In 1961, A. Thomas Ferdinandi, Sr. and James V. DeMera, Jr. bought into the partnership which owned the Me-n-Ed's franchise territories of the Central San Joaquin Valley and Orange County. Previous to this point, Ferdinandi was partner with his father in J. Ferdinandi Formal Wear, and DeMera was a CPA with his father's firm.
DeMera and Ferdinandi were high school friends who were approached to buy an interest in the Me-n-Ed's franchise. The initial number of stores at that time in the San Joaquin Valley was three.
From this point forward, they grew the Me-n-Ed's concept to 24 stores, culminating in their retirement. Ferdinandi's sons currently operate the company: John A. Ferdinandi, President & CEO, and, A. Thomas Ferdinandi, Jr., Executive Vice President & COO.
The Company operates and franchises neighborhood pizza parlors featuring pizza delivery, take-out and dine-in under the trademark name Me-n-Ed's Pizzerias, Me-n-Ed's Slices in California, and Me-n-Ed's Pizza Pastarias. The first Me-n-Ed's restaurant opened in 1958. At December 31, 2002, there were 62 restaurants in operation, consisting of 51 Company-owned and eight franchised restaurants, projected to generate over $60 million in revenue by year's end. Over its 40-year history, Me-n-Ed's has achieved community acceptance and an enviable reputation for quality, having received numerous awards including "Best Pizza" as well as the "Excellence in Business Award" for Fresno County.
So how does Me-n-Ed's consistently rank among the best? By living our Mission Statement to become the leading provider of the finest pizza in the world. And to accomplish this, we attract and retain the best employees, we build a consistently satisfied customer base founded upon great family hospitality, we apply the highest standards to the ingredients, preparation and delivery of our pizza, and - most importantly - we realize our need to be an active and responsible community member. In its history, Me¬n-Ed's has helped hundreds of thousands of children by sponsoring youth sports, education, and service organizations through out its region.
Me-n-Ed's has been making pizzas following hand-crafted recipes and time-honored procedures. With a selection of over 24 of the choicest USDA meats and farm fresh vegetables, and using only dough made fresh daily on premises, we smother our pizzas with 5 kinds of 100% whole milk cheeses and seasoned sauces, ensuring that our guests enjoy every bite. Served piping hot out of our fire-brick ovens, its no wonder Me-n-Ed's is consistently ranked the Best Pizza in town. Pizzas are prepared in strict compliance with patent protected recipes, including the recipe for a special spice blend, which management considers a key ingredient for its pizzas, and long established procedures, which achieve consistent product quality. All employees adhere to a professional dress code and must complete in-depth training before being allowed to prepare pizzas or operate equipment.
Me-n-Ed's emphasizes a "Neighborhood Pizza Parlor" approach in its restaurant operations. Individual restaurants are family oriented and can accommodate large groups such as birthday parties, team parties and school/church functions. Me-n-Ed's establishes itself in customer's "backyards" offering easy convenience to a quality pizza. Managers of each pizza parlor establish close relationships with the neighborhood schools, churches and clubs, offering support through special discount pricing and sponsorship. Me-n-Ed's is also an active sponsor of youth sports such as soccer and baseball in addition to serving charitable needs throughout the valley, especially focusing its support on education and service organizations.
