 500 for the past two consecutive years; currently #197 with over 1080% growth. ? ranked by San Francisco Business Times in the Top 150 Fastest Growing Private Companies for the past three years and in 2002, ranked #20. ? awarded BEST PIZZA by San Francisco Magazine, San Francisco Weekly, East Bay Express and the Calgary Times! ? selected ?Finalist? in the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2001. ? establishing an aggressive franchising program that will roll out 15 more units throughout the USA this year. What's your parting tip? Illegitimi Non Carborundum. Perseverance, patience, dedication, persistence, hard-work have fun!!!

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