Zac Deem Has Dibs on Four More Hungry Howie’s

The Hungry Howie's Pizza restaurant at 10300 Rodney Parham Road in Little Rock, last month while still under construction.

By now you know that pizza chain Hungry Howie’s has come to town.

But you may not have heard that Zac Deem, who earlier this month opened the first Hungry Howie’s in Arkansas at 10300 N. Rodney Parham Road, has plans for four more — two more in Little Rock, one in North Little Rock and one in Conway.

Deem, 32, lives in Little Rock but grew up in Conway. He most recently was director of financial planning for Windstream Communications, but his first job, at 16, was at a pizza restaurant.

Deem touts Hungry Howie’s high-quality, good-value product, but notes that it’s best known for its flavored crusts, including Asiago cheese, Cajun, onion and ranch.

Hungry Howie’s Pizza & Subs Inc., based in Taylor, Michigan, has been growing rapidly in recent years and now has 550 locations in 21 states.

Central Arkansas has no lack of pizzerias, but Deem says he’ll emphasize Hungry Howie’s flavored crusts and customer service, and “those things will make the difference in Little Rock.”

Hungry Howie’s is a delivery-only pizza restaurant, so being close to residential areas is important, as is being near businesses like grocery stores and hair and nail salons.

In North Little Rock, Deem is looking at a location on JFK Boulevard, and in Conway, on Dave Ward Drive. The North Little Rock location will be the next to open, possibly in the fourth quarter of this year.