The Funky Midwest Pizza Chain That's Quietly Stealing Customers From Big-Name Competitors

Pizza chains are one of America's favorite industries. By some accounts, there are over 64,000 of them across the country. Of course, there is much diversity in such a large number, but it's far from an even split. Yes, there are mom and pop shops among the multitudes, neighborhood spots loved by locals, and regional chains, but the megasized franchises feel like jumbo-sized pieces in this puzzle image. The big names are tough competitors. Little Caesars, Papa John's, Domino's, and Pizza Hut serve millions of customers yearly. They have seemingly unbeatable advantages in footprint and name recognition. Yet, one Midwest pizza chain is quietly claiming customers: Toppers.

Toppers Pizza is a budding franchise that served its first slices back in 1991. The first location opened in Illinois, followed by a second in Whitewater, Wisconsin, where the chain has maintained its headquarters ever since. There were over 70 Topper's locations as of 2023, with plans to hit 100 by the end of 2026. How is the chain maintaining so much heat? Toppers is helmed by a CEO who once worked as director of operations for a Domino's franchise; it's safe to say the team knows pizza. Underneath a quality menu that excites hungry diners and service that satisfies, Toppers puts technology to work in a way that draws customers away from big-name pizza players.

As CEO Scott Gittrich told Biz Times, "Our customers are saying, 'Your service is better. We like everything better. We can see that you're delivering faster.' And [Toppers] is actually using fewer people in the restaurant to do that."

Toppers' menu isn't unwieldy; one of the things the chain especially focuses on is, of course, pizza toppings. They aren't as exploratory as, say, Pizza Inn, but Toppers dedicates attention to the classics: pepperoni, meat lovers, supreme, ham & pineapple, with love for a few creative options, too. There are pizzas dressed with mac & cheese, buffalo chicken, pickles, and loaded tater tots. Toppers also has gluten-free pies with crusts sourced from Caulipower, plus an array of plant-based vegan pizzas. Outside of the main event, the cheesy Stix appetizer is certified Wisconsin drip of the dairy variety. At some franchises, monkey bread can reportedly give your sweet tooth something to hang on to. 

The menu is quirky enough to separate Toppers in a crowded pizza economy — but service matters also. A Wisconsin private equity group saw promise in Toppers back in 2021. With the money to pitch to operations, Toppers reportedly opened up improvements to training portals for incoming franchisees, as well as facilitated restaurant kitchen redesigns. It had the goal to expand while leaving a good taste in the mouth of Toppers customers, and it did so by investing in its own systems. With distinct point-of-sale tech and e-commerce solutions, Toppers' delivery times shrank, giving it more time to spend on customer experience. With it, Toppers has continued to become the kind of place where people want to eat.