When Joey Karvelas describes his pizza brand’s humble beginnings in western Georgia, he’s not just whistling Dixie. Picture a ramshackle 900-square-foot shop squatting in the middle of a trailer park just 40 miles from the Alabama state line. Delivery and carryout only, with a few picnic tables for al fresco dining. And on a chilly winter’s day, perhaps a knife-wielding hunter nearby, skinning and gutting a deer.
Now that’s humble. But Karvelas Pizza Co. has come a long way since 2014. And Karvelas himself has come even further, after a troubled youth that landed him in prison for three years. Today, he’s a family man with five kids, strong faith in God, an abundance of self-confidence and charisma—and a six-store company that reaps $10 million in annual sales.
At first glance, he’s the antithesis of the traditional pizzaiolo. He has a real-deal southern drawl, wears a camo cap and puts on no airs. But he’s one of Georgia’s heavy hitters, building out high-volume shops in small towns you might be hard-pressed to find on the map…