Before Dave Koone had thought of franchising Little Caesars, he started serving in his church as a mentor and realized he wanted to become a leader.
'I was in leadership development, and I felt I was having an impact on people's lives,' Koone said.
In 2007 Koone became the owner of a franchise group for the pizza restaurant. On Tuesday, he opened a store in Muncie.
Koone said the store is bringing 50 new jobs to the city and opportunities for college students.
Lauren Barron, assistant manager of the store, said about 30 people in the crew were college students from Ivy Tech College and Ball State University. A Ball State student herself, Barron said the store fits the needs of Muncie.
The store has become a good place for value, Koone said.
'The place is going extremely well,' he said. 'It's one of the best places in the country, with great value. I think it's cool that we were able to bring this to Muncie.'
Koone said the goal of the store is to help customers.
'With the state of the economy, a $5 pizza can feed an entire family,' he said. 'I think it also benefits for the convenience; people are busy, so when they come in our pizzas are hot and fresh, ready to go.'
Koone's franchise group has partnered with Food Rescue, a nonprofit organization, to feed families in need in the community.
He said about 30,000 pizzas were given out last year from four stores alone. Volunteers from Food Rescue will go to the store twice a day to take the pizzas and serve them to families in need.
John Williamson, founder of Food Rescue, said he met with Koone about two years ago. Koone started donating pizzas from his store in Noblesville.
'What they do is unique,' Williamson said. 'They don't let their pizzas sit more than half an hour and then they give them to those in need.'
Food Rescue operates with partners in several regions through the country. According to their Web site, Food Rescue has scheduled more than $3 million in food rescues around the country since Nov. 2007.
Williamson said Koone's help was a reflection of his leadership.
'I think [Koone] is being a leader in the industry, helping the community,' he said. 'Not everyone feels good about giving out their products for free because they are not informed about protection the legislation offers.'
Food Rescue also works on gathering more partners by helping companies understand the income tax benefits for food donations.
Barron said the partnership with Food Rescue helps both the company and people in need.
'I think it's a fantastic idea,' she said. 'This way we don't have to worry about wasting food. I'm glad we're here helping the less fortunate.'
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