Georgie Pie
Encyclopedia
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
."
, 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 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).
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.
calling for the return of Georgie Pie, which currently has over 48,000 members. 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.
This was done for part of a documentary that the students are making titled "Bring Back The George".
"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.
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.
In May 2009 and again in July 2011 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
Progressive Enterprises
Progressive Enterprises Limited is an Australian owned company operating in New Zealand, and a subsidiary of the Australian retail group Woolworths Limited....
that hoped to be "New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
’s own homegrown alternative to the global fast-food industry giants such as McDonald’s, Pizza Hut
Pizza Hut
Pizza Hut is an American restaurant chain and international franchise that offers different styles of pizza along with side dishes including pasta, buffalo wings, breadsticks, and garlic bread....
and Burger King
Burger King
Burger King, often abbreviated as BK, is a global chain of hamburger fast food restaurants headquartered in unincorporated Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. The company began in 1953 as Insta-Burger King, a Jacksonville, Florida-based restaurant chain...
."
History
Georgie Pie was the brainchild of Tom Ah Chee, the same man who opened New Zealand's first supermarket (Foodtown OtahuhuOtahuhu
Otahuhu is a suburb of Auckland. It is located to the southeast of the city centre, on a narrow isthmus between an arm of the Manukau Harbour to the west and the Tamaki River estuary to the east...
, 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 "Georgie Pie"
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
Steak and kidney pie
Steak and kidney pie is a savoury pie that is filled principally with a mixture of diced beef, diced kidney , fried onion, and brown gravy...
) and exotic flavours (Chinese/Mexican/Italian).
The pastry
Pastry
Pastry is the name given to various kinds of baked products made from ingredients such as flour, sugar, milk, butter, shortening, baking powder and/or eggs. Small cakes, tarts and other sweet baked products are called "pastries."...
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
Auckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
. 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
Foodtown
| area_served =| key_people =| industry = Retail| products =| services =| market cap =| revenue =| operating_income =| net_income =| assets =| equity =| owner =...
& Countdown
Countdown (supermarket)
Countdown is a New Zealand full-service supermarket chain, owned by Woolworths Limited. Founded in 1981, Countdown is now the flagship brand of Progressive Enterprises, Woolworths' New Zealand supermarket subsidiary, with 133 supermarkets across New Zealand...
). 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
New Zealand Listener
The New Zealand Listener is a New Zealand magazine. First published in 1939 and edited by Oliver Duff and the Monte Holcroft it originally had a monopoly on the publication of of upcoming television and radio programmes. In the 1980s it lost its monopoly on the publication of upcoming television...
' front page article).
Closure
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
Progressive Enterprises
Progressive Enterprises Limited is an Australian owned company operating in New Zealand, and a subsidiary of the Australian retail group Woolworths Limited....
sold the food chain to McDonald's
McDonald's
McDonald's Corporation is the world's largest chain of hamburger fast food restaurants, serving around 64 million customers daily in 119 countries. Headquartered in the United States, the company began in 1940 as a barbecue restaurant operated by the eponymous Richard and Maurice McDonald; in 1948...
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
Bunnings Warehouse
Bunnings Warehouse is Australia's largest hardware chain with stores in Australia and New Zealand. The chain is owned by Wesfarmers Limited.-History:-Pre 1900s:...
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.
Resurgence in popularity
New Zealand Broadcasting School students Drew Chappell and Gareth Thorne started a Facebook groupFacebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
calling for the return of Georgie Pie, which currently has over 48,000 members. 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
Auckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
to get one.
This was done for part of a documentary that the students are making titled "Bring Back The George".
"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.
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.
In May 2009 and again in July 2011 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
ZM (New Zealand)
ZM is a New Zealand contemporary hit radio network owned by The Radio Network. It broadcasts 19 markets throughout mainland New Zealand via terrestrial FM, and worldwide via the Internet. The network targets the 15–39 demographic specialises in a chart-music playlist of pop, rock, hip hop and dance...
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
External links
- "Georgie Porgie, pudding and pie" - the English nursery rhymeNursery rhymeThe term nursery rhyme is used for "traditional" poems for young children in Britain and many other countries, but usage only dates from the 19th century and in North America the older ‘Mother Goose Rhymes’ is still often used.-Lullabies:...
upon which the name is probably based. - Campaign Against Foreign Control of Aotearoa Website
- An early Georgie Pie advertisement on YouTube
- http://www.arfai.co.nz/index.php?page=47 - Article on Tom Ah Chee
- Article on the recent movement to 'Bring Back Georgie Pie'