Naked Pizza coming to Boston; Six Burner to close

The Boston Herald
aked Pizza readies two Hub shops
Also, Helmand owner Karzai’s in hot water
By Donna Goodison / Turning the Tables | Friday, October 1, 2010 | http://www.bostonherald.com | Business & Markets

Naked Pizza, a New Orleans-based pizza chain backed by Patriots [team stats] owner Robert Kraft and Dallas Mavericks owner and billionaire Mark Cuban, has landed its first two Hub locations.

The 4-year-old takeout and delivery chain - which makes all-natural pizzas free of antibiotics, high fructose corn syrup, trans fats and “other freaky chemicals” - is targeting a January opening at 433 Washington St. in Brighton near Boston College and another by March at 1331 Beacon St. in Brookline’s Coolidge Corner.

Naked Pizza’s founders discovered how fast food could be part of the solution to America’s obesity crisis instead of a problem, said Peter Biro, the Wellesley man whose Third Slice LLC has rights to open 50 Naked Pizzas in Massachusetts and New Hampshire.

“Their basic idea was to create a very familiar product . . . that fits a healthy lifestyle without asking customers to make dramatic changes,” Biro said.

Although people typically associate “healthy” with “expensive,” Naked Pizza’s pies start at $4.99 for a plain cheese 10-incher.

The Kraft Group invested in Naked Pizza’s franchising arm last year after hearing of Cuban’s involvement.

“We all love pizza,” said Kraft’s son Dan. “The one downside is the unhealthy aspect of it. When the concept came of having pizza, which is a $44 billion industry, as a healthy alternative, it kind of took an interesting twist.”

After a taste test at Gillette Stadium, the Krafts were sold.

“They say it’s one of the most blogged about food concepts in the world,” said Kraft, who noted the chain’s innovative use of Twitter. “We believe in the concept big time, and we’re solidly behind it.”
# After 20 years of operating Boston restaurants, Russ and Sherry Berger are heading to the ’burbs.

The husband-and-wife team, who recently closed Laurel Bar and Grill on Berkeley Street, are now selling Six Burner on Dartmouth Street.

Tired of commuting, the couple will open a 50-seat eatery in their hometown of Upton. Red Rock Grill and Bar will be a comfort-food, family-oriented restaurant. A winter debut is planned after a renovation of the old Wildwood Lounge.

“Most people think we should dynamite the place and start over,” Berger said.

Six Burner will close in a month or so to make way for a new venture by Jim Cochener and Mike Moxley, who own Coda Bar & Kitchen around the corner on Columbus Avenue and Allston’s Common Ground Bar and Grill.

Cochener, who recently bought the Alchemist in Jamaica Plain and is busy retooling it into Canary Square, declined to comment.
# Helmand, the Afghani restaurant in Cambridge, is caught up in some international intrigue.

Owner Mahmoud Karzai - a U.S. citizen who’s the older brother of Afghan President Hamid Karzai - is under investigation by federal prosecutors in New York as part of a corruption probe of his business dealings in Afghanistan, The Wall Street Journal reported Monday. Prosecutors are determining whether there’s sufficient evidence to charge Karzai with tax evasion, racketeering or extortion, the newspaper said.

The New York Times [NYT] also reported that the National Security Agency has had Karzai, who splits his time between Maryland and Dubai, under electronic surveillance.

Meanwhile, Karzai, who’s said to be toying with a run for president of Afghanistan when his brother’s term ends, has maintained that he’s a legitimate businessman with a net worth of $12 million.

Some of Karzai’s real estate developments in Afghanistan have been funded with loans from the U.S. government, and critics allege nepotism has allowed him to get insider deals. Karzai also is an investor in the troubled Kabul Bank, which was taken over this month by Afghanistan’s central bank amid allegations that its major shareholders gave sweetheart loans, including $1 million to Karzai.

Helmand opened in 1994, and Karzai used to be more hands-on. General manager Osman Rasuli said the Karzai reports have not prompted calls.

“This is a well-run establishment,” Rasuli said. “We’re just serving good food here. It’s not a political restaurant.”
Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1285622