Hungry Howie’s Opens in Lake Orion

The ribbon was cut Nov. 8 on a new Hungry Howie’s Pizza at 195 North Park Boulevard (M-24) in the Village of Lake Orion.

For owner Robert Leger of Troy, it’s the latest of more than 40 Hungry Howie’s locations he owns, mostly in Oakland and Macomb counties. . He started working for the company, making pizzas, at the age of 16.

“It kind of chose me,” he said. “I’ve been with Hungry Howie’s 30 years.” He’s now a longtime franchisee.

Howie’s had a previous location further south on M-24 owned by a different franchisee. “I don’t think it was a prime location,” Leger said. It has since closed, and when the franchise became available again, “I knew Lake Orion was going to be a good town to open in,” he said. “I think the location we opened up in is a prime spot.”

The new Howie’s is open for lunch daily.  Hours are 11 a.m.-11 p.m. daily.  There are six, $5.55 lunch meals to choose from. “It’s pretty quick,” Leger said. “We do a pretty nice job for lunch.”

Hungry Howie’s was founded in 1973 in Taylor; franchising began in 1982. In 2004, the company was awarded Chain of the Year by Pizza Today magazine. There are now more than 500 locations in 21 states, putting Howie’s in the top 10 of the nation’s largest pizza franchises. Known for its flavored-crust pizzas, Howie’s also operates its own distributorship so it can control product consistency.

At Howie’s national convention in May, two of Leger’s stores received the Upper Crust Award for their extraordinary service, cleanliness and quality standards. Leger is a member of the Orion Area Chamber of Commerce.

“We really try to get involved with the community,” he said. ”We have projects we do with the schools.” He also offers a rewards card worth 5 percent back on purchases.

Delivery is available. For more information call 248-693-6666 or order online at hungryhowies.com.