Toppers Pizza featured in Franchise Chatter

Franchise Chatter recently featured a bud spankin' interview with Brett Larrabee, Director of Franchise Development. The article is a Q&A format in which Brett describes why Toppers is a great franchise opportunity. A portion of the interview is below but the article can be read in its entirety by clicking here.

Interested in Owning a Pizza Franchise? You Really Need to Read My Interview with Brett Larrabee, Director of Franchise Development for Toppers Pizza
by Ambrosio

Brett Larrabee started out as a Subway franchisee back in 1986 and built 6 Subway stores. He went on to work with several franchise companies in Florida – Circle K and Burger King, to name a few. Brett became the Franchise Director at Panchero’s for several years and then the Director of Operations with Five Guys in New York City, before coming to Toppers Pizza as Director of Franchise Development.

1. What made you decide to join Toppers Pizza as Director of Franchise Development?

There are a lot of companies that franchise their concept but I’ve learned through the years that there are very few franchises that have a business model that creates wealth for their franchisees. Many of the food franchise business models expect franchisees to provide a large part of the labor in order for them to get a paycheck. Essentially, it’s just like buying a job, and I’ve always felt that a lot of those folks could have just gotten a job and invested their money in the stock market and done better.

But there are a handful of franchise companies that have the right business model to create wealth. Five Guys Burgers has taught me that that there’s a sweet spot in the food franchise business — one that requires about $400,000 in investment, a store buildout under 2,000 square feet, and average unit volume around $950K to $1 million. Five Guys did that and their franchisees have created a fair amount of wealth for themselves in operating that franchise format.

When I left Five Guys, I looked at the field of opportunities and Toppers was the most similar to Five Guys. Instead of a better burger category, it’s a better pizza category.

(Read More)

Toppers Pizza featured in Indianapolis Star

Toppers Pizza was recently featured in a brief article called “Wisconsin’s Toppers Pizza plans metro-area restaurants” which appeared in the Indianapolis Star. In the article, Brett Larrabee, Topper’s Director of Franchise Development, discusses the interest that Toppers has in bringing franchisees into the market. The article also discusses some of the menu highlights that Toppers has to offer as well as describes the 1,600 square foot restaurant. Click here to view the full article!

Wisconsin's Toppers Pizza plans metro-area restaurants

Toppers Pizza aims to open 12 to 16 restaurants in the Indianapolis area in the next two years.

"We have a lot of interest in that market" and are searching for one or two franchisees, said Brett Larrabee, director of franchise development for the Whitewater, Wis., chain of 28 stores.

(Read More)

Toppers featured in the DailyVista

Toppers was recently featured in an article called “Toppers Pizza ready to share business model with the nation,” which published in today’s edition of DailyVista, an online business publication. Through an in-depth interview with Brett Larrabee, the article focuses on Toppers’ new growth strategy of large market, multi-unit development. Brett focuses on Toppers’ buying experience and marketing machine which will be attractive to potential franchisees as well as its above average unit economics. Check out Daily Vista's article below:
 

Leading Tower of Pizza; Toppers Introduces The Tall Boy

Rapidly Growing Pizza Franchise Goes Vertical with the Unofficial Tallest Pizza in the World

In an ongoing battle to create an alternative to the uneducated big pizza chain’s bland menus, Toppers Pizza, the 28-unit eclectic pizza delivery franchise, has finally created “the pizza all other pizzas look up to.” Its name? The Tall Boy.

“The Tall Boy is a continuation of our taste domination and represents the best of our product offerings,” said Scott Iversen, Director of Marketing for Toppers Pizza. “Customers are constantly craving our Topperstix—then one day it suddenly occurred to us: Topperstix as the base of our pizzas.”

Since its invention, pizza has only gone in one direction—down. Until now. The Tall Boy puts other thick crust pizzas to shame, standing above the competition and combining the cheesy, garlicky, thick crust of Topperstix with any of its 50+ toppings or House Pizza ingredients.

“When we added the toppings, we noticed that this was a seriously tall pizza,” said Iversen. “It doesn’t dip down in the middle like other thick crust or pan fried pizzas do. It stays thick the whole way through. Naming it The Tall Boy was a no-brainer.”

The Tall Boy is the latest product launched under Toppers new “Spank Your Buds” tagline, a positioning statement that has become Toppers’ official platform for the kinds of ongoing marketing messages that give their fanatical fans the unique experience they’ve come to expect: fun, irreverent, and engaging, with some seriously great-tasting food.

“Our new tagline just reinforces what our fans have been telling us since our inception,” said Iversen. “Our food tastes better than the national guys, and now we’ve created a tagline that says that, Toppers-style.”

In 2009, the face of the pizza industry frowned, with industry-wide patterns of sluggish sales and stunted growth. Toppers Pizza, however, not only dodged the slowdown but actually increased their average unit volumes and system-wide sales with five new units and 18 new contracts. While the big chains go hungry, Toppers chows down on an ever-growing slice of the $40-plus-billlion pizza industry pie.

But how?

“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 Toppers Pizza. “Our customers, on the other hand, are fanatical about our brand. Our quirkiness and edginess have given us character, thus we’ve been able grow by forming strong bonds with an untapped national demographic – the 18-34-year olds.”

Toppers growth plans featured in The Business Journal

The article focuses on Toppers growth and development, with very specific numbers and statistics to back up its claims about Toppers rapid growth. It explains how Toppers’ irreverent marketing and unique personality have strengthened consumer loyalty, and discusses Toppers’ 20 year history, which started off slow but flourished once the brand became a franchise. It also goes into detail about Toppers’ future plans, from their focus on Midwestern states outside of Wisconsin to their eventual plans of “world domination” and an island called “Topperville!” This article provides a wonderful illustration of where Toppers has been and where they are headed, and should be a great way to peak consumer interest and generate potential leads. Check out a portion of the story below or read the full article here.

Toppers Pizza looking to grow
The Business Journal - by Stacy Vogel Davis

After rapid growth in the Milwaukee market, Whitewater-based Toppers Pizza has ambitious plans for expansion in the upper Midwest in the next three years.

The chain opened its eighth Milwaukee-area restaurant in Bay View this month, five years after opening its first Milwaukee location.

Toppers plans to open three more Milwaukee stores in the next two years, but its main targets are states such as Illinois, Minnesota, Michigan and Indiana, said Brett Larrabee, who was recently hired as Toppers’ first director of franchise development. (Read More).

Toppers Cincinnati opening featured in The NewsRecord

Toppers was recently featured in an article discussing their upcoming opening in Cincinnati. The article details all the cool reasons why Toppers is so beloved by the college demographic, from late night hours to unique menu items to "ping" pong ball dispensers! It also gives students information about the opening on Oct 2 and everything it will offer, including free food for a year for the first 50 customers in line, and the opportunity to be photographed in the Toppers mascot costume and "become a part of Toppers history! Check out a portion of the article below or read the full story here.

Toppers to award first 50 customers
By Meredith Tipton | Staff Reporter

Late night pizza, games, TV and an inviting atmosphere make for the ideal lobby of a college dorm. Thanks to Toppers Pizza, this description also applies to the lobby of a pizza restaurant coming to Clifton.

Wisconsin-based and college-oriented Toppers will open its first Ohio unit on Saturday,

Oct. 2 at 345 Calhoun St. Toppers sets itself apart from other "old, stale, boring" pizza places with its menu, as well as the events planned for its grand opening, said Brett Larrabee, director of franchise development.

Toppers' tradition at each grand opening grants the first 50 customers one year of free food from the restaurant. This has led to people lining up outside the building, sometimes camping out 48 hours in advance, Larrabee said. (Read More)

Toppers Pizza looks to expand into Oxford, Ohio

Toppers was recently featured in the Miami University of Ohio’s student newspaper, Miami Student called “Dine-in pizza shop hopes to open in Oxford.” They talked about the ways in which Toppers caters to college students, from late-night hours to unique menu items to ping pong ball dispensers, and discussed why Oxford is such a perfect place for Toppers to be. They said they plan to enter Oxford sometime within the next 12 to 18 months. Annie also interviewed Alan Kyger, Oxford economic development director, who spoke about Oxford’s lack of dine-in restaurants, a void that Toppers Pizza would certainly fill. Check out a portion of the article below or read the full story here.

Dine-in pizza shop hopes to open in Oxford
By Annie Butler

Toppers Pizza, a pizza chain based in Whitewater, Wis. hopes to expand its franchise to Oxford.

The avant-garde establishment caters to a college-aged market and plans to open a restaurant in Oxford within the next 12 to 18 months. Rick Fullarton, a 2005 Miami University graduate, will spearhead the expansion as Toppers Pizza's newest co-owner and operator.

The Oxford restaurant will be one of 15 franchises in Toppers' Ohio expansion plan. Toppers Pizza targets the 18 to 34 age group and intends to break ground near colleges and universities, according to Fullarton. Fullarton is opening the first Ohio franchise near the University of Cincinnati Oct. 2.

According to Brett Larrabee, Toppers Pizza director of franchise development, Toppers will compete with Oxford's nine well-established pizza restaurants by relying on its irreverent marketing plan.

"(Toppers is) a brand all about you," Larrabee said. "Our marketing is very unique, some may say it's borderline shocking, but the kids like it and appreciate it and think it's cool." (Read More)

Toppers taps Five Guys vet for franchising role

Nation’s Restaurant News recently published an article about Toppers Pizza’s new growth strategy moving into the next decade. Toppers plans on taking the 26-unit eclectic pizza chain to 500 units by 2020. How will they get there? With the help of experienced franchise guru, Brett Larrabee, a former member of the franchise development team at Five Guys Burger and Fries and Panchero’s Mexican Grill. Read a portion of the article below or check out the full story here.

Toppers taps Five Guys vet for franchising role
Regional pizza chain has goal of having 500 stores in 10 years

Toppers Pizza has hired a franchising expert, most recently from Five Guys, to spearhead its own expansion plans, which include growing the 20-year-old chain from its current 26 units to 500 by 2020.

Brett Larrabee, the fast-casual pizza chain’s new director of franchise development, most recently was director of New York City operations for Five Guys Burgers & Fries, which has undergone rapid expansion over the past few years. Before Five Guys, Larrabee was director of franchising at Pancheros Mexican Grill in Coralville, Iowa, and before that he was a Subway franchisee.

Larrabee said he moved to Whitewater, Wis., to join Toppers because he liked the economics of the restaurants, which in 2009 had average unit sales of $966,000 and $186,250 in profit — a margin of more than 19 percent.

“There are few opportunities that have strong economics that are consistent and viable,” Larrabee said, pointing to the chain’s 20-year track record as an asset. (Read more)