1851

The team at&nbsp;<a href="http://toppersfranchise.com/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=toppers-pizza-puts-its-money-where-mouths-are-2703732" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Toppers</a> Pizza has understood the importance of having skin in the game since the company&rsquo;s founding more than 25 years ago. Corporate ownership of restaurants has helped spark and drive the company&rsquo;s growth for more than two decades and the growing, Wisconsin-based better pizza franchise is utilizing that philosophy to continue their momentum in 2017.

<a href="http://topperspizza.1851franchise.com/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=toppers-pizza-puts-its-money-where-mouths-are-2703732" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Toppers Pizza</a> is proactively adding corporate-owned locations as part of their strategic growth plan, with a heavy focus first in Indiana and Ohio.

In Indiana, the company recently signed to open two new locations by the end of 2017, one in Fishers and the other in Greenwood. In Ohio, the company recently purchased two franchise-owned locations in Cincinnati and plan to open three additional corporate-owned locations in the next year.

&ldquo;It&rsquo;s a &lsquo;side by side&rsquo; strategy where we are methodically looking to get a foothold in these key markets with corporate-owned locations in order to make any new franchisee&rsquo;s entry into the market stronger,&rdquo; said Mark Cairns, Director of Franchise Development for Toppers Pizza. &ldquo;We are still actively looking for qualified franchisees to join us in our expansion into Ohio and Indiana, and those that join us now will have the benefit of growing alongside our corporate stores.&rdquo;

Ohio and Indiana are a demographic and cultural match for the growing concept. Both states also have strong colleges and universities, where the brand has thrived over the years.

&ldquo;Our stores in college markets have performed extremely well and the vibrant menu and attitude of Toppers really resonates with college students,&rdquo; said David Biederman, Chief Development Officer for Toppers Pizza. &ldquo;We believe there are prospective franchisees in those areas that could help bring Toppers to town, but we are also going to take advantage of strong real estate in those states where we think the company can find success.&rdquo;

The investment in a Toppers Pizza franchise ranges between $291,666 and $527,152. Franchise fees start at $30,000 for the first unit and decrease to $20,000 for the second and third units, $15,000 for the fourth and fifth, and only $10,000 for six and above. The brand also rolled out a new prototype to kick off 2017 which increases transparency and creates a more welcoming environment for guests, while enhancing the flexibility of the real estate footprint, which can range from 1,300 to 1,700 square feet--making it easier for franchisees to locate and sign for endcaps, inline stores, or freestanding locations.

In Ohio, Toppers Pizza has already established a strong presence in Cincinnati where both college students and families have become fans of the irreverent pizza brand. The corporate team is planning to add to the two existing stores they have taken over near the University of Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky University. As the company aims to attract more qualified franchisees in the area, they see tremendous opportunity in duplicating the success they&rsquo;ve had with Bearcats at their crosstown rival, Xavier University, in the Norwood area of the city. Additionally, the company is focused on real estate options in Hyde Park, Western Hills, and downtown areas of the city.&nbsp;

The plan calls to open three corporate-owned stores in Cincinnati by the end of 2018. From there, the company will begin eyeing investment in corporate-owned locations in other major Ohio markets like Dayton, Akron, Columbus and Cleveland. Though, they are actively searching for franchise partners to beat them to those markets.

Toppers Pizza has a goal of continuing to enter new markets and raise its national profile, ultimately reaching 200 units by 2022. The brand has enjoyed recognition from top industry publications and entities such as landing on Entrepreneur Magazine&#39;s ranking of the top 500 franchises in the U.S for the third year in a row in 2017 and landing on QSR Magazine&#39;s listing of the Best Franchise Deals.

In Indiana, the team hopes the opening of the locations in Fishers and Greenwood will help spark interest from franchise prospects in cities like Lafayette, the home of Purdue University. The company also sees opportunity in cities like Indianapolis, Bloomington, South Bend, Lafayette, and Evansville. Overall, the company thinks that between corporate-owned and franchisee-owned locations, they could open as many as 30 Toppers Pizza restaurants in the coming years within Indiana.

&ldquo;We are actively looking at all areas of Ohio and Indiana and are working with real estate brokers to find the best locations to help Toppers thrive there,&rdquo; said Cairns. &ldquo;We are looking at a variety of options and want to create the awareness so that franchisees who want to invest in bringing Toppers to their city can have a leg-up on the competition.&quot;

Toppers Pizza Puts Its Money Where Mouths Are

1851 Franchise

Rapidly Expanding Better Pizza Brand Invests in Corporate Locations to Continue Growth in Ohio and Indiana

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

toppers-pizza-puts-its-money-where-mouths-are

Comfort Keepers

More Than a Caregiver: Loretta Smith's Support Extends to Fellow Caregivers, Clients and the Community

more-than-a-caregiver-loretta-smiths-support-extends-to-fellow-caregivers-clients-and-the-community

Melting Pot

Melting Pot-Mid Year-Momentum-Press-Release-June-2025

Melting Pot Names New CEO, Celebrates 50th Anniversary With Continued Growth and Leadership Promotions

melting-pot-franchise-mid-year-2025

Layne's Chicken Fingers

Texas Layne’s Franchisee Secures Real Estate in Austin, Set To Open Early Next Year

texas-laynes-franchisee-secures-real-estate-in-austin-set-to-open-early-next-year

Home Halo

Rural Market Opportunities: Home Halo’s Niche for Growth

rural-market-opportunities-home-halos-niche-for-growth

Lawn Doctor

Happinest-Lawn-Doctor-Franchisee-Ralph-Valle-Profile-Jacksonville-FL-June-2025

From Near-Quit to 7 Figures: Success With Lawn Doctor in Jacksonville, Florida

lawn-doctor-franchise-success-jacksonville

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

Drone Delivery Takes Flight in QSR: The Future of Franchise Operations?

drone-delivery-takes-flight-in-qsr-the-future-of-franchise-operations

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

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 Raj Pingili and Paris Baguette logo

How a Family Vacation Inspired Raj Pingili to Bring Paris Baguette to Towson, Maryland

how-a-family-vacation-inspired-raj-pingili-to-bring-paris-baguette-to-towson-maryland

Franchisee spotlight graphic with photo of Juan & Whitney Fernandez & family, BIGGBY COFFEE logo

From Chiropractic to Coffee: These BIGGBY® COFFEE Franchisees Are Brewing Something New in Troy, Ohio 

biggby-coffee-franchise-coming-to-troy-ohio

Franchisee spotlight graphic with photo of Sean Phelan & Caring Transitions logo

From Tech to Transitions: Why This Caring Transitions Franchisee Left the Corporate World To Help Families Navigate Life’s Hardest Moves

Toppers Pizza Puts Its Money Where Mouths Are

MORE STORIES LIKE THIS