| Fate | Dissolved |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1977 |
| Defunct | 1998 |
| Headquarters | Auckland, New Zealand |
| Number of locations | 32 (at peak) |
| Owner(s) | Progressive Enterprises (1977-1996) McDonald's New Zealand (1996-1998) |
Georgie Pie was a fast food chain owned by supermarket operator Progressive Enterprises that hoped to be "New Zealand’s own homegrown alternative to the global fast-food industry giants such as McDonald’s, Pizza Hut and Burger King."
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Georgie Pie was the brainchild of Tom Ah Chee, the same man who opened New Zealand's first supermarket (Foodtown Otahuhu, 1958). The first restaurant was opened in Kelston, Auckland in 1977, and expanded considerably in the 1990s. In 1994, plans were announced to open 25 new outlets per year, with the goal of having 114 restaurants operating by year's end, 1998. The chain came to prominence in the early 1990s with its $1, $2, $3, and $4 "Funtastic Value" menu where everything was one of those four prices, including the popular $1 "Small Pie." At its peak, the chain employed about 1,300 people. The selling of pies allowed Georgie Pie to automate the food production process far more than other chains, which sold more labour-intensive items such as burgers, were able to. It did however mean that Georgie Pie managers had to plan their pie production 40 minutes ahead (the time it took to bake a pie) as opposed to the few minutes it takes to prepare a burger.
The large pies at Georgie Pie were sold in small, unique boxes. Inside the box, the pie was encased in a paper sleeve so it could be eaten without being directly touched with the hand. Small pies were sold in bags. The large pies were a round shape, and the small pies a distinctive square shape. Fruit pies were a smaller round shape. The large pies ranged in a variety of traditional (mince n' cheese/steak n' kidney) and exotic flavours (Chinese/Mexican/Italian). The pastry was distinctively solid and unflakey to avoid spills and mess. A state of the art factory which produced Georgie Pies was located in Manukau City, Auckland. The new automated factory replaced the original factory which operated out of Favona Road (behind Progressive Enterprises Head Office). This new factory was designed to support the continued expansion of the brand both locally and internationally. It was capable of producing 6,000+ pies per hour which were snap frozen (in a spiral freezer) in a raw state. Frozen pies were distributed to stores where they were freshly baked using impinger (conveyor) ovens. At the time it opened, the factory was Progressive Enterprises' 2nd biggest investment ever. The overhead costs associated with this factory could only be offset by increasing production via the opening of more outlets and by increasing supply (of a 'basic' brand pie) to the supermarket chains (Foodtown & Countdown). The decision by a short term CEO at Progressive, not to continue with planned expansion was a key factor in the demise of the brand. This decision was based on his view that pies were unhealthy and demand for them would diminish (see 'Listener' front page article).
The decision by Progressive's CEO not to support continued expansion (both locally and offshore) meant that the stores' profitability could not offset the high cost of the new factory and distribution centre. Offers by members of the Georgie Pie management team and other outside interested parties to work through options to buy the brand as a going concern were declined.
Progressive Enterprises sold the food chain to McDonald's in 1996, a move that became the beginning of the end for Georgie Pie. At the conclusion of the deal, 17 outlets were converted into McDonald's restaurants, and the other 15 were sold, some to other fast food franchises or restaurants, one into a Bunnings Warehouse and one into a bloodbank. There is suspicion the pie making machines were used to manufacture the unique square pies in a box for the Foodtown/Countdown house brand "Foodtown" pies which tasted almost the same but were withdrawn in late 2004. Most of the prior restaurants have now been fully remodelled by McDonalds as they were initially just quick conversions which still bore the old Georgie Pie design. The last Georgie Pie was located at Kepa Road in Auckland's Mission Bay where they ceased operations in 1998. In its 20+ year lifetime, Georgie Pie achieved a number of firsts in New Zealand - first Drive Thru; first with Breakfast; first with 24 hour opening - and of course the first local (kiwi) concept to seriously challenge the international brands.
New Zealand Broadcasting School students Drew Chappell and Gareth Thorne started a Facebook group calling for the return of Georgie Pie, which currently has over 48,000 members.[1] On September 28, 2008, they temporarily converted a Christchurch bakery into the restaurant and sold pies made with the same recipe as the originals. This temporary restaurant was extremely popular selling all their pies in less than an hour with people coming from as far as Auckland to get one.[2]
This was done for part of a documentary that the students are making titled "Bring Back The George".[3]
"Bring Back Georgie Pie" badges and T-shirts were available in New Zealand from a Wellington-based "Kiwiana" retailer until McDonald's requested that the manufacture of these products cease as they were deemed to be a violation of McDonald's intellectual property.[4]
Recently, a shop selling pies by the name "GP Pies" opened in Kelston, West Auckland. McDonald's announced they were looking into possible copyright infringement of the name. They also announced they were looking into relaunching the Georgie Pie brand, not as a stand-alone shop, but possibly inside McDonald's outlets as a McCafe offering.[5][6]
In May 2009[7] and again in July 2011[8] it was reported that McDonald's New Zealand (the current trademark holder) was investigating relaunching the brand due to the high level of popularity surrounding it and online campaigns. Nationwide radio station ZM has called McDonald's in support for reopening Georgie Pie, offering $50,000 worth of free advertising if the stores were to reopen before the end of 2009.
Very occasionally, genuine Georgie Pies come onto the market usually through New Zealand auction site Trademe. On November 30, 2010, a genuine fruit Georgie Pie was offered for auction to the highest bidder...see http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=336161471&ed=true