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| ASU grad Bouboulis
breaks into pizza |
Sarah Howell
Features Beat
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Foster Hunt | The AppalachianBouboulis opened a CiCi’s
Pizza franchise after graduate school.
Foster Hunt | The AppalachianAfter a 10-year hiatus from
school, Bryan S. Bouboulis returned to Appalachian to complete
his masters, find a wife and start a business.
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Bryan S. Bouboulis
is more than just the proud owner of Boone’s new CiCi’s
Pizza. He is also a graduate of Appalachian State University putting
his education to use.
“I graduated twice from Appalachian,” Bouboulis said.
He received a bachelor’s degree in business in 1991 and returned
almost 10 years later for his master’s degree.
“Choosing Appalachian was a combination of the business school
and the football team. I played football when I was an undergrad
up here,” Bouboulis said. “Appalachian contacted me
about a football scholarship, but I broke my leg twice my senior
year of high school.”
Regardless of his injury, Bouboulis joined the team as a walk-on,
and he said some of his fondest memories are of the team.
“The away games—going with the team and getting the
opportunity to play in the big stadiums like Clemson. Just to
be able to say you’ve played there. I went with the team
to play [University of] South Carolina, Wake Forest, NC State.
We beat Wake Forest one year; they beat us [one year]. We kept
them from the Bowl Game the year we beat them. Those are probably
the best memories.”
After graduating, Bouboulis moved to Lexington where he would
live and work for the next 10 years. Eventually, he decided to
return to Appalachian.
“One reason I came back to grad school was I wanted that
time to focus on what I wanted to do. With my job, it was hard
to do simultaneously, so I quit work and came back to Boone,”
Bouboulis said.
That is when he met Dorinda.
“I met my wife the summer of 2000; her cousin introduced
us,” Bouboulis said. “We will have been married a year
in May.” |
“Bryan
and I are the same age, “ Dorinda Bouboulis said. “We
were actually attending school at the same time and had mutual
friends but had never met. It wasn’t until he came back 10
years later that we were introduced—but he says that’s
a good thing.”
Dorinda F. Bouboulis grew up in Boone and graduated from Appalachian.
“I knew Appalachian was a good school. Of course, I wanted
to look at different schools and get away from home, but I decided
to stay here,” Dorinda Bouboulis said.
Once he received his masters degree, Bouboulis said he was finally
ready to start his business.
“When I came back for grad school, the whole premise was,
I knew I wanted a business but I didn’t know what type. Any
projects we did for grad school were business plans for when I
got out,” Bouboulis said.
“If someone had told me I’d be with CiCi’s, or
even in food or franchise, I would have said no way. But Dorin
and I did a lot of research and when we got it all boiled out,
CiCi’s was the plan that fit.”
Dorinda Bouboulis agrees.
“We looked at five different restaurants and we wanted something
that families could work with and college students as well. I
grew up here, and there hasn’t always been a good feeling
between ASU and the local people,” Dorinda Bouboulis said.
“We wanted to do something that would help students at ASU.
A lot of students can’t afford to go to Ruby Tuesday every
day, so we tried to think about them,” she said.
Bouboulis opened CiCi’s Pizza on Jan. 20.
Two of his managers are also graduates of Appalachian, and Bouboulis
is looking to hire a third from the graduating class in May.
Ronald E. Bass, one of the managers, graduated with a management
and marketing degree.
“Bryan is helping us out a lot because we are looking to
start our own restaurant, and we get to go through this experience.
And since this is Bryan’s first one, I get to see a lot of
the things you have to do—a lot of the little things,”
Bass said. “Bryan is very candid about what we will have
to deal with as far as financially and what we have to do to set
up. He’s very open with us.”
Bouboulis said this is all part of the job.
“I not only teach them how to run the store but how to get
where I’m at. I’m pruning them to be franchisees,”
Bouboulis said. “Part of what makes this fun is being able
to watch people grow and develop. I imagine that’s what parents
have with kids after the teenage years.”
Bouboulis said he believes mentoring is vital to any career.
“The biggest thing is finding the people who are willing
to help you out. It’s an effort. No one is sitting around
saying ‘hey, who wants to talk about my knowledge?’
Whatever field you’re in, find that mentor and tap their
knowledge. You have to find that person who has done what you
want to do and can help you get there.” |
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