Top Pizza Franchises Over 50 Units

It’s been a big year for pizza.

The beloved dish got quite a bit of media action in 2018, thanks in part to the Papa John’s scandal caused by ousted founder John Schnatter. After making statements against NFL player protests during the national anthem as well as using racial slurs on a conference call in May, Schnatter was asked to step down from the various responsibilities he was holding.

So yes, pizza has made the news quite a bit over the past few months.

Now, going back to the actual pizza. Innovation seems to be the name of the game with pizza franchises these days. The pressure - or interesting challenge, perhaps - of keeping up with health trends while also staying tasty is on. Not everyone expects pizza to be 100 percent healthy, but the gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian and/or organic folks do appreciate their options. At the very least, pizza brands are making a sincere effort to keep their products as fresh as possible and use natural ingredients. Perhaps a delicious pizza is the one food we can all agree on, the food that can unite the people.

Here are 10 pizza franchises that are dominating the space.   

California Pizza Kitchen

Unit count: 250+

Investment range: Not listed

This super popular pizza chain doesn’t give off the franchise fuzzies, at least not for domestic franchise queries (not a whole lot of information on franchising seems to be offered right off the bat, we’ll just put it that way). International franchise queries, though, offer valuable nuggets of requirement information. Previous restaurant franchise experience and a net worth of at least $5 million are just two requirements for opening an international California Pizza Kitchen franchise. In January 2018, CPK stayed on trend by doing a nationwide launch of a cauliflower pizza crust. Every year they find a way to honor veterans by doing something like giving a complimentary entree.

Cici’s

Unit count: 450+

Investment range: $222,462 - $1,080,103

Cici’s prides itself on providing a family-friendly environment (there’s a game room, so yes, bring the kiddos!). In 2016, the brand gave its franchising efforts a boost with the goal of opening more than 70 new restaurants through the end of 2017. While the menu has classic pizza favorites, there are also options such as Mac & Cheese pizza and Spinach Alfredo flatbread pizza. They also have a salad bar and a wing menu, and their dessert menu includes dessert pizzas. A credit score of 720 or better is required to franchise, as is a minimum net worth of $750,000, with $250,000 of that being liquid.  

Domino’s Pizza

Unit count: 15,000+

Investment range: $99,950 - $561,000

Apparently, there are more than 34 million ways to make a Domino’s Pizza. Oh, and it’s 93 percent franchise-owned in the United States. More than 90 percent of Domino’s 800 independent franchise owners started off as delivery drivers, hourly workers and pizza makers. The company must also be given credit for its really fun Twitter account. There is also the Domino’s Partners Foundation, which is aimed at helping Domino’s employees who are experiencing hardship, from medical issues to natural disaster relief. Fundraising efforts are done at the local level, and so charitable causes looking to raise money need to reach out to their local Domino’s store manager or franchise owner.   

Little Caesars

Unit count: 5,400+

Investment range: $193,050 - $619,500

The iconic pizza brand Little Caesars was named the fastest-growing pizza chain in the United States based on the net number of stores that were added each year in the period of 2008 to 2015. In terms of fundraising and giving back to the community, the chain offers the Love Kitchen, two trucks that serve pizza to the needy year-round. Its company culture emphasizes being protective of brand information and treating fellow employees like family, among other things. There’s also a veterans program, which is aimed at incentivizing veterans to open their own franchise. There are both domestic and international franchising opportunities, but only multi-unit franchise development opportunities are available for international franchisees.

Marco’s Pizza

Unit count: 900+

Investment range: $383,780 - $528,330

Marco’s Pizza has received recognition over the past few years, including nabbing the eighth spot in 2017 in Pizza Today magazine’s Top 100 Pizza Companies in the United States. The pizza franchise plans to open its 1,000th location in 2019. It opened 111 new locations and had $550 million in system sales in 2017. It boasts doing things “The Italian Way,” which to them means obsessing over details and taking pride in what you make, among other philosophies. The founder, Pasquale “Pat” Giammarco, came to the United States with his family from Sulmona, Italy. The pizza brand celebrated its 40th anniversary in June 2018.

Papa John’s

Unit count: 5,000+

Investment range: $130,120 - $844,420

It’s been a year for Papa John’s. Founder John Schnatter has stepped down from all responsibilities, including board and media-related duties, after separate racial incidents in 2017 and 2018. With the exception of press releases, any mention of Schnatter’s name appears to have been almost completely wiped out from the pizza chain’s website. CEO Steve Ritchie said in a July 13, 2018 press release the company would retain an independent, outside expert to audit the Papa John’s culture. “I will personally be leading this effort because there is nothing more important for Papa John’s right now,” Ritchie said in the press release. “We want to regain trust, though I know we need to earn it. We will demonstrate that a diverse and inclusive culture exists at Papa John’s through our deeds and actions.”

Papa Murphy’s Pizza

Unit count: 1,500+

Investment range: $279,070 - $518-780

The “Take ‘N’ Bake Pizza” chain makes the pizza for you, and all you have to do is pop it in your oven. “We don’t have freezers,” the company says on its website. Papa Murphy’s offers customers detailed instructions on their website on how to bake their pies, and even how to freeze and then bake the pies. Select locations now do home delivery. They’ve got an “Allergen Tracker,” where customers can specify allergens they want to avoid and view menu items based off of that information. The franchise addressed franchisee lawsuits in the FAQ section of its website, saying that the details of the lawsuit are disclosed in the company’s FDD and that they welcome prospective franchisees to reach out to current franchisees (contact information is provided, of course) to learn more about the franchising experience.

Pizza Hut

Unit count: 16,000+

Investment range: $297,000 - $563,000

Pizza Hut is the official pizza of the NFL, and in July 2018 it announced a multi-year partnership with the Seattle Seahawks to become the team’s official pizza sponsor. The company takes part in many education-related causes and events. Funny enough, the pizza brand was originally named “Pizza Hut” because the sign for the first ever location could only fit eight letters. Most fundraising and charitable efforts are supported at the local level. In terms of company culture, it’s a place where “you can Become Your Best, Make Friends, Have Fun.” The dessert menu is no longer limited to Cinnamon Sticks.  

Round Table Pizza

Unit count: 450+

Investment range: $286,300 - $463,250

This particular pizza franchise first opened its doors in Menlo Park, California in 1959, and is so committed to what it does and using fresh ingredients that it has dubbed itself “The Last Honest Pizza.” Round Table Pizza’s dough, for example, is rolled from scratch every day in every restaurant and never frozen. They don’t do gluten-free crust - at least not at this time - because it’s hard to keep it fresh when there’s a low demand. (But they’re willing to reconsider should demand increase.) They started franchising in 1962, and California, as well as the Northwest and Southwest regions of the United States, are open for further franchise development.

Toppers Pizza**

Unit count: 70

Investment range: $450,000 - $422,900

This national pizza chain, a client of 1851 Franchise, focuses on providing an excellent customer experience. Toppers Pizza was founded in 1991 by CEO Scott Gittrich and is headquartered in Whitewater, Wisconsin. In an effort to stay competitive and innovative, Toppers Pizza added quesadillas to its menu in July 2018. The brand is passionate about investing in employee development and retention and focuses on perfecting internal hiring practices. Oh, and they believe in prioritizing technology, which has resulted in 42 percent of orders being placed online. Toppers is big on giving back to communities, and has been a partner of Feeding America since 2010.

*Brands marked with an asterisk are clients of 1851 Franchise or No Limit Agency*.