JERSEY CITY, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Black Friday shoppers munching on cones will be a common sight this November, but rather than ice cream, the cones will be oozing with authentic Italian pizza ingredients or Tiramisu’-inspired desserts filled with Ghirardelli® chocolate.
Kono USA – franchisor of “The Original” Kono Pizza and Kono To-Go – Fresh Eats, Treats & Sweets franchise brands – is bringing its on-the-go snack options in front of the masses this holiday season with the addition of five new units set to open before the biggest shopping day of the year. The growing franchise has popularized a new snacking experience with customizable pizza and dessert options, all served in freshly-baked dough cones. Each snack cone is filled with high-quality ingredients inspired by original Italian recipes and baked in just three minutes in the brand’s proprietary oven.
With existing locations in New Jersey, Texas, Florida, Philadelphia and South Carolina, Kono To-Go is expanding its footprint in shopping centers throughout California; Washington, D.C.; Texas and Idaho this holiday season. With more than 60 units in various stages of development, Kono USA’s To-Go model is perfectly suited for high traffic venues, bringing its innovative menu offerings directly to consumers in shopping malls, Wal-Mart stores, airports, festivals, sporting events and more.
“We are providing consumers with a fresh, unique and convenient new alternative to the standard snack options you see in malls and other venues,” said Kono USA Co-Founder David Ragosa, noting that the brand’s new line of dessert cones developed in partnership with Ghirardelli will be a hot item this holiday season.
The new mall locations set to open in November include:
- BALTIMORE, MD: Franchisee Tony Murphy is set to open Kono To-Go mall kiosks in Annapolis Mall and White Marsh Mall. A third unit is in the works.
- DALLAS, TX – Franchisee Frank Ovanessians is opening a Kono To-Go kiosk in Towne East Mall, his first location.
- SAN DIEGO, CA – Franchisee Larry Myers, who signed a deal for 10 locations, will open on outdoor mall kiosk at Mission Valley Mall.
- BOISE, ID – Franchisee Tyler Blake is set to open the first of his three units in the Boise Town Center Mall.
In addition, franchisee Robert Resendez, who signed a deal for five units, recently rolled out his first Kono cart to hungry crowds at a recent craft beer festival and rodeo in Houston, and earlier this year, the first in-line Wal-Mart location opened in Lancaster, South Carolina. Franchisee Eric Ciancaglini, who has operated a kiosk in the Cherry Hill Mall in New Jersey since November 2015 and a cart he has operated in over 20 events in 2016, has seen steady growth throughout the year. Ciancaglini is preparing for increased foot traffic during the height of the holiday season by increasing his staff and anticipates carrying the holiday momentum into the New Year when he will open his third location in the King of Prussia Mall.
Kono USA Co-Founder Carlo Ruggiero, added, “When hunger hits, consumers will no longer have to settle for salty pretzels or unfulfilling popcorn. Instead, Kono To-Go’s snack cones are providing the flavor, the variety and the novelty that mall shoppers have been craving for so long.”
About Kono USA
In 2013, entrepreneurs David Ragosa, Carlo Ruggiero, and Greg Kinlaw introduced the already popular European pizza-in-a-cone concept to America by establishing Kono USA and offering “The Original” Kono Pizza franchise opportunity. In 2015, the company expanded its portfolio to include Kono To-Go, reflecting diverse and portable product offerings of treats, eats and sweets in addition to pizza cones. All products are filled with fresh, quality ingredients inspired by original Italian recipes and baked in just three minutes in a proprietary oven. There are currently more than 60 “The Original” Kono Pizza or Kono To-Go locations operating or in various stages of development across the United States. For more information about “The Original” Kono Pizza or Kono To-Go franchises, visit franchise.konousa.com or call (855) 566-6872. To learn more about “The Original” Kono Pizza and Kono To-Go, visit www.konousa.com.
