A new business has announced plans to locate at La Plaza Grande shopping plaza in The Villages.
The former home of Sew & Vac at 980 Bichara Blvd. will soon be home to a Hungry Howie’s pizza.
A May opening is planned for the storefront located near the Winn-Dixie supermarket.
The Hungry Howie’s story began in 1973 when founder Jim Hearn converted a 1,000 square foot hamburger shop in Taylor, Mich. (a suburb just outside of Detroit) into a successful carry-out and delivery pizzeria. Steve Jackson delivered pizzas for Hearn. Later, the two partnered up to expand Hungry Howie’s and turn it into the brand it is today.
In 1983, Jackson and Hearn awarded their first Hungry Howie’s franchise. Within three years, Hungry Howie’s opened 65 franchises and by the end of the 1980s had more than 160 units. By 2005, there were more than 500 Hungry Howie’s locations in the country.