1851

What do Scott Gittrich, Mark Watt, Kendall Richmond, Wayne Byers and Bill Stayduhar have in common? They&#8217;re all pivotal in helping <a href="http://www.toppersfranchise.com/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=a-toppers-history-lesson-starts-with-dominos-pizza-4109#intro" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Toppers Pizza</a> redefine and dominate the competitive pizza industry. And all five of them used to work for Domino&#8217;s&#8212;arguably one of the biggest brands that Toppers is contending against as they fight their way to the top. In 1984, Gittrich delivered his very first pizza as a driver for Domino&#8217;s. That job was the beginning of a lifelong love affair, and from that moment on, he knew he was destined to one day own his own pizza business. As Gittrich worked his way up the Domino&#8217;s ranks, he started saving as much money as any 20-something could. Then, with $30,000 in tow, he walked to a bank, applied for a loan and took a deep breath. His long-time dream had culminated into this single moment. Gittrich took a chance, and he left behind his job as director of operations for Domino&#8217;s (where he managed 22 franchise locations) to open his first Toppers in Champaign, Illinois. &#8220;The founding vision of Toppers was to be the quality pizza delivery place. We would make our dough from scratch, use great ingredients and make funky combinations of pizzas using unique toppings. We wanted to be the antithesis of Domino&#8217;s, while still delivering just as fast&#8212;if not faster&#8212;as the corporate joints making cheap, homogenous pizza,&#8221; Gittrich said. Since then, Toppers has been relentless in their climb to the top. Today, they&#8217;re pioneer the better pizza delivery category. They&#8217;ve grown from 46 to 73 restaurants in the past two years. In 2015, 73 percent of all stores boasted record sales, boosting overall system-wide sales up 22.5 percent from 2014. Toppers was even ranked second on PMQ/Technomic 2015 Pizza Power Report of sales percent increases of the top 50 chains, with Domino&#8217;s not even cracking the top five. Gittrich&#8217;s journey has paved the way for many more Toppers leaders in the years to follow. Chief Financial Officer Kendall Richmond has been with the brand for nearly four years. But long before joining Toppers, he was a Domino&#8217;s franchisee for 12 years. Franchise Operations Director Mark Watt has been with Toppers since 2007, but prior to his current job, he worked with Domino&#8217;s as a general manager from 1992 to 1999. And Scott Iversen, the vice president of marketing for Toppers, has been with the brand for 13 years&#8212;back when they only had 10 stores. His story starts at Domino&#8217;s, too, where he served as a general manager and marketing manager for six years. Many Toppers franchisees have followed the same path, too. Bill Stayduhar was a Domino&#8217;s franchisee from 1984 to 1997. Today, Stayduhar is nearing his 10-year-anniversary with Toppers, and he operates two locations in Charlotte, North Carolina&#8212;his first of which opened in 1997, right after he left Domino&#8217;s for a new opportunity. Stayduhar is now working on a deal to secure five additional stores in the Charlotte metro area. Wayne Byers&#8217; story is similar. Upon graduating college, Byers became a Domino&#8217;s store manager, with his sights set on one day owning a franchise. After successfully working his way to partner of a 55-store Domino&#8217;s franchise, he left the brand behind to pursue a fresh, new concept that offered him greater development potential. To Byers, Toppers represented the ultimate opportunity&#8212;a growing brand with a unique take on traditional menu items. Upon signing with Toppers, Byers made it a priority to bring these exclusive Toppers favorites to the Chapel Hill, North Carolina community. Toppers was the first delivery brand to capture the cheesy-bread marketplace with its famous Topperstix. The brand never shied away from innovation either. With unconventional toppings like French fried onions, tater tots, pulled pork and Mac &#8216;N Cheese, Byers&#8217; decision to leave behind his 55 Domino&#8217;s store to start from scratch with Toppers was an easy one. Today, he owns two stores, and he recently partnered with another franchisee to open three additional stores in the Raleigh, North Carolina area. &#8220;Many established pizza companies have reached maturity&#8212;it&#8217;ll be hard for them to ever change. I wanted to experience professional growth with an emerging brand. Toppers has carved its own path in the crowded marketplace, and I&#8217;m proud to be a part of it,&#8221; Byers said. To learn more about Toppers Pizza, <a href="http://topperspizza.1851franchise.com/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=a-toppers-history-lesson-starts-with-dominos-pizza-4109" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">click here.</a>

1851 Franchise

From Domino's to Toppers, pizza industry veterans are helping the better-pizza brand thrive. 

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

A Toppers History Lesson Starts with Domino's Pizza

a-toppers-history-lesson-starts-with-dominos-pizza

Children's Lighthouse

How Children’s Lighthouse Stands Out Among Other Children’s Education, Childcare, and Daycare Franchises

how-childrens-lighthouse-stands-out-among-other-childrens-education-childcare-and-daycare-franchises

The Growth Coach

The Growth Coach Franchise Costs, Fees, Profit and Data for 2025

the-growth-coach-franchise-costs-fees-profit-and-data-for-2025

One Hour Heating and Air Conditioning

Why One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning Sees People as the Power Behind Franchise Growth

one-hour-heating-air-conditioning-franchise-growth

Lawn Doctor

Design with photo of John Perry and Lawn Doctor logo

How a 20-Year Industry Veteran Tripled His Sales With a Lawn Doctor Franchise

lawn-doctor-franchise-success-story-john-perry

Fitness Premier

The Secret to Fitness Franchise Success? It's Not Just the Workouts

fitness-premier-franchise-marketing-support

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

Design with American and Federal Reserve flags against light blue background

Federal Reserve Expected To Cut Rates by Quarter Point, a Move That Could Boost Franchise Growth

fed-rate-cut-boosts-franchise-growth

Potbelly to be Acquired by RaceTrac in $566 Million Deal 

racetrac-acquires-potbelly-in-566-million-deal

Health Care Hiring Slowdown Highlights In-Home Care Franchise Opportunities - 1851 Franchise Agg

Health Care Hiring Slowdown Highlights In-Home Care Franchise Opportunities 

health-care-hiring-slowdown-in-home-care-franchise-opportunities

Caribou Coffee Names Scott Kennedy CEO, Eyes Continued Growth

caribou-coffee-names-scott-kennedy-ceo-eyes-continued-growth

McDonald’s Launches New Extra Value Meals as Consumer Demand for Value Continues to Climb

mcdonalds-launches-extra-value-meals

DevHub - Meet the Supplier - 1851 Franchise

DevHub: Scalable Digital Marketing for Franchises and Multi-Location Brands

devhub-meet-the-supplier

Mike Revak - Chief Business Officer - Sky Zone - Franchise Marketing Leaders - 1851 Franchise

Top 25 Franchise Marketing Leaders: Mike Revak — President and Chief Business Officer, Sky Zone

top-25-franchise-marketing-leaders-mike-revak-chief-business-officer-sky-zone

BooXkeeping: Making Bookkeeping Cool for Franchisors, Franchisees, and Small Business Owners

booxkeeping-making-bookkeeping-cool-for-franchisors-franchisees-and-small-business-owners

Top 25 Franchise Marketing Leaders: Brittany Knollmiller — Head of Marketing, Yogurtland

top-25-franchise-marketing-leaders-brittany-knollmiller-head-of-marketing-yogurtland

Hely and Hiral Patel Bring Their Longtime Dream to Life With The Brass Tap

brass-tap-franchise-pasadena-maryland-hely-hiral-patel

1851 Keyword - The Secret To Succeeding With a Part-Time Franchise Is Picking the Right Model

The Secret To Succeeding With a Part-Time Franchise Is Picking the Right Model

part-time-franchises-picking-the-right-model

Franchisee spotlight graphic with photo of Ricki Oberoi and Layne's Chicken Fingers logo

A Toppers History Lesson Starts with Domino's Pizza

MORE STORIES LIKE THIS