Toppers Pizza Franchise Information

Toppers Pizza is an ever-evolving pizza delivery franchise that has capitalized on technology and culture best practices to create a growing brand with 70 corporate and franchise-owned locations in 12 states. Toppers started when former Domino’s manager Scott Gittrich came up with a plan to disrupt the pizza delivery industry. While working his way up from delivery driver to assisting a Domino’s franchisee with more than 20 locations, Gittrich fell in love with the rush of the kitchen and the smiles that came from his team when a day was fought and won. 

In 1991, Gittrich saw pizza could be delivered better with fresher dough and unique toppings, so he decided to start his own pizza company with a focus on fast service, technology, menu innovation and quality ingredients. 30 years later, Toppers is now one of the fastest-growing pizza chains in the country. 

Since first opening its doors for business, Toppers has been on a never-ending mission to set the standard for high-quality pizza. Created with real Wisconsin cheese, made-from-scratch dough and a wide array of fresh toppings, every Toppers pizza is crafted with love, personalized with care and baked to be unapologetically exceptional in every way. With this, Toppers offers franchisees a pizza culture they can believe in. The Toppers business model is powered by passion with an obsessive compulsion to give loyal customers exactly what they want. 

For example, in an era in which online food ordering is set to overtake traditional telephone orders for the first time, Toppers’ goal is to make ordering pizza easier, quicker and more intuitive than ever before. That’s why Toppers pioneered a customized POS and online ordering platform that turns the average phone into a remote control for pizza. The end result is a happier customer and stronger unit-level economics for the franchise owner. The brand’s commitment to staying ahead of the latest technology trends also means Toppers taps into America’s largest generation of consumers — Millennials and Gen Z.

Another example is Toppers’ commitment to staying ahead of guests’ expectations and tastes by prioritizing menu innovation. The brand takes the quality ingredients and innovative concepts often seen in the fast-casual world and offers them to customers through the quick-service delivery segment. Over the past few months, the brand has continued to roll out new menu items, including a vegan menu system-wide, Vegan Topperstix and a recent addition of prime rib as a topping option.

When it comes to cultivating a supportive culture and franchise family, Toppers’ robust corporate team, which is much larger than most brands its size, offers a high level of support in which franchisees’ voices are heard. From experienced pizza people to business leaders who desire something more, Toppers is growing through a pack of passionate franchisees who live and breathe the brand’s core values.

Right now, the pizza delivery industry is booming, and there has never been a better time to be in the business. Pizza is a staple of the American diet, and it’s easier now than ever before to score a slice, whether ordering at the counter or online. As technology continues to evolve within the category, nobody comes close to matching Toppers’ advancements, and the brand's size allows it to quickly adjust to all of the ever-changing wants and needs of customers.

Most recently, when the COVID-19 pandemic hit and created an increased demand for off-premise service in the quick-service pizza segment, Toppers in particular was in a prime position to appeal to this changing consumer behavior.

Toppers’ commitment to providing convenience to customers through advanced technology created a strong infrastructure that allowed the brand to adapt quickly and thrive while other restaurants shuttered stores. Toppers was the first to offer contactless pickup and curbside delivery in its segment after the pandemic hit. Thanks to these advancements, 73% to 78% of Toppers’ sales have come through digital channels over the past several months.

Now, the pizza brands that satisfied customers during the pandemic will continue to be at the top of their minds as gatherings increase and consumer behavior starts to shift to a healthy mix of off-premise and on-premise dining. Overall, Toppers’ same-store sales increases are up 20% to 30% on a weekly basis, and the brand has opened four stores since the pandemic began.

Total Franchise Investment Range: $314,075 - $530,000*

Franchise Fee: $10,000 - $30,000

Royalty Fee: 5.5 percent of gross sales

National Advertising Fee: 3 percent of gross sales

*Please refer to Item 7 of the 2021 Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD) for additional detailed information.

Toppers Pizza has one of the most talented and experienced leadership teams in the restaurant industry that leads a deep support team that rivals much larger brands.

• Scott Gittrich -- Founder & Chief Executive Officer
• Kendall Richmond -- Chief Financial Officer
• Greg Wold -- Vice President of Marketing
• Robin Gittrich -- Vice President of  Human Resources
• Adam Oldenburg -- Vice President of Corporate Operations
• Tony Ellis -- VP of Information Technology
• Matt Martin -- Franchise Operations Director
• Beth Larson -- Director of Store Development

The investment range for a Toppers Pizza franchise is $314,075 to $530,000, with the initial fees coming in at $10,000 to $30,000. The AUV for fiscal year 2020 was $1,050,000+ for stores open five years or more.*

For more information on franchising with Toppers Pizza, visit: https://www.toppers.com/franchise/.

*The financial performance set forth is for the one year (52 weeks) commencing on December 30, 2019, to December 27, 2020 (364) days, and is for the 56 restaurants open and continuously operating for a minimum of five full fiscal years. Of the 56 restaurants, 22 met or exceeded the average gross sales, as defined in our Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).  Please refer to our 2021 FDD for additional information. Minnesota Franchise Registration No. F-4129. This information is not intended as an offer to sell or solicitation of an offer to buy a franchise. It is for informational purposes only. Offer is made only by prospectus.