The Original Italian Pie

The Original Italian Pie was founded in 1995 by Musa Ulusan. The chain's first restaurant was located on Bienville Street in New Orleans, Louisiana. From its beginning, the business operated as an informal Italian-American restaurant concept, serving a menu broader than pizza alone. Its documented offerings included pizzas, salads, sandwiches, pasta, wraps, and calzones. In 1997, the company began expanding through franchising. This marked a shift from a single local restaurant to a multi-location regional chain. The franchise model allowed The Original Italian Pie to establish restaurants beyond its original New Orleans base, with operations concentrated in the southeastern United States. The chain reached 13 locations by April 2010. This expansion represents the clearest documented period of geographic growth in the available sources. The references do not identify individual franchisees, store-opening dates, capital invested, or the precise states in which all locations operated. By November 2021, the chain had been reduced to six locations. The available material does not explain whether the decline resulted from closures, franchise turnover, market conditions, ownership changes, or other factors. It also does not establish the brand's current location count, current leadership, ownership, or whether all six locations remained active after 2021. Consequently, the company's present status is recorded as unknown rather than definitively active or defunct. Historically, the brand's identity has rested on casual Italian-American dining with a menu designed to accommodate multiple preferences and occasions. Pizza and calzones represent its most clearly identifiable baked Italian offerings, while salads, sandwiches, pasta, and wraps broaden the menu beyond traditional pizza service. No additional history concerning rebranding, acquisitions, major product changes, national expansion, or corporate restructuring is documented in the supplied reference material.

• 2021

  Location count declines

  [1]The Original Italian Pieen.wikipedia.org

  By November 2021, the chain's documented footprint had decreased to six locations.

• 2010

  Regional footprint reaches 13 locations

  [1]The Original Italian Pieen.wikipedia.org

  By April 2010, the chain had 13 locations in the southeastern United States.

• 1997

  Franchising begins

  [1]The Original Italian Pieen.wikipedia.org

  The company began expanding through franchising, creating a path for growth beyond its original New Orleans restaurant.

• 1995

  Founding and first restaurant

  [1]The Original Italian Pieen.wikipedia.org

  Musa Ulusan founded The Original Italian Pie, and the first restaurant opened on Bienville Street in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Informal Italian-American restaurant chain offering pizza and a broad menu of casual Italian-American foods.

• Italian-American restaurant food · 1995

  Pizza

  Pizza is one of the chain's core menu categories and is central to its identity as an informal Italian-American restaurant. The supplied reference confirms pizza as a principal offering but does not specify varieties, sizes, toppings, recipes, or preparation methods.

• Italian-American restaurant food · 1995

  Calzones

  Calzones are listed among The Original Italian Pie's principal menu items. They extend the brand's baked Italian-food range beyond pizza, although the available sources do not provide details about fillings, formats, or recipe changes over time.

• Italian-American restaurant food · 1995

  Pasta

  Pasta forms part of the chain's broader Italian-American menu. The reference material confirms the category but does not identify individual dishes, sauces, portion formats, or whether the offering differs among franchise locations.

• Casual restaurant food · 1995

  Sandwiches and wraps

  Sandwiches and wraps give the chain portable alternatives to pizza, pasta, and calzones. They are part of the documented menu breadth, but no specific ingredients, names, or product-level launch information is available.

• Casual restaurant food · 1995

  Salads

  Salads are included among the brand's menu categories and provide a lighter option within its informal Italian-American restaurant format. The available reference does not list particular salad varieties or ingredients.

• 1997

  Adoption of franchise expansionStrategy

  Background

  After operating from its original New Orleans restaurant, the company pursued expansion through franchising.

  Action taken

  The Original Italian Pie began using a franchise-based expansion model in 1997.

  Aftermath

  The chain subsequently expanded in the southeastern United States and reached 13 locations by April 2010. Its footprint was reported at six locations by November 2021.

  Source

1. 1The Original Italian Pieen.wikipedia.org