Pizza Ranch to open Grand Forks location this fall
Construction on the westernmost spot in the Menard's strip mall in south Grand Forks is set to begin later this month or in July. The restaurant is expected to open in October or November.
A Pizza Ranch restaurant is planned for the Menard’s strip mall on 32nd Avenue South in Grand Forks.
Construction on the westernmost spot in the strip mall is set to begin later this month or in July. The restaurant is expected to open in October or November.
Franchise owner Mike Christianson of Minot said he has finalized a five-year lease for the approximately 6,100-square-foot space.
Plans for the leased space have been submitted to the city’s building inspections department for approval.
Christianson said he is hoping to add a drive-through window to the westernmost side of the building, if he can secure approval from the city.
He said he typically prefers to buy vacant lots and build from scratch, but decided to lease because of the dearth of open spaces on 32nd Avenue South.
“It’s just a natural place to expand to,” Christianson said of Grand Forks. “It’s a great place. You have a lot of sporting events, fantastic traffic coming down from Canada, and it is a regional shopping area. It is a great city and the perfect place to have a business.”
Christianson also owns Pizza Ranch franchises in Minot and Dickinson. He plans to open a Pizza Ranch in Billings, Mont., this summer and has Pizza Ranch franchise rights to a number of larger cities in northern North Dakota and all of Montana.
Pizza Ranch has 13 restaurants in North Dakota, including locations in Devils Lake, Hillsboro, Fargo, Jamestown and Mandan.
The Grand Forks restaurant will have seating for more than 230. Customers will be able to order pizza, chicken and sides off the menu, use the buffet, order for take-out or have orders delivered.
Christianson said he expects to begin hiring in late August or early September. He said more than 100 employees, mostly part-time workers, will be hired in an initial hiring push, with overall employment eventually settling between 65 and 75 workers after a few months.
Schuster reports on business. Reach him at (701) 780-1107; (800) 477-6572, ext. 107, or email rschuster@gfherald.com. Follow Schuster on Twitter at @RyanSchuster.
Tags: 32nd avenue south, business, food, pizza, restaurants, construction, updates
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