Toppers Pizza Celebrates 20 Years; Ramps Up National Growth Strategy

Hires Franchising Veteran to Run Development Campaign for First Time and Position Franchise for Aggressive Growth

WHITEWATER, WI – CEO and Founder of Toppers Pizza, Scott Gittrich’s vision has come to fruition over the past 20 years. That vision was to create an eclectic pizza delivery experience while maintaining a better product and service than the competition.

“The reason for our success is simple: We are not one of the ‘Wal-Marts’ of the industry. The big chains have lost identity and brand connection,” said Scott Gittrich, founder and CEO of the growing Whitewater, WI-based 26-unit franchise brand. “Our customers are fanatical about our brand. Our quirkiness and edginess has given our brand character, thus we have been able to continue our growth and bonding with an untapped national demographic – the 18-34-year olds.”

While many brands hurry to sell franchises and get as many locations open as quickly as possible, that can prove to be a failure. Toppers has stuck to the mantra of slow and steady growth ensuring that its open locations survive despite even the harshest of economic conditions. Over the past 20 years, Toppers has created a sound system, and is ready to unleash its opportunity to the masses.

Supported by almost one million dollar AUVs, a fanatical fan base with an almost cult-like following and franchisees who eat, breathe and sleep the brand, Toppers has all the pieces in place to become a huge national player. The way it will get there: hiring a 20-plus year franchising veteran who has experience with brands like Five Guys and Pancheros and who has also been a multi-unit Subway franchisee himself, as well as unleashing its first-ever national advertising strategy for franchise development.

Brett Larrabee, the new Director of Franchise Development for Toppers Pizza, said himself that at first he thought that Toppers was just another pizza place, but upon learning more about Toppers, he realized that Toppers was different.

“What I found was a company that was offering a buying experience. They were talking to the pizza consumer’s heaviest user demographic (college students) in a way that they wanted to be spoken to. They have created a Marketing Machine,” Larrabee said. “As a result, Toppers is able to maintain strong margins in what is usually a commodity/price-driven business.”

Larrabee will enact a slightly different franchising strategy to help Toppers grow throughout the country, putting a focus on connecting with multi-unit developers who want to build up store density in larger markets. Toppers’ next focal points for saturation are Chicago, Minneapolis, and Cincinnati, but the franchise is also looking at development opportunities with multi-unit franchisees in large markets nationwide.

“We’re looking for franchisees who are excited by excellent unit economics and an entire map to play with,” Larrabee said. “The larger multi-unit franchisees haven’t even been exposed to Toppers franchise model yet and once they see what’s possible, this brand is going to explode.”

Aiding Larabee to get the word out about the tremendous opportunity Toppers presents to potential franchisees will be a new focus on franchise development marketing.

“Before now, the budget wasn’t there to focus on growth outside of corporate and organic growth,” he said. “Now, we are going to market our brand right to the big players who will be unable to look away once they see what’s possible.”