CiCi’s Pizza finds success in Houma restaurant market

From the moment customers walk in the door, they are greeted by the full-press CiCi’s experience.

“Hi, welcome to CiCi’s,” dozens of workers exclaim.

It’s managing owner Mike Meredith’s foothold in the Houma market: Good service teamed with fresh pizza, crisp salads and tempting desserts.

“Our ingredients are fresh. CiCi’s is proud to offer quality and quantity together, for a super-affordable price,” he said.

Meredith and three other partners opened CiCi’s in Houma after Hurricane Katrina wrecked their Gretna franchise. The owners feared that another storm might come so they backed out of their lease and looked for other areas.

Meredith, a Dallas native, now lives in Thibodaux. He said prior to opening the Gretna location he frequented Houma for a possible location site.

“We love Houma,” he said. “The city and the people are so nice. They have welcomed us with open arms, and we really appreciate it.”

Since opening, business has been steadily growing. “A lot of families have been coming back and they tell us how good the pizza is,” Meredith said.

Finding qualified employees hasn’t been a problem either. Meredith attracted and hired 40 employees, mostly part-timers, over a two-week period. And that was without even advertising for help, he said.

“We were really worried. The first week was really slow, but over the last 10 days, it has gone crazy,” Meredith explained.

The buffet-style pizza restaurant also offers carry-out orders, caters for large events, hosts birthday parties and has an indoor arcade.

The Houma restaurant is the only CiCi’s Pizza within 55 miles. The closest CiCi’s to this area is in Kenner.

Meredith and his partners are looking to expand in other areas, including Thibodaux and Gonzales. “We’re going to see how this one goes,” he said. “Houma is growing like crazy. It was amazing to see the new infrastructure in Houma. Thibodaux is starting to grow like that as well.”

Meredith said the store is doing amazingly well for the first couple of weeks in business. His figures show that the franchise is performing 30 percent higher than projected sales.

Comparing CiCi’s to the other pizza franchises, Meredith said, “We have always co-existed with Pizza Hut, Domino’s, Papa John’s and places like that and have never had a problem. We serve food at affordable prices and our quality foods speak for itself.”

Meredith noted that the Houma location will be one of 10 CiCi’s nationwide to test Buffalo wings on its menu for the first time in the chain’s history.

“We are not offering the wings yet, but residents are being patient,” he said. “I guess it’s because they are not used to CiCi’s offering something other than pizza, pasta and salads.”

Meredith expects to start selling the wings after Christmas for a two- to three-week trial.

CiCi’s day cook Jessica McPherson prepares toppings for the pizzas that will be served during the lunch rush. * Photo by CHRIS SCARNATI