1851

Todd Geatches is the owner of the Rocky Top Management group and has signed on to open 27 <a href="http://www.toppersfranchise.com/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=franchisee-voices-todd-geatches-of-toppers-pizza-7664#intro" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Toppers Pizza</a> units throughout Colorado and Wyoming, beginning development in Fort Collins for the first location. Todd is no stranger to the restaurant industry, and specifically in the pizza category. He began his career as an Oliver&#39;s Pizza franchisee after high school in 1985. Todd went on to work for Papa John&#39;s as a district manager in the Denver, Colorado Springs, Albuquerque, and Dallas markets and saw the brand grow from 400 locations to over 2500 in the &#39;90s. More recently, Todd has been heavily involved in the operations of Taco John&#39;s in the Denver area with business partner Clayton Hartman, through Mountain Restaurant Management. He and Hartman will take the wealth of knowledge they have for the franchise space in Colorado and Wyoming to spearhead <a href="http://topperspizza.1851franchise.com/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=franchisee-voices-todd-geatches-of-toppers-pizza-7664" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Toppers Pizza</a>&rsquo;s growth in untapped markets over the next several years. 

Tell us a little bit about your background.

I have worked in the restaurant industry for 32 years and the pizza segment has been a huge part of my life throughout my entire career. One of my first jobs was working as a dishwasher at a pizza restaurant called Firehouse Lounge in Michigan. After graduating high school in 1985, I became a three-unit franchisee of Oliver&rsquo;s pizza. Oliver&rsquo;s was a Michigan-based brand and I took the business down to the Arlington, TX area. I also worked for Papa John&rsquo;s Pizza and helped develop the Denver, Colorado Springs, Albuquerque, and Dallas markets as a District Manager. During my time with Papa John&rsquo;s, the brand grew from 400 to about 2500 locations.

Most recently, I have worked as Director of Operations for Mountain Restaurant Management, Inc., overseeing multiple Taco John&rsquo;s locations in the greater Denver area. My business partner Clayton Hartman served on the Board of Directors at Taco John&rsquo;s for 24 years is a founding partner and Chief Investment Officer of IFM Capital.&nbsp; He has spent more than 33 years addressing the complex needs of high net worth individuals, family foundations, endowments and business owners. Hartman was named one of Barron&rsquo;s &ldquo;Top 1000 Advisors&rdquo; for four consecutive years. He has been very active in the Fort Collins community, serving on the Board of Directors for Fort Collins United Way and the Fort Collins Cancer Society, and is the past chairman of the Poudre Valley Hospital Foundation. He also gives back to his alma mater by serving on the University of Wyoming Foundation Board, being a founding member of the University of Wyoming Ambassador&rsquo;s Board and serving on the University of Wyoming Athletic Facilities Committee.

What was your first job?&nbsp;

As one of seven children, I learned the importance of earning money at a young age. I worked my first paper route at age ten in Harrison Township, MI.

Why did you choose to become a franchisee with Toppers? How did you learn about the brand?

When Clayton and I were looking to invest in new brands, we researched several franchises in the pizza category. What set Toppers apart from the rest&nbsp;was Scott Gittrich&rsquo;s leadership style as well as the brand&rsquo;s forward-thinking targeting of millennial consumers. In comparison to other brands that we considered, the quality of the Toppers product also stood head and shoulders above the rest.

What were your perceptions of franchising before starting the process?&nbsp;

I have been familiar with the franchise industry for my entire professional career and have experienced it from both the franchisee and franchisor perspective. While many brands experience an antagonistic relationship between the franchisor and franchisee system, it is clear that the leadership team at Toppers is committed to a supportive atmosphere. Scott considers the entire system one big family and that approach makes Toppers more successful than many other companies.

What&rsquo;s next for you and your business? Do you have any development/expansion plans with the brand? 

We have signed a 27-unit area development agreement and&nbsp;will develop 13 units from&nbsp;North of Denver to Cheyenne.&nbsp;

Visit the <a href="https://atourfranchise.org/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=franchisee-voices-todd-geatches-of-toppers-pizza-7664" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">International Franchise Association&rsquo;s @OurFranchise website</a> for more stories of passionate local franchise owners, employees and their communities.&nbsp;

Franchisee Voices: Todd Geatches of Toppers Pizza

1851 Franchise

Todd Geatches is a veteran in the pizza franchise industry and chose to become a franchisee with Toppers Pizza.

This brand page has been paid for by 1851. Content within this page that is paid will showcase a Sponsored icon. This means the brand has engaged 1851 FRANCHISE to write the content. Content without the Sponsored Icon is aggregated media placements the brand earned. Questions can be sent to editorial@1851franchise.com

franchisee-voices-todd-geatches-of-toppers-pizza

HomeTeam Inspection Service

Photo of HomeTeam Inspection Service representative giving presentation

Strategic Partnerships Fuel Franchise Growth at HomeTeam Inspection Service

hometeam-inspection-service-franchise-growth-partnerships

Express Employment Professionals

What’s in the 2025 FDD? A Closer Look for Express Employment Professionals Franchise Buyers

whats-in-the-2025-fdd-a-closer-look-for-express-employment-professionals-franchise-buyers

petbar

How-petbar-Makes-Pets-and-Their-Owners-Happy-as-Part-of-the-Family-in-a-Clean-and-Fun-Environment

How petbar Makes Pets and Their Owners Happy as Part of the Family in a Clean and Fun Environment

petbar-franchise-opportunity-boutique-pet-grooming

petbar Franchisees Win the $6.89B Global Market With Complete Transparency, Self-Service and Membership Models, Creating the Happiest Place for Dogs

petbar-franchise-opportunity

Why petbar Wants to Be the “Disney World for Dogs” — and a Dream Business for Franchisees

petbar-franchise-dan-ashley-o-loughlin-qa

Buying a Franchise Masterclass

 Franchise Opportunities

Get Support Buying a Franchise

How to Buy a Franchise White Paper

How to Buy a Franchise

How to Sell Franchises

How to Grow a Franchise

Find a Franchise Supplier

1851 Franchise Opportunities

Franchisor News

Franchisor Power Rankings

FranCamp Mastermind Summit

Franchise Development Website Builder

Franchise Resources

What ALEC-Laffer's Report Means for Franchising

Website Awards

Power Rankings

About 1851

Advertise on 1851

Contact 1851 Editorial

Terms of Use

1851 Login

GROWTH CLUB LOGIN

facebook

instagram

twitter

linkedin

youtube

Chick-fil-A Tops Customer Satisfaction Rankings for 11th Year as Challenger Brands Gain Ground

chick-fil-a-tops-customer-satisfaction-rankings-for-11th-year-as-challenger-brands-gain-ground

Technomic Releases Annual Ranking of the Top 15 Fast-Food Chains in the U.S.

technomic-releases-annual-ranking-of-the-top-15-fast-food-chains-in-the-us

Rising Jobless Claims Could Signal Challenges — and Opportunities — for Franchising

rising-jobless-claims-affect-franchising

Hardee’s Lawsuit Highlights the Risk of Going Off-Model in Franchising

hardees-franchise-lawsuit-paradigm-investment-group

Hooters Leans Into Franchising With Closure of 30 Company-Owned Stores - Agg - 1851 Franchise

Hooters Leans Into Franchising With Closure of 30 Company-Owned Stores

hooters-franchise-model-company-owned-closures

The Ultimate Guide to Selling Franchises: How To Create a Strong Incentive

how-to-build-strong-incentives-to-attract-prospective-franchisees

The Ultimate Guide To Selling Franchises: How to Leverage Franchise Expos

how-franchisors-can-leverage-franchise-expos-to-drive-success

Top 25 Franchise Marketing Leaders: Carol DeNembo — Chief Marketing Officer, Mountain Mike’s Pizza

top-25-franchise-marketing-leaders-carol-denembo-chief-marketing-officer-mountain-mikes-pizza

Champion: Driving Franchise Growth Through Award-Winning PR and Digital Marketing

champion-franchise-marketing-agency

How Vishal Juneja Turned a Family Tradition Into a Paris Baguette Franchise

How Vishal Juneja Turned a Family Tradition Into a Paris Baguette Franchise Built on Heart and Community

paris-baguette-franchise-rockaway-new-jersey-vishal-junjea

Franchisee spotlight graphic with photo of Ed Holmes and Papa Murphy's logo

Thirty Years of Take ‘n’ Bake: Ed Holmes Reflects on a Lifetime With Papa Murphy’s

papa-murphys-franchise-ed-holmes-30-years

Design with outline of three houses and people working on laptops within them

Top 10 Low-Cost Home-Based or Mobile Franchises for 2025

low-cost-home-based-mobile-franchises

From Personal Care to Purpose-Driven Business: Why This Couple Is Bringing Griswold to Houston

from-personal-care-to-purpose-driven-business-why-this-couple-is-bringing-griswold-to-houston

Franchisee Voices: Todd Geatches of Toppers Pizza

MORE STORIES LIKE THIS