Louisville's Tony Boombozz Pizza has been named 16th among the "Top 100 Movers & Shakers" in the fast-casual food industry in the U.S. in the current edition of Fast Casual magazine.
The listing for our local favorite reads:
16. Tony Boombozz, Louisville, Ky. Italian/pizza • Last year: unranked With four locations in its home city of Louisville, the founder of this chain is determined to survive among the giant pizzadelivery chains by offering unique menu features, including a secret-recipe pizza sauce and a bourbon-inspired pizza, to what he calls a niche market.
The magazine editors added, "As for most magazines and industry watchers, culminating the very best of the breed in a fast-growing segment is often a difficult task. With more than 600 fast casual concepts in the half-trillion-dollar restaurant industry, paring the list down to just 100 is not for the faint of heart."
Top billing went to Au Bon Pain, with Café Express, Camille’s, Qdoba and Panera rounding out the top five. Panera has held the top spot before, while Camille's and Qdoba have been in the top five for three years running. The choice boiled down to the creative portion tactics Au Bon Pain implemented this year, along with the brand’s aggressive growth plan and stellar management team. This group of breadwinners easily deserves the top spot."
Frankly, most of us on this forum, in our frequent discussions about "what constitutes a chain," think of Boombozz as a local indie that's grown to four properties the old-fashioned way, with quality of product and service. If it's competing with the likes of Panera and Camille's, I think most of us would rank the Big B way above all those more corporate eateries.
Congrats to Tony Palombino and his management and staff. It's a considerable honor.