Posted on Mar 9, 2015
by Tony Brown
MARYVILLE — The City of Maryville has confirmed that South Cross Properties LLC plans to construct a Pizza Ranch restaurant here.
According to a statement released jointly by City Hall, Nodaway County Economic Development and South Cross Properties, the company has been working with municipal and NCED officials to move the project forward over the past several months.
The new Pizza Ranch will be located on a 2.24 acre parcel north of the Casey’s General Store currently under construction near the intersection of East First Street and the Highway 71 bypass.
Described by management as a “fast casual family restaurant,” Pizza Ranch will offer pizza, chicken, a salad bar, a buffet and desserts.
According to the release, the 6,000-square-foot operation is to create approximately 60-80 local jobs.
In a prepared statement, South Cross officials said the company was “excited to be coming to Maryville,” and that restaurant co-owner and general manager Joel Wissler is moving here in order to take charge of day-to-day operations.
Pizza Ranch is headquartered in Orange City, Iowa, and has more than 180 locations across Iowa, Minnesota, South Dakota, North Dakota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Nebraska, Illinois, Kansas, Missouri, Montana, Wyoming and Colorado.
Founded in Hull, Iowa, in 1981 by Adrie Groeneweg, the company has the stated mission of giving “every guest a legendary experience.”
The Christian-based chain also proclaims a vision “to glorify God by positively impacting the world,” and is noted for hosting “community impact nights” designed to benefit families, schools and civic organizations.
Over the past couple of election cycles, the chain has received exposure from the national news media due to several of its locations proving popular as campaign stops for presidential candidates during the Iowa caucuses.
NCED Executive Director Josh McKim said the addition of Pizza Ranch to Maryville’s retail community will help fill what he described as a restaurant “gap.”
“Maryville has a restaurant market demand of $42,785,943 and a current supply of $32,557,553,” McKim said. “Pizza Ranch has a diverse menu which makes it an ideal addition to our restaurant community.”
City Manager Greg McDanel said he expects Pizza Ranch “to become a mainstay in the local restaurant industry and economy for years to come.”
According to the release, the new Pizza Ranch is expected to open during the third quarter of this year.
In addition to Casey’s and Pizza Ranch, development at the overall site includes a car wash. The original landowner, Maryville East Side Development LLC, also recently donated a tract of land in the same general area for construction of a Lettuce Dream greenhouse complex.
Lettuce Dream is a local non-profit that hopes to use greenhouses to hydroponically grow fresh produce for sale to area stores, restaurants and institutions. It is hoped that the operation will create training and employment opportunities for people with developmental and cognitive disabilities.
The Maryville City Council entered into an agreement last year with Maryville East Side Development for construction of infrastructure improvements designed to support initial and subsequent construction in the area.
Municipal investment totals $57,000 for sewer upgrades and $20,000 for storm water mitigation.