“I really enjoy my job and enjoy my work, but I wanted to do something I was really passionate about,” Maynard explains. “My family members wanted to do something like that as well, so we just we started it.”
Unlike most pizzerias, Foxy Grandma’s Pizza is only open Fridays and Saturdays from 10 p.m. until 4 a.m. It operates as a ghost kitchen out of the Central Kitchen Incubator Downtown and its pies are available for curbside pickup or local delivery only.
As a data analyst, Maynard began the venture by doing research and crunching the numbers.
“We conducted a huge analysis and reviewed thousands of reviews for pizza places in Cleveland to see what customers really like about specific pizzas and what they do not like,” he says.
The outcome? There is demand for great-tasting, late-night pizza that is also affordable, speedy and uncomplicated.
The same amount of research and testing went into the dough, with the team going through 100 different variations before landing on the current recipe and process. Essentially a cross between New York and Cleveland style, the 14-inch pies are made from scratch with a handful of wholesome ingredients.
“We try to keep a very simple menu,” Maynard explains. “We have three main types: a classic pizza, an organic pizza and a gluten-free pizza. And all those pizzas have the option to be made vegan.”
Additional items include cheese bread, garlic bites, Caesar salad and a few desserts.
Pizzas start at $14.99 and climb as toppings are added. Those pies are available for curbside pickup on Euclid Avenue or delivered to your door – assuming your door resides within the delivery area.
“Our goal is always under 30 minutes from the time of the order to the delivery – that’s kind of been our business model,” he adds.
To accomplish that, Foxy Grandma’s handles its own deliveries.
Maynard says that the limited days and hours of operation are temporary. As word spreads and business expands, so too will the availability.
“Right now we're just trying to build a customer base and get our product out there,” he says. “We have specific goals that once we meet we're going to start extending the hours and start hiring more people.”
The goal, he adds, is to graduate from ghost-kitchen status to brick-and-mortar business. Down the road, he can see opening additional pizzerias.
“I mean, if it’s something that goes well, we'd love to expand to different parts of Cleveland.”
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