Grimaldi's Pizzeria
Grimaldi's Pizzeria is a privately held, coal-fired brick oven pizza chain founded in 1990 in Brooklyn, operating 50+ dine-in locations across 11+ US states and the UAE for consumers, families, and small group events.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1990
- HeadquartersScottsdale, United States
- Headcount1,001–5,000
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Grimaldi's Pizzeria does
Grimaldi's Pizzeria, legally Coal Brick Oven Pizzeria, Inc. (Arizona, founded 1990), is a privately held casual-upscale pizza chain built around a coal-fired brick oven cooking method and a hand-tossed dough recipe the company traces to a 100+ year Brooklyn pizzeria heritage. The flagship is at 1 Front Street in DUMBO, Brooklyn, under the Brooklyn Bridge, and the chain has grown to 50+ locations concentrated in premium retail real estate across 11+ US states (Texas, Arizona, Nevada, Florida, Alabama, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Wisconsin, South Carolina, Idaho) plus two international locations in the UAE (Abu Dhabi 2023, Dubai 2025) operated via franchise partner Tablez. Menu offerings center on coal-fired brick oven pizza (12"/16"/18", Traditional/Pesto/White bases, plus specialty varieties) and extend to calzones, salads, appetizers, gluten-friendly and cauliflower crusts, and a full bar program; the company also sells retail pasta sauces (Arrabbiata, Tomato Basil, Marinara) through its own e-commerce site, gift cards, and operates a Pizzeria Rewards loyalty program.
The business model combines company-operated dine-in restaurants in shopping centers and malls with a domestic and international franchising program that generates upfront franchise fees and ongoing royalties. Revenue streams include dine-in restaurant sales, takeout and delivery (proprietary online ordering plus Grubhub/DoorDash/Uber Eats), franchising, sauce and merchandise e-commerce, gift cards, and the rewards platform. Unit-level pricing spans $13-$15 salads, $13-$17 appetizers, $19-$38 pizzas, and $21+ calzones. GTM is direct-to-consumer via physical storefronts, with Toast Tab powering reservations and waitlist, and group/private event hosting (minimum 8 guests) at select locations. Technology is conventional restaurant operations tooling — no proprietary AI, API, or SDK surface — and the chain shows no external funding rounds, private equity backing, or M&A activity in the source data.
Grimaldi's Pizzeria firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Grimaldi's Pizzeria
- Legal name
- Coal Brick Oven Pizzeria, Inc.
- Website
- https://grimaldispizzeria.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1990
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1,001–5,000 employees
- Short description
- Grimaldi's Pizzeria is a privately held, coal-fired brick oven pizza chain founded in 1990 in Brooklyn, operating 50+ dine-in locations across 11+ US states and the UAE for consumers, families, and small group events.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Grimaldi's Pizzeria industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Casual Dining Restaurants
- NAICS
- Full-Service Restaurants (722511), Restaurants and Other Eating Places (72251), Limited-Service Restaurants (722513)
- SIC
- Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Pizza Fast Casual (THAFABAB)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Brasseries, Bistros & Trattorias (THAFACAI)
Keywords
Where Grimaldi's Pizzeria is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Scottsdale
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices9 records
Markets served
Grimaldi's Pizzeria business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Dine-In Restaurant Sales: Traditional restaurant revenue from dine-in customers ordering pizzas, salads, appetizers, calzones, desserts, and beverages including beer, wine, and cocktails.
- Takeout and Delivery: Online and phone ordering with pickup and delivery through partner platforms.
- Franchising: Domestic and international franchise opportunities generating franchise fees and ongoing royalties.
- Sauce and Merchandise Sales: Sale of pasta sauces and potentially other merchandise through the company's online store.
- Gift Cards: Sale of gift cards both online and in restaurant locations.
- Rewards Program: Pizzeria Rewards program offering points on purchases with financial incentives for consumers who allow data collection.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Traditional Pizza Sizes |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Specialty Pizzas |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Salads and Starters |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Promotional Discounts |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels4 records
Grimaldi's Pizzeria product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Grimaldi's Pizzeria operates a chain of casual dining restaurants serving authentic New York-style, coal-fired brick oven pizzas made with hand-tossed dough prepared fresh in-house daily and topped with a proprietary signature sauce. The chain also offers a retail line of pasta sauces, supports dine-in, takeout, and delivery channels, operates a Pizzeria Rewards loyalty program, sells gift cards, and runs a franchise program for domestic and international expansion across 50+ locations.
Product overview
Grimaldi's Pizzeria is a coal-fired brick oven pizzeria chain offering authentic New York-style pizza. The core product is hand-tossed, fresh daily dough baked in coal-fired brick ovens, available in Traditional, Pesto, and White varieties with numerous topping options and specialty pizza creations. The company also operates a retail pasta sauce business selling Arrabbiata, Tomato Basil, and Marinara sauces. Supporting offerings include a loyalty program (Pizzeria Rewards), gift cards, online ordering, and group dining services. The menu extends beyond pizza to include calzones, starters, salads, and alternative crust options (gluten-friendly and cauliflower). Promotional offerings include Tuesday Tastings and a Lunch Deal.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Mille Gradi°: A wine brand featured at Grimaldi's locations, including wines such as Mille Gradi° Sangiovese and Mille Gradi° Pinot Grigio from Tuscany, Italy.
Products and services
- Coal-Fired Brick Oven Pizza
- Specialty Pizzas
- Calzones
- Starters and Salads
- Gluten Friendly & Cauliflower Crusts
- Grimaldi's Pasta Sauces
- Grimaldi's Pizzeria Rewards
- Gift Cards
- Group Dining
- Domestic and International Franchising
Quantifiable outcome
- Ovens are stoked twice daily to maintain perfect cooking temperature and consistent pizza quality
Companies that use Grimaldi's Pizzeria
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Grimaldi's Pizzeria technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration3 records
Feature3 records
Grimaldi's Pizzeria partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Toast TabcoreToast Tab provides online ordering, waitlist management, and reservation systems for Grimaldi's locations. Customers can join waitlists and make reservations through the Toast platform integrated into Grimaldi's website.
- Grubhub/DoorDash/Uber EatsminorThird-party delivery partners enabling food delivery to customers who prefer not to pick up orders directly from locations.
- Schools and 501(c)(3) OrganizationsminorSpirit Night program partners with schools and qualifying nonprofits, donating 15% of participating guests' food and beverage purchases back to the organization.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves11 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Grimaldi's Pizzeria competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Blaze Pizza: Fast-casual build-your-own pizza chain with hundreds of locations. Comparable to Grimaldi's on scale of multi-state pizza operations and shopping center real estate, though positioned as a fast-casual counter-service concept at a much lower price point.
- California Pizza Kitchen: Established casual dining pizza chain with national footprint and full bar service. Comparable to Grimaldi's as a broader full-service pizza brand operating in shopping centers, but lacks the coal-fired heritage differentiation.
- Mellow Mushroom: Multi-state pizza chain known for stone-baked pizzas in a casual full-service setting. Comparable to Grimaldi's in casual full-service dining format and franchise-driven expansion across the Sunbelt, though differentiated by stone-baked (vs coal-fired) cooking.
- Marco's Pizza: Large US pizza franchise operating primarily as a delivery/takeout concept. Comparable to Grimaldi's as a multi-state pizza brand with franchise growth, though operating at a more limited-service, value-tier price point.
Direct peers
- Lombardi's Pizza: Often cited as America's first pizzeria, Lombardi's is a NYC-based coal-fired oven pizzeria serving New York-style pizza. It directly competes with Grimaldi's on the authentic coal-fired Brooklyn heritage narrative and tourist foot traffic in lower Manhattan.
- Totonno's Pizzeria Napolitana: Founded in 1924 on Coney Island, Totonno's is a coal-fired brick oven pizzeria recognized as one of the original authentic New York pizzerias. Comparable to Grimaldi's in coal-fired cooking method, recipe heritage, and sit-down casual service model.
- Coal Vines: Italian-inspired coal-fired oven pizzeria chain with locations across multiple US markets. Closely comparable to Grimaldi's in cooking technology (coal-fired brick oven), upscale-casual positioning, full bar program, and shopping center real estate strategy.
- Roberta's: Brooklyn-based wood and coal-fired pizzeria with multiple US locations, known for artisanal pizza and a hip-casual dining experience. Directly comparable to Grimaldi's in cooking technique, NYC origin, and multi-unit expansion of an authentic pizzeria concept.
Regional players
- Franco Manca: UK-based sourdough pizza chain specializing in slow-rise dough cooked in a high-temperature oven. Comparable to Grimaldi's as an artisanal pizza concept that has scaled domestically through a differentiated cooking technique, though operating primarily in the UK market.
- 400 Gradi: Australian coal-fired pizzeria that won World's Best Pizza at the 2014 World Pizza Championships. Comparable to Grimaldi's as a coal-fired oven concept with international award recognition and a heritage-driven authentic positioning, though operating primarily in the Australian market.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Grimaldi's Pizzeria social profiles
Digital presenceGrimaldi's Pizzeria financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Grimaldi's Pizzeria leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Grimaldi's Pizzeria funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Grimaldi's Pizzeria M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Grimaldi's Pizzeria
What does Grimaldi's Pizzeria do?
Grimaldi's Pizzeria operates a chain of casual dining restaurants serving authentic New York-style, coal-fired brick oven pizzas made with hand-tossed dough prepared fresh in-house daily and topped with a proprietary signature sauce. The chain also offers a retail line of pasta sauces, supports dine-in, takeout, and delivery channels, operates a Pizzeria Rewards loyalty program, sells gift cards, and runs a franchise program for domestic and international expansion across 50+ locations.
Is Grimaldi's Pizzeria a public or private company?
Grimaldi's Pizzeria is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Grimaldi's Pizzeria founded?
Grimaldi's Pizzeria was founded in 1990. It employs 1,001 to 5,000 people.
Where is Grimaldi's Pizzeria based?
Grimaldi's Pizzeria is headquartered in Scottsdale, United States, in the North America region.
How does Grimaldi's Pizzeria make money?
Six revenue lines are on record. Dine-In Restaurant Sales are the primary driver. The others are takeout and Delivery, franchising, sauce and Merchandise Sales, gift Cards and rewards Program.
Who are Grimaldi's Pizzeria's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Blaze Pizza, California Pizza Kitchen, Mellow Mushroom and Marco's Pizza. Direct peers are Lombardi's Pizza, Totonno's Pizzeria Napolitana, Coal Vines and Roberta's. Regional players are Franco Manca and 400 Gradi.
Does Grimaldi's Pizzeria have an API?
No public API is recorded for Grimaldi's Pizzeria.
What industry is Grimaldi's Pizzeria in?
Grimaldi's Pizzeria's product category is Casual Dining Restaurants. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAFABAB, Pizza Fast Casual, with a secondary code of THAFACAI, Brasseries, Bistros & Trattorias. Its NAICS code is 722511 and its SIC code is 5810.