Toppers featured on Cincinnati.com

Recently, Toppers was featured on Cincinnati.com. The blog post mentions Toppers' Highland Heights’ Dec. 10 grand opening and the promotion of the first 50 people in line get free food for a year. It mentions the Highland Heights location is the second for the father-son trio of Fullartons, with a quote from Dave Fullarton. Below is a portion of the article and it can be read in its entirety by clicking here.
Toppers Pizza coming to Highland Heights

A new Toppers Pizza will open in Highland Heights on Dec. 10, and at their grand opening will give away free food for a year to the first 50 people in line.

It will be the second Toppers in the Greater Cincinnati area. Bob Fullarton and his sons Dave and Ricky own and operate the first location near the University of Cincinnati and this new one, which is across the street from the entrance to Northern Kentucky University at 2517 Wilson Ave.

The two locations near colleges are no coincidence: Toppers is aimed squarely at the college-age demographic, with their comfort-food choices like macaroni and cheese pizza, couches to lounge on while waiting for dinner, and pizzas like The Hangover Helper. Both locations keep college student hours, too: 10:30 a.m.-3 a.m. daily. Dave Fullarton said that the pizza crust is made with fresh dough on site.

(Read More)

Toppers launches new look on Facebook

Toppers has recently released a new look on their national Facebook page. Over the summer, Toppers was focused on promoting the launch of their food tuck, Spank Tank. The new main image on Toppers Facebook page now highlights the Tall Boy, a fusion between Topperstix and pizza. This change also includes the launch of the Show Us Your Tall Boy video contest. Details on the contest and how you could win $250 can be found here.

Toppers featured in Milwaukee Business Journal

Toppers was recently featured in an article in the Milwaukee Business Journal. The article highlighted Toppers newest opening in South Shore, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The reporter, Stacy Vogel Davis, also lends her personal experience with Toppers in the article, writing her memories of the Bay View opening last October. A portion of the article is below and can be read in its entirety by clicking here.

Toppers opens Saturday in South Milwaukee

Another Toppers Pizza is opening in the Milwaukee area, continuing the chain’s growth in southeast Wisconsin.

The restaurant, Toppers’ 10th in the Milwaukee area, will open Saturday at 2971 S. Chicago Ave. in South Milwaukee. Franchisee Dave Gilewski also owns a Toppers in Franklin.

The new shop will continue Toppers’ tradition of giving away free pizza for a year to the first 50 people through the door Saturday. When the Bay View Toppers opened last October, I saw people lined up outside the night before to ensure they were part of the lucky 50.

(Read More)

Toppers Launches Show Us Your Tall Boy™ Video Contest

Toppers has recently launched its next social media contest, Show Us Your Tall Boy™ Video Contest. The contest is open to all fans of their national Facebook fan page, which can be found here. Toppers' contest asks their fans to submit creative videos through a tab on their Facebook page. After the submission period is complete, the fans of the page will be able to vote for their favorites. The submission which receives the most votes will receive a $250 Toppers gift card and forever be enshrined in the Toppers Fans Hall of Fame.

To enter the learn more about the contest or submit your creative video today, become a fan of their fan page by clicking here.

Toppers featured in La Crosse Tribune & Courier-Life

Toppers Pizza was recently featured in an article in the La Crosse Tribune and Courier-Life. The article informs readers of Toppers’ Oct. 12 partnership with the Onalaska-La Crosse Fire Department, saying firefighters will deliver pizza to Toppers customers from 4:30 p.m.-8 p.m. and replace smoke detector batteries and provide smoke detectors for those needing one. The brief also includes Toppers’ number for delivery. A portion of the article is included below and can be read in its entirety by clicking here.

OFD to deliver pizza, fire safety help Oct. 12

Topper’s Pizza and the Onalaska Fire Department are joining forces to make sure home smoke detectors are in working order.

When a pizza is ordered 4:30 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 12, customers can request that firefighters bring their pizza and check their smoke detectors. Toppers will provide batteries and smoke detectors, if needed. Call 779-7979 to order a pizza.

(Read More)

Franchisee Profile: Vishal Bhatnagar, Franchisee of Menomonee Falls, WI

Recently, we sat down with one of our newest franchisees, Vishal Bhatnagar, opening a Toppers location in Menomonee Falls, WI on January 26, 2012. Read below to find out his background and the process he went through to become a franchisee of Toppers Pizza.

Q: Where are you from?
A: I am originally from India although I spent most of my childhood and teenage years in Kenya. My family moved to Africa when I was seven and I stayed until I was 18.

Q: What was your career before franchising?
A: I came to the United States to go to college. I attended Purdue University and earned a degree in aviation technology. Unfortunately, the events of 9/11 made it very hard to get a job in my field, as many of those jobs were being eliminated so I went to New York and worked for an engineering company. After a year of working there, my visa expired and I was forced to go back to my home country of India. Even though it wasn’t the most ideal situation, it gave me a chance to know the country of my origin. I also went back to school for my MBA and upon completing that, I worked for the largest coffee exporter in India. While there, I met my wife, Shruti, and we got married. During this time, my parents had applied for my Greencard so I could get back to the United States. In 2009, I was granted it and left India to come back to the U.S.

My dad had got into franchising in the U.S. and bought a Quality Inn & Suites in Menomonee so when I came back to the states, I helped him run that business. I’ve been doing that for the last 2.5 years and now I’m desiring to change things up a bit.

Q: How did you learn about the brand?
A: Toppers is very established in Whitewater, WI which is where my cousin went to school. My uncle also lives in Whitewater. I was initially exposed to the brand through them. It’s been a part of my life since 1998 or so.

Q: Why did you decide to open your own business?
A: My MBA has really added value to my understanding of running a business. With that background and the experience of helping my dad with the hotel for several years, I feel like I have the necessary skills to be a great business owner. I’ve also been very successful on the marketing front. Shruti, my wife, has a degree in restaurant and hospitality management and will be helping me part time with the new location. I believe that we have the necessary business skills and industry knowledge to be very successful!

Q: What was appealing to you about joining a franchise system?
A: I like the support of a franchise system. The hotel is also a franchise and I know from that experience about the tremendous amount of support corporate provides. I like that everything is standardized which helps with brand recognition and a consistent brand proposition. One very appealing thing about joining Toppers is that I’m getting involved in its prime growth stage. When the company really takes off into a national brand, I believe it will be very beneficial for me.

Q: With regard to your previous experience, what skills do you feel helped you in your business?
A: I believe my marketing experience will help me the most in this new business. I worked in an integrated marketing communication position at the coffee company in India. I was responsible for national marketing opportunities. I brought new ideas to market the product. I look at marketing as a holistic approach where there are several different pieces to the puzzle that make the engine run. I also have an appreciation for the customer experience and understanding consumer needs – all of which will be critical to build up my business. Fortunately, I am very familiar with Menomonee since the hotel is also in the area. It gives me a leg up on knowing how to cater to the consumers in the area.

Q: What obstacles have you overcome to get where you are today with your business?
A: Personally, I had to overcome the challenges of having to go back to India because my visa expired. Ideally I would have found a work visa to be able to stay in the U.S., but I look at that positively because I got my MBA, was able to get to know my home country, and met my wife.

Q: What are your expansion or development plans?
A: Yes. I would love to keep developing new Toppers locations. I’m in for as many as Toppers can give me in the future.

Share A Meal: Toppers Pizza Forms National Partnership with Feeding America

There’s no better birthday present than giving to those in need. That’s what Scott Gittrich, Founder and CEO of Toppers Pizza, thought when the brand turned 20 years old this year. Therefore, on the heels of its milestone birthday, Toppers Pizza announced a new partnership with the nation’s leading domestic hunger-relief charity, Feeding America®.

“The Toppers Pizza executive team spent a lot of time choosing a charity that aligns with our mission,” said Gittrich. “At the end of the day, Feeding America® encompasses what we stand for, which is feeding people.”

Every dollar donated will help provide eight meals for Feeding America. Even prior to Toppers officially launching the partnership on August 8, it has raised $8,000 from employee contributions, putting it nearer to its year-end goal of $40,000.

According to Gittrich, another reason the booming pizza franchise selected Feeding America® as its national charity is because they reached an agreement where 75% of the money raised goes back to the local market in which it was raised.

“Our franchisees are fully ingrained in their local markets and the fact that Feeding America was able to work with us so that the monetary contributions raised for Feeding America® in a local market will directly impact that market was huge for us,” Gittrich said.

As Toppers Pizza continues to expand nationwide through its franchising model, the relationship with Feeding America® will continue to grow as well. Next year, it has committed to donate a minimum of $70,000, which helps provide 560,000 meals. When it adds 100 locations by 2013, it has promised Feeding America® a minimum $100,000, which helps provide 800,000 meals.

All franchisees will make Feeding America® a focal point at their specific locations, from Topperstix eating contests to special menu promotions. Toppers franchisees will also ask the community to help it achieve its goals through special campaigns and partnerships with their local food banks..

“This is a partnership that we hope will last another 20 years when we are celebrating our 40th birthday. By that time, hopefully we will have donated millions of dollars and helped millions of hungry people,” said Gittrich.