The Biggest Pizza Chain In The US Is Still Family-Owned

It may seem a bit wild, but the biggest pizza chain in the U.S. is one that many have never even heard of — and often doesn't show up on any lists. Typically, rankings of the largest and best-selling pizza chains highlight Domino's, with a bit more than 7,000 locations, in first place, with Pizza Hut close behind with over 6,500 restaurants. But there is another name-brand, cooked pizza you can pick up at more than 10,000 locations around the U.S., one that is still family-owned after 35 years: Hunt Brothers Pizza.

Unlike the usual recognizable brands, what makes Hunt Brothers Pizza unique is that it doesn't have any traditional restaurant locations. Rather, it operates as a seller inside convenience stores and gas stations that it doesn't own. The pizza itself is still made by Hunt Brothers (the brand name is clearly on the packaging), but it's prepared directly by the staff of whichever shop has contracted to sell it. The chain was founded by four brothers — Don, Lonnie, Jim and Charlie Hunt — who grew up in the food business working at their father's drive-in restaurant. Originally, they sold pizza supplies to restaurants before getting into the pie business themselves.

In 1991, they launched Hunt Brothers Pizza to sell grab-and-go pizzas. While none of the original founders are still with us, the chain is still in the family, now run by CEO Scott Hunt since 2009, with several other relatives serving as executives. The Hunt Brothers' canny strategy has led to the chain's massive success, as they managed to identify a big hole in the pizza market that other companies ignored.

Using stalls in existing stores and providing an easy, low-cost way for local employees to prepare each pizza allowed Hunt Brothers to capture markets that had previously been considered too small for larger chains to bother with. The brothers saw a rural market that was underserved and knew that convenience stores already had a built in customer base that they could sell to.

This all occurs through a very simple setup that doesn't cost those stores much money. An interested party simply purchases a Hunt Brothers oven, freezer, and display case from the company up front, and then continues to stock the store weekly. There are no fees or forced contracts like other fast food franchises, making this a "turn-key" program. This brings in a lot less revenue for Hunt Brothers, but it doesn't have to cover any of the costs of opening and operating locations. It's also why you don't see big Hunt Brothers signs beckoning you from the side of the road.

The pizzas are also simple to prepare. They are a mix of frozen and fresh, with base being frozen and then employees adding more cheese and fresh toppings. Then, it just goes through an oven for five minutes and can be sold whole or in slices right from the counter. So, next time you're stopping by a gas station or grabbing a drink from a convenience store while passing through a rural area, look around for pizza, because you might be standing in a Hunt Brothers location and not even know it.