Toppers Pizza in the Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal

Toppers Pizza in the Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal

We were featured in the Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal. The article is a Q & A with the CEO of Toppers Pizza, Scott Gittrich. Find out all about our founder and CEO and what he has to say about the pizza industry.

Read the full article here.

Toppers in Plymouth Sun Sailor

Toppers in Plymouth Sun Sailor

Photo: Plymouth Sun Sailor

This story focuses on a family opening their first of five west metro Toppers Pizza locations in Plymouth, Minn. The story is a great feature on the family owned business and how they got their start with Toppers. It gives some great background and future development in the area.

Read the full article here.

Toppers featured in Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal

Toppers was recently featured in the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal in an article titled, "Toppers Pizza continues push into Twin Cities suburbs."  The article discusses Jennifer and Barry Friends plans for expansion into the Minneapolis suburbs. Mark discusses the plan for the Friends to have their first location open this summer. Click here for the entire article or begin below.

Toppers Pizza continues push into Twin Cities suburbs

Toppers Pizza is continuing to push out from Minneapolis into the Twin Cities suburbs.

Barry and Jennifer Friends said they have bought five Toppers franchises and are looking to open their first one in Chanhassen, Eden Prairie or Maple Grove.

(Read More)

Toppers featured in Nation's Restaurent News

Toppers was recently featured in the Nation's Restaurant News in an article titled, "Toppers Pizza ramps up growth efforts." The article discusses Toppers’ aggressive growth and strategy to have more multi-unit franchisees. Mark discusses Jennifer and Barry Friends’ deal in the article.  Click here for the entire article or begin below.

Toppers Pizza ramps up growth efforts
By: Mark Brandau

Toppers Pizza is planning aggressive growth with new franchise deals that could add 30 new restaurants to the 50-unit chain’s portfolio this year.

The Whitewater, Wis.-based concept took 22 years to grow to 50 locations, but plans could see it quadruple that unit count by 2020, necessitating a new focus on multiunit franchise deals, executives said.

The chain has inked its largest franchise agreements to date in the past few weeks, with two separate deals calling for five locations in the Minneapolis and Little Rock, Ark., markets. Since its founding in 1991, Toppers has grown via 13 corporate restaurants and single-unit franchise agreements, though several longtime operators now have built additional restaurants.

(Read More)

Toppers Pizza featured in Sun This Week

Toppers Pizza was recently featured in an article titled "Late nights, colorful marketing," which ran in the Sun This Week. The article details the history of Toppers and the popularity of the brand among the 18 to 34-year-old demographic. The article discusses Victoria’s experience with Toppers and the brand’s continued expansion plans for the Minnesota. The article notes Victoria’s attraction to the brand after visiting a grand opening event in Green Bay and highlights some of the menu items. Click here for the full article, or begin reading below.

Late nights, colorful marketing
Toppers enters south suburban pizza market

It’s nearly 3 a.m. Do you know where your pizza is coming from?

Choices are the all-night store or Toppers, a delivery chain that built its name serving pizza-jonesing college kids in Wisconsin and now has a franchise location in Burnsville.

The Burnsville franchisees hope the lateness of the hour (Toppers is open until 3 a.m. daily) and the company’s signature menu items, enthusiastic service and crazy-kitsch marketing will make a splash in the crowded suburban market.

(Read More)

Toppers Pizza featured in Star Tribune

Toppers Pizza was recently featured in an article titled “Biz beat: Artisan bakery, restaurant to reopen in Mendota Heights,” which ran on the Star Tribune’s website. The article details two new business openings in the south metro area of the twin cities. The article includes information about the grand opening event on July 28th and also details the brands expansion plans for Minnesota. The article notes the brand's annual sales of about 40 million and that most of the stores are franchised. Click here for the full article or begin reading the Toppers excerpt below.

Biz beat: Artisan bakery, restaurant to reopen in Mendota Heights
Toppers Pizza comes to Burnsville

Toppers Pizza is opening its seventh Minnesota location in Burnsville on July 28, and to celebrate, it will give its first 50 customers free food for a year. The new store is in Wood Park Plaza on County Road 42 E. and 10th Avenue.

Based in Whitewater, Wis., Toppers has 42 outlets nationwide, including three stores in Minneapolis and one each in Bloomington, St. Paul and Mankato.

(Read More)

Toppers Pizza featured in Burnsville Patch

Toppers was recently featured in an article in the Burnsville Patch titled “Power to the Pizza: Toppers Takes on Burnsville”. The article was based off an interview between Victoria West, owner of Toppers in Burnsville and Clare Kennedy, reporter at the Burnsville Patch. The article details Victoria’s background as well as her attraction to the brand after visiting a grand opening event in Green Bay. Victoria is looking forward to providing her employees with opportunities for advancement. Click here for the full story, or begin reading below.

Power to the Pizza: Toppers Takes on Burnsville
A local family is bringing a hot new pizzeria chain to Burnsville-Apple Valley, starting July 28, with four more Twin Cities stores to follow in the next few years.

Newly-minted dough wrangler Victoria West is issuing the following challenge to existing pizza places in Burnsville: Can you top this?

In just over a week, West will open a Toppers Pizza joint—the first south metro outpost for the punchy Wisconsin-based franchise, which has a stated goal of nothing less than worldwide domination. The company is in the midst of an agressive expansion plan with the aim of achieving complete pizza primacy.

(Read More)

Toppers Pizza featured in Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal

Toppers Pizza was recently featured in a brief in the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal titled “Toppers Pizza opening another Twin Cities Location.” The brief talks about how the Toppers Pizza opening happening on Saturday, June 9th, in South Minneapolis. Further, the article gives the address for the location and talks about how this Toppers Pizza is going to be the 6th location in Minnesota. Read the brief below:

Toppers Pizza opening another Twin Cities location
by Ed Stych

Toppers Pizza is opening its sixth Minnesota location on Saturday, this one in South Minneapolis.

Toppers said the new location — its fifth in the Twin Cities — is at 5447 Nicollet Ave. S.

The Whitewater, Wis.-based chain opened a restaurant near the University of Minnesota last August.

Toppers Pizza Rewards Twin Cities with Reprieve from the Big Chain

WHITEWATER, WI – The big pizza chains serve their purpose: mediocre food; mediocre promises; mediocre connections. Toppers Pizza, a 30-unit eclectic pizza delivery franchise brand, doesn’t follow those characteristics. To prove its tasty promise to consumers, Toppers will celebrate this reprieve with two grand opening celebrations unmatched by the big guns at its two new locations in Minneapolis and St. Paul.

At 10:30 a.m. August 6 at 702 Washington Ave. SE, Minneapolis and again at 10:30 a.m. August 27 at 1154 Grand Avenue, St. Paul, Toppers Pizza will unleash its two newest locations to hundreds of “fanatics.” In addition, Toppers will give the first 50 guests in line free food for a year and reward fans that day with prizes and giveaway rewards.

“When we open a location, it truly is a celebration. No fake grand openings with boring ribbon cuttings. We go for the grand slam with the way we open, the way we connect with our customers, and the tastes we offer on our menu,” said Scott Gittrich, CEO of the emerging chain and former Dominos Pizza delivery driver. “Trust me; I quickly learned what not to do with our customer bonds. This is their party, not ours.”

Along with its ability to tap into the most influential demographic, 18-34 year olds, Toppers has made a name for itself as 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. Differentiating itself from the competition, 70 percent of Toppers’ sales come from items not traditionally found on competitors’ menus.

Continuing Toppers Pizza’s penetration into the Minneapolis market on August 6 is multi-unit entrepreneur and pizza lover, John Kubisiak, who was first attracted to the brand as a customer. Today, he owns four locations, with an obligation to develop an additional three in Minneapolis. Then just three weeks later, first time entrepreneurs, Dan Ogiba and Brad Vinton, will open the first St. Paul Toppers Pizza location.

The two new locations are part of the initial growth strategy for Toppers Pizza’s saturation of the Twin Cities. There are eight locations under contract for development in the Twin Cities, including one slated to open in December.

“As we grow, like a balloon, out of Wisconsin and into surrounding states and then nationwide, we want to maintain a stronghold on top-tier franchisees. By doing so, we can maintain our core culture, our brand evolution, and our methodical growth pattern,” Brett Larrabee, Toppers Pizza Director of Franchise Development, said, noting that the two new Twin Cities Toppers features the brand’s newest blueprint with an updated, vibrant, “chill”-friendly atmosphere.

When the big chains are down, Toppers has remained up, taking names and gripping its share of the $40-plus-billlion pizza industry. In 2010, Toppers increased average unit volumes and system-wide sales, opening four stores with 20 more under contract. Why?

“The reason for our success is simple, meaning that we are not one of the ‘Wal-Marts’ of the industry. The big chains have lost identity and brand connection,” Gittrich said. “Our customers are fanatical about our brand. Our quirkiness and edginess has given our brand character, so we have been able to continue our growth and bonding with an untapped national demographic – the 18-34-year olds.”

Franchisee Profile: Dan Ogiba and Brad Vinton (St. Paul, MN)

Franchisee Since: 2010
Franchise Locations: Two slated for St. Paul area

How Dan Ogiba and Brad Vinton Got Started With Toppers Pizza…

Dan and Brad have been best friends since becoming college roommates their freshman year at Hamline University. Both played football for Hamline and became fast friends. Over the next five years, Dan and Brad roomed together and shared the same passion for starting their own business one day.

During game day one day last year, Dan had a bunch of his friends over watching the game. Of course, the group of friends wanted pizza for their viewing party. Dan had taken out a coupon book he kept of all the pizza chains that sent coupons. He laid them on the table and one of his friends said, “We’ve got to order Toppers,” pointing to the Toppers mailer on the table. Dan had never tasted Toppers before, but since that day, he’s been hooked.

Less than a year later, Dan ran into Scott Iversen, Toppers Director of Marketing, at the IFA convention in San Antonio, while he was there representing Haagen-Dazs as Director of Franchise Development for the ice cream franchise. He was eager to speak with Scott because he loved Toppers Pizza. He found out then that Toppers was looking to grow.

Since then, Dan has corralled his best friend, Brad, to become co-owners of new locations in St. Paul. The duo has signed on to open two locations in St. Paul, with one of those being in the same neighborhood as their alma mater at Hamline. Brad will be the general manager while Dan will continue to work with Haagen-Dazs.

What Intrigued Dan Ogiba and Brad Vinton about Toppers Pizza …

That initial reaction from Dan’s friend about his excitement that Toppers’ had a Minneapolis location is what drew Dan in from the start. With Dan and Brad’s research of Toppers, the two have learned that Toppers has customers that are more connected, more engaged and more fanatical than most other brands. If that type of fanaticism is possible in Wisconsin, the tag team is up for the challenge to bring it to St. Paul as well. In addition, Dan, working with a franchise system that has been in existence for many years, was impressed that the Toppers’ corporate team is so well put together, comparing it to some of the best franchises in the country.

Dan and Brad are excited to bring Toppers to their college town – where they have their fondest memories – and create the Toppers experience. In Dan and Brad’s opinion, St. Paul doesn’t have a pizza place with personality or one that gives its customers an emotional connection to the brand. An ample part of building their business will be to ensure that everyone who visits Toppers has a great experience and making those customers, customers for life.

Something Interesting About Dan Ogiba and Brad Vinton Story…

Dan and Brad’s goal is to open their first Toppers location in time for Super Bowl weekend 2011. Their first location will be in the proximity of four St. Paul universities. Their second will be around Hamline University and the University of MN, St. Paul.

We Come Fast, No Apologies: Eclectic Pizza Franchise Launches Major Minneapolis Expansion

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 only pizza concept with personality to Minneapolis in full force– set to open the first of three locations in 2010 under the leadership of an experienced, yet young entrepreneur.

Leading Toppers expansion throughout Minneapolis is a seasoned Toppers Pizza entrepreneur who at 28 years old has already opened four Toppers locations in Wisconsin. The first Minneapolis location opened in 2006 to test the market, and now, John Kubisiak is helping Toppers penetrate Minnesota’s twin cities even further. Kubisiak and his partner, Greg Morrison, signed a development deal with Toppers Pizza to bring three Toppers Pizza locations to Minneapolis by 2012, with the goal of opening first in mid-2010.

Kubisiak’s development plans are just one piece of Topper’s ultimate Minnesota growth strategy. The extremely hot franchise already operates three Minnesota locations in Mankato, St. Cloud and Minneapolis with plans to open at least 35 more in the metro Minneapolis/St. Paul area, delivering a similar clustered growth strategy to that of its successful Wisconsin growth.

“John has quickly proven his ability to operate as a multi-unit franchisee,” said Scott Gittrich, CEO and founder of Toppers Pizza, who Kubisiak said inspired him to achieve large goals within the system. “Multi-unit ownership takes extreme dedication and drive. John has both!”

From Kubisiak’s college days of eating at Toppers Pizza every single day, he knew this pizza concept was different from any of the competition out there. It was his love of Toppers Pizza that drove him to work at Toppers in college as a delivery driver and then at Toppers corporate headquarters in Whitewater, WI as a finance intern while working toward his bachelor’s in finance.

“I literally ate, slept and breathed Toppers Pizza. I used to order Topperstix every night at 2-3 a.m.,” Kubisiak said. “It was the pizza hotspot that all college students fell in love with.”

Seeing how fanatical people were about Toppers Pizza and then working in the corporate office and understanding how the proven franchise model worked, Kubisiak did not think twice about wanting to open one of his own. Right after graduation, at 22 years young, he opened his first location. Now with three very successful locations under his belt and a fourth set to open in November, Kubisiak is excited to lead the brand’s entrance into Minneapolis.

Kubisiak plans to open Toppers in the Minneapolis location of Dinkytown, a central area to the University of Minnesota.

“When I think about college, my experiences with Toppers Pizza are among some of my best memories,” Kubisiak said. “I can’t wait to introduce University of Minnesota students to a pizza place that will blow their idea of pizza out of the water.”

Kubisiak will also carry on a Toppers tradition when it opens its doors to the public next 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 Minneapolis area residents taste our pizza and experience our brand, they won’t go back to the competition,” said Kubisiak, noting the freshness, uniqueness and quality of Toppers ingredients. “I’m confident Toppers Pizza will become a household name in Minneapolis.”

Unlike other franchise brands, Toppers makes an earnings claim in its franchise disclosure documents, stating that the Wisconsin locations make an average of $945k/year (2008 AUV), which is a remarkable financial measure given the size (1,600 – 1,800 sq. feet) and that industry averages are nestled right around $600k/year. The high return on investment is built from the fanatical aspects of the brand, as well as dedicated, driven franchisees who are deeply connected to those in their community – especially the nearest university. Franchisees entering the Toppers system must have a minimum liquidity of $150k and a net worth of $300k. The average cost to open a Toppers is $400k.

“As we grow, like a balloon, out of Wisconsin and into surrounding states and then nationwide, we want to maintain a stronghold on top-tier franchisees. By doing so, we can maintain our core culture, our brand evolution, and our methodical growth pattern,” Gittrich said.