Out of Nashville, Tenn., a fast-casual pizza concept is growing with a multi-faceted strategy to build national brand awareness.
Slim & Husky’s was founded in 2017 by three long-time friends—one is slim and the other two describe themselves as “team husky.” They are building a concept designed for often underserved neighborhoods, or “food deserts,” where the brand brings its artisan oblong pizzas and a menu of creative cinnamon rolls, but also a celebration of local art and music.
“For us, it was always important to highlight the best of our culture in our neighborhoods. And that’s everything from quality food [to] spaces where people can feel that feeling of family, that feeling of community,” said CEO and co-founder EJ Reed. But also “something that inspires hope. Something that inspires creativity.”
From left to right: EJ Reed, Clint Gray and Derrick Moore, co-founders of Slim & Husky's./Photo courtesy of Slim & Husky's.
The idea is that pizza brings people together. Slim & Husky’s tagline is “pizza rules everything around me,” or PREAM, which is featured on a growing line of merch.
The chain now has nine units, plus a number of concession outlets at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, FedEx Forum in Memphis, and various sports facilities at Vanderbilt University.
Frozen pizzas and cinnamon rolls are also shipped nationally through Goldbelly, and the partners are positioning to move into grocery store freezer sections. The brand can be found at the three-unit Nashville grocery chain called Turnip Truck.
And this month Slim & Husky’s desserts will be featured at various restaurants in the Mandalay Bay resort and casino in Las Vegas as part of Pepsi’s Dig In program to spotlight Black-owned concepts.
By the end of 2024, Slim & Husky’s plans to open another 10 to 15 units, all company owned, targeting major cities across the Southeast, but with sights also set on New York, Chicago and Los Angeles.
Slim & Husky's growth plans
So far, the three partners have been able to fund their own growth, purchasing real estate where opportunities arise.
“We’ve been able to attract family and friend type investors that believe in what we’re doing and have stepped up to help us get to nine locations,” said Reed. “As we grow, we are working to get to the point where we might be attractive to private equity.”
Franchising is a possibility down the road, he said.
But “for us right now, controlling our quality, controlling the story, the culture around Slim & Husky’s is extremely important to us,” he added. “Right now, we want to focus on building the best corporate-owned stores as we could.”
Behind the brand is a classic entrepreneur story.
Reed and Derrick Moore, who takes the role of chief development officer, have known each other since second grade. Reed and Clint Gray, the brand’s chief marketing officer, became friends in high school. Moore and Gray met at Tennessee State University, where they both had football scholarships. (Moore and Gray are “team husky,” while Reed says he’s the “sole member of team slim.”)
The three friends went their separate ways after college. Reed worked as a financial analyst and got an MBA. Gray went into sales and also got an MBA. Moore went to law school, but decided it wasn’t for him and worked as an air traffic controller, among other things.
The back story
But the three never stopped talking about starting a business together. First, they launched an moving truck business in 2010, pooling $3,000. They grew that company and sold it for seven figures in 2017, after deciding to pivot to hospitality—despite a lack of culinary experience.
With the help of a chef consultant, the trio bought a garage in North Nashville and turned it into “the mad science pizza lab,” where they worked on the menu for two years—giving food away for free to get honest feedback—until they felt they had a product that could serve their needs: a dough that worked for dine in, delivery and eventually a potential consumer packaged goods, or CPG, product.
The early days
Slim & Husky’s uses a conveyor belt oven, but Gray said it slows the cooking process down a bit to produce a more artisan crust. With names inspired from music, the oblong pizzas are either 10-inch (“slim”) or 16-inch (“husky”), and 16 signature sauces are made in house.
There’s the Fiesta Pizza, for example, with a jalapeno cilantro ranch sauce, the house cheese blend, ground beef, pork chorizo, onions, green pepper and a nacho cheese drizzle. The Smokin’ Herb has a white sauce, cheese, spinach, red onions, and mushrooms and can be topped with smoked chicken or smoked salmon. Or guests can build their own.
The cinnamon rolls offer a unique menu twist: The OG S&H House Rolls are a classic topped with brown sugar sauce and cream cheese, for example, but there’s also the Sticky Fingaz (topped with caramel sauce, bacon, 1856 Uncle Nearest Whiskey and glazed pecans); or the Ninja Tartle (green apple sauce and jalapeno cream cheese glaze).
Beer and wine is also on the menu. Initially, the restaurants offered up to 15 beers on tap, but the brand has evolved to have fewer options. In some cases, Slim & Husky’s partners with local brewers to feature a themed option, like a PREAM IPA on the menu in Sacramento, Calif.
Almost all units use kiosk ordering, a feature that has evolved from the pandemic. Gray said the move has not only helped reduce labor costs, the data collection has been invaluable. “It’s making us smarter as a brand,” he said.
Delivery accounts for about 35% of sales and Slim & Husky’s works with all the major third-party delivery providers.
Because Slim & Husky’s is Nashville born, music is also a big component, though more hip hop and R&B than country, Gray said. The chain holds events called Slim & Husky’s Unplugged that feature local performers.
Building brand awareness
Next spring, Slim & Husky’s is planning to host a popup to test the market in Austin, Texas. In addition, a PREAM tour is scheduled, using a pizza trailer, to bring music-fueled pizza parties (and cinnamon rolls) to major markets across the country to introduce the brand.
But the three partners are also continuing to invest in their hometown of Nashville.
Last year, they opened a one-off cocktail bar called E G & MC on historic Jefferson Street music district, where Black performers from James Brown to Etta James and B.B. King would stay and perform in clubs.
“It’s a craft cocktail bar, you come in, listen to some good music and take in the vibes of Jefferson Street,” said Moore. “We wanted to do something to honor those greats.”