Fueled by growth from existing franchisees and new multi-unit players snapping up territories in new states, Toppers Pizza is dominating the pizza segment and unleashing a strategic growth plan to break into more untapped markets and to increase its footprint in markets that already know and love the brand.
Founded in Whitewater, Wisconsin in 1991, Toppers Pizza is one of the fastest growing better-pizza franchise brands in the country, doubling in size over the past three years. In 2017, Entrepreneur Magazine also ranked Toppers as one of the top 500 franchises in the U.S for the third year in a row.
Toppers Pizza caters heavily to millennials with its irreverent brand personality, out-of-the-box thinking when it comes to toppings, late night hours and Straight Up Pricing, which lets customers order as many toppings as they’d like for one flat price. This means customers can choose the fresh and high-quality ingredients, sauces and cheeses to craft their perfect pizza without having to worry about added costs from topping choices.
"We play our music loud, we stay up late and we like to have fun," said multi-unit franchise owner Todd Geatches who signed a deal to open 27 locations in Colorado and Wyoming. He believes Toppers defies its competition with its quality food and customer service.
“Toppers makes its dough fresh every day, unlike Dominos, Pizza Hut and Papa John’s,” said Geatches, “The high-quality toppings also set Toppers apart from the other guys. That attention to detail shows the respect we have for our customers and to our pizza.”
Geatches is just one of several Toppers franchisees contributing to the rapid expansion the brand has seen this year. Director of Franchise Development Mark Cairns says that the brand turned 26 this past August, and 2017 has been its biggest year for new store openings to date.
“The concept continues to prove itself every year,” said Cairns, “Momentum is tremendous, and it comes down to the core competencies of the brand including modernization and quality ingredients.The restaurant industry overall has been shaky, but pizza remains steady. We have the best options for toppings and flavors and we have consistently delivered on our customer promise.”
Unique toppings like tater tots, mac ‘n cheese and buffalo chicken are just one reason why Toppers Pizza stands out in the market. Beyond that, the ability to customize a pizza is important, as consumers are looking for brands that offer a build-your-own option along with a menu of favorites to choose from. Several flavors of the brand’s World Famous Topperstix, chicken wings and desserts round out the menu to provide customers with variety and franchisees with additional revenue opportunities.
To help its band of dedicated, pizza-obsessed franchise owners, Toppers has a strong support team, with a 2:1 ratio of stores to support staff, which has helped the brand grow to its current 85 locations in 16 states. Recently, Toppers Pizza opened five new stores in five states, including Wyoming, Kansas, South Dakota, Colorado, and Michigan, with territory still available in key areas.
“We have available territory in top tier markets that a lot of bigger brands don't,” said Cairns. “The market is already there and competing brands are already in the market, but we have
the opportunity to come in and take charge of the market share.”
With 17 stores set to open by the end of 2017, and a strategic plan to hit 200 units by 2020, Toppers Pizza continues to be a force to be reckoned with in the pizza segment. To learn more about the brand, including franchising opportunities, visit https://toppersfranchise.com.