Cottage Inn Pizza

What Cottage Inn Pizza does

Cottage Inn Pizza is a privately held, family-owned franchised pizza restaurant operator headquartered in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Founded in 1948 as Ann Arbor's first pizzeria, the company operates through Cottage Inn Franchisor, LLC and has expanded to 75+ locations across Michigan, Ohio, and Indiana, primarily via a franchise model. The system is structured around three differentiated store formats: a traditional Carryout & Delivery concept (1,200-1,800 SF), an Express non-traditional concept (400-1,000 SF) targeting gas stations, convenience stores, airports, and malls, and a Pub concept (3,000-4,000 SF) offering beer and wine service.

The core product offering centers on gourmet pizza built around proprietary inputs, including a signature Wisconsin three-cheese blend, handmade dough made daily from premium Midwest flour, and proprietary sauces. The menu has been extended beyond pizza into wings (InnWings), cheesebreads, InnStix, salads, oven-toasted subs, Italian entrees, desserts, and the Tina's Chicken sub-brand launched in 2025. Multiple crust options, including gluten-free, cauliflower, and plant-based, address dietary-segment demand. The consumer-facing technology stack comprises a website with online ordering, native iOS and Android apps, the Cottage Inn Rewards loyalty program (1 point per $1 spent), and digital and physical gift cards in $25, $50, and $100 denominations.

Cottage Inn generates revenue through a combination of one-time franchise fees (e.g., $25,000 for the Traditional Store concept), ongoing royalties on franchisee store sales, and franchisee investment in buildout ($167,000-$785,000 per unit depending on concept). Top-quartile stores report average unit volume of $1.26M as of 2024. The company pursues enterprise-level brand visibility through long-standing partnerships with Michigan International Speedway/NASCAR (since 2011), the Faster Horses Country Music Festival with Live Nation/Americrown (since 2013), and University of Michigan Athletics (since 2015). Operations are supported by 501-1,000 employees across the franchisor and franchise network.

Name

Cottage Inn Pizza

Legal name

Cottage Inn Franchisor, LLC

Website

https://cottageinn.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1948

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Cottage Inn Pizza is a privately held, family-owned franchised pizza restaurant chain operating 75+ locations across Michigan, Ohio, and Indiana through three store concepts (Carryout & Delivery, Express, and Pub), serving individual consumers, corporate catering clients, and multi-unit franchise investors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Restaurant Pizza Chain

NAICS

Limited-Service Restaurants (722513), Full-Service Restaurants (722511)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro primary industry

Pizza Fast Casual (THAFABAB)

Keywords

• Gourmet pizza
• Pizza franchise
• Pizza delivery
• Pizza carryout
• Restaurant catering

Headquarters

HQ city

Ann Arbor

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Franchise Fees: Initial franchise fee of $25,000 for Traditional Store Carryout & Delivery concept, with additional franchise fees for Express and Pub concepts.
2. Franchise Royalties and Store Revenue: Franchisees operate independently-owned stores generating revenue through dine-in, carryout, and delivery pizza sales. The franchisor collects ongoing royalties and fees from franchise operations.
3. Gift Cards: Digital and physical gift cards sold in denominations of $25, $50, and $100.
4. Loyalty Program Revenue: Cottage Inn Rewards program drives customer retention and repeat purchases. Points earned on qualifying purchases (1 point per $1 spent) can be redeemed for free food items.
5. Catering Services: Corporate and event catering through party packs including Classic Party Pack, Gourmet Party Pack, Party Trays, and custom catering orders.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Cottage Inn Pizza operates a regional gourmet pizza restaurant chain through a franchise model, selling customizable and specialty pizzas, wings, cheesebreads, subs, salads, pastas, and desserts across 75+ dine-in, carryout, and delivery locations in Michigan, Ohio, and Indiana. The company also franchises its brand through three store concepts (Carryout & Delivery, Express, and Pub) and offers catering, gift cards, and a rewards loyalty program.

Product overview

Cottage Inn Pizza is a gourmet pizza restaurant chain offering a unified product portfolio centered around pizza and complementary food items. The core offerings include Build Your Own customizable pizzas with multiple crust options (regular, cauliflower, gluten-free, plant-based) and an extensive Gourmet Pizza line featuring specialty varieties. The company has expanded into chicken products through its Tina's Chicken sub-brand, and provides a full menu including wings, cheesebreads, InnStix, salads, oven-toasted subs, and Italian favorites. Additional services include catering for events, a loyalty rewards program, gift cards, and promotional deals. All offerings are available through delivery, carryout, and dine-in channels across 75+ locations in Michigan, Ohio, and Indiana.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Tina's Chicken: Hand-breaded chicken tenders prepared to order from fresh, all-natural chicken tenderloins with sauces mixed in-house. Available at select Cottage Inn locations.

Products and services

• Build Your Own Pizza Customizable pizza where customers select their own crust (regular, cauliflower, gluten-free, plant-based), sauce, cheese, and toppings. Available at all Cottage Inn locations for dine-in, carryout, and delivery.
• Gourmet Pizza Signature specialty pizzas with gourmet toppings including Ultimate Pepperoni, All Meat, Deluxe, Pricebuster, Hawaiian, BBQ Chicken, and others. Made with signature three-cheese Wisconsin blend and handmade dough.
• Tina's Chicken Hand-breaded chicken tenders prepared to order from fresh, all-natural chicken tenderloins with sauces mixed in-house. Available as combos, party packs, and à la carte at select Cottage Inn locations.
• InnWings Chicken wings available in boneless and oven-roasted varieties, served with multiple sauce options.
• Cheesebreads Baked cheesebread items including Garlic, Feta, Bacon, Pepperoni, Jalapeño Popper, and Gluten-Free varieties.
• InnStix Breadstick offerings in Regular and Everything varieties, served with dipping sauces.
• Salads Fresh garden and specialty salads including Tossed, Caesar, Grilled Chicken, Greek, Cranberry Walnut, and Antipasto options.
• Oven Toasted Subs Variety of toasted submarine sandwiches including BLT, BBQ Chicken, Chicken Club, Chicken Parmesan, Ham & Cheese, Italian, Philly Steak, and Veggie.
• Italian Favorites Italian entrees including Calzones, Lasagna, Mostaccioli, and Pasta Dinners.
• Inn Desserts Dessert items including Brookies (brownie-cookie hybrid), Chocolate Chunk Cookies, Chocolate Chip Brownies, and Cinnamon Stix.
• Catering Services Party trays and catering for events including Classic Party Packs (feeds 20), Gourmet Party Packs, Party Trays, Build Your Own Pizza, Breadsticks, Wings, Salads, Pastas, and desserts.
• Gift Cards Digital and physical gift cards available in $25, $50, or $100 denominations, sold at Cottage Inn locations and online.
• Cottage Inn Rewards Customer loyalty program earning 1 point per $1 spent, with birthday rewards, refer-a-friend bonus (100 points), and a free medium pizza after first order for new members.
• Franchise Program Franchise opportunity offering three concepts: Traditional Store Carryout & Delivery (1,200-1,800 SF), Express (400-1,000 SF), and Pub (3,000-4,000 SF), with initial franchise fee of $25,000.

Quantifiable outcome

• $1.26M average unit volume for top 50% of stores in 2024
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Michigan International Speedway / NASCARcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2011Cottage Inn was named the official pizza provider for Michigan International Speedway and NASCAR events starting in 2011, providing high-profile event visibility for the brand.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Strengths4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/cottageinnpizza
• Xx.com/CottageInn
• Facebookfacebook.com/CottageInn
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cottage-inn-pizza

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Cottage Inn Pizza