It took nearly 18 months to get to this point, but today the Collins family opened their rapid-cook pizza concept in south Springfield.
Called Turbo Fire Pizza, co-owner and operations manager Wray Collins unlocked the doors at 11 a.m. to customers at 3654 S. Campbell Ave. in Kickapoo Corners.
Collins said he and his parents invested $220,000 to bring Turbo Fire Pizza to town after his cousins started the 60-second pizza concept nearly two years ago in Springfield, Illinois. The model allows customers to pick their toppings – for 11.5-inch by 5.5-inch oblong personal pizzas – before cooking in a quick-fire oven, similar to the
BYOPizza shop downtown.
The restaurant has been in the works since January 2016, Collins said, and this is the third site option.
“It took a little while,” he said of the process to secure a location, licenses and loans. “We had a great location picked out downtown.”
A spot on East St. Louis Street near Hammons Field didn’t pan out and then an offer to take over the former Sonic Drive-In on East Sunshine Street wasn’t accepted. At the time, Collins said the seller wanted to demolish the building, but the family’s plan was to add on to it. The 2420 E. Sunshine St. property ended up going to the owners of
Black Sheep Burgers and Shakes.
The Collinses have made quick work of their plans the last three months. After selecting Kickapoo Corners – a shopping center with City Butcher barbecue, Starbucks coffee and At Home furnishings – the family has worked with contractor Platinum Interiors LLC for infill and hired 15 employees.
The south-side restaurant seats 49 and occupies 1,900 square feet. Collins said the $14-per-square-foot lease rate through Bill Beall Co. ended up providing savings compared with the other site options. Signed on for three years, with 18 years of options, they’re funding the venture through a U.S. Small Business Administration-backed loan by Simmons Bank.
The Collinses are no strangers to the food business. Wray Collins’ parents, Ken and Mary Collins, each has worked 25 years at French’s Food Co. – dad as a master mechanic and mom a quality insurance microbiologist. Wray Collins has experience in restaurants and sales but has worked as a mail carrier the past two years.
Turbo Fire Pizza also serves pasta, wings, salads and grinder sandwiches, said Collins, who is maintaining hours with the post office while the store gets off the ground. The personal pizzas start at $5.25 and unlimited toppings run $7.25, but he said the restaurant is offering free pizzas until 7 p.m. on opening day.
Collins’ extended family members plan to add a second Turbo Fire Pizza in the Illinois capital city later this year. But the concept is not limited to cities named Springfield: Collins said the group, which has 30 years of experience operating Subway, Sonic and Papa Murphy’s stores, is working to expand into Peoria by next year.
In Missouri, Turbo Fire Pizza is still waiting on an alcohol permit from the state. But that’s not slowing down Collins.
“It took a lot of work to get to this point. And it’s going to take a lot more work to keep it running,” he said.
