Gumby’s Pizza will reopen at its new location on Hillsborough Street at the beginning of next week.
Founder Jeff O’Brien said they hope to open under new management either Tuesday or Wednesday. He said they were bringing in management from all over the country to help with the opening, which is expected to be busy.
“We are excited to get back,” O’Brien said. “We had been at our old location for 19 years and after being away for about a year we expect this store to rank as one of our top two stores in the nation.”
O’Brien said they had been receiving approximately 100 phone calls a day for the past three months from local customers, particularly college students, asking about when they would finally reopen.
According to O’Brien the anxiety leading up to the reopening is mainly due to the restaurants’ past popularity, which catered to the needs of college aged students all over Raleigh, as well as the ads in coupon books which were released prior to the restaurants’ opening.
Jeremy Watson, sophomore in business and resident advisor in Syme Hall, said residents verbally expressed their frustration last year when the restaurant was shut down due to unsanitary conditions.
“I am really happy they are coming back,” said Watson. “A lot of residents were really disappointed when it was shut down and I think everyone is excited about their return.”
O’Brien said a few things such as their phone number will stay the same, however there are changes on the way. The store will offer a dine-in option and an extended menu said O’Brien. He said they have developed a full line of 20 subs and a wide variety of salads for those who opt out of the classic items such as pizza and their popular “Pokey Stix.”
The new store, located where the old Papa John’s was, features all new state-of-the-art equipment, O’Brien said.
“We have put a lot of money into reopening,” O’Brien said. “It takes a lot of work to open a store in the city of Raleigh.”
The Raleigh store is not the only Gumby’s Pizza to open recently, according to O’Brien. He said they have recently opened a variety of new stores from Madison, WI to Austin, TX targeting college towns.
The majority of pizza consumed in residence halls at N.C. State came from Gumby’s Pizza according to Brian Burnette, a senior in art and design.
“I think there was a lot less pizza eaten once Gumby’s closed,” Burnette said. “I am a little surprised though that they were allowed to reopen, considering the reasons it was shut down.”
The change in management and their new location will hopefully be the solution to past issues, John Pratt, a sophomore in international studies, said.
“Gumby’s Pizza was the place to go last year,” Pratt said. “We all really loved it and I can not wait to get my hands on some Pokey Stix.”
Once it is open, O’Brien said he expects business to pick up. He said the former location was making over 1,500 deliveries a week and now with their dine-in option sales are predicted to rise even futher.
Sarah Linville, a sophomore in textiles, said she was making plans to visit Gumby’s Pizza immediately after it’s reopening.
“I like Gumby’s,” Linville said. “It’s just so good.”
