We Come Fast, No Apologies: Eclectic Pizza Franchise Expands to Tri-State Area with First Set for Cincinnati-Area

Toppers Pizza Continues Successful Emergence Outside of Wisconsin; Focuses on Maintaining Consistent Fanatical Brand Support Location-to-Location

The big pizza chains serve their purpose: Mediocre food, mediocre promises, mediocre connections. Toppers Pizza, though, a 26-unit eclectic pizza delivery franchise brand, doesn’t fit that mold. And now Toppers Pizza is going to bring the first pizza concept with personality to the Tri-State area – set to open in the Cincinnati-area in 2010 under the leadership of experienced restaurant group.

Leading Toppers expansion into the Tri-State area is a family of locally-based entrepreneurs: father Bob Fullarton and two sons, Dave (29 years old) and Rick (26).

From the get-go the Fullartons were impressed by how Toppers Pizza takes a typical pizza concept and shakes it up through their irreverent personality that’s edgy and unfiltered, characteristics created and maintained through the leadership of CEO and Founder of Toppers Pizza, Scott Gittrich.

While Papa John’s, Domino’s, and Pizza Hut are stuck in a stiff battle for the family demographic, Toppers remained hooked on being a hip, cool brand, connected to the nationally untapped 18-34 demographic. This strategy, Gittrich said, has helped Toppers sustain its growth, even in a down economy, in that there are more young, energetic consumers craving a real brand connection.

“We were blown away at the quality of the food, the unique menu and the originality that sets Toppers apart from the national pizza brands,” Dave Fullarton said. “It didn’t take much convincing to get us on board and we’re excited to bring Toppers to our community in the Tri-State area.”

Along with its ability to tap into the most influential demographic, 18-34 year olds, Toppers has made a name for itself as the innovators of unique menu items. Toppers was the first delivery brand to capture the cheesy bread marketplace with its famous Topperstix. Toppers has never shied away from innovation with its Mac ‘N Cheese; Potato Topper; Cool C-B-R (Chicken-Bacon-Ranch); The Hangover Helper; Buffalo Wings, Quesadillas, Grinders, and dozens of other menu items. Different from the competition, 70 percent of Toppers’ sales come from items not traditionally found on competitor’s menus.

“The Fullartons fit the profile of typical Toppers franchisees in that they have the drive to go over and beyond the lackadaisical efforts of the other guys,” Gittrich said noting that Toppers is expecting to grow multiple units within Ohio in the next few years.

The Fullartons will also carry on a Toppers tradition when it opens its doors to the public later this year by giving away free food for a year to the first 50 customers. This marketing method creates a fanatical madness, and rush, with Toppers’ customers waiting as long as 48 hours prior to the opening of the doors.

“Once Tri-State area residents taste our pizza and experience our brand, they won’t go back to the competition,” said Dave Fullarton, noting the freshness, uniqueness and quality of Toppers ingredients. “I’m confident Toppers Pizza will become a household name in the Tri-State area.”