What Toppers Pizza does

Toppers Pizza is a privately-held, Wisconsin-based quick-service restaurant franchise founded in 1993 by former Domino's employee Scott Gittrich. As of late 2025, the company operates 71 restaurants across 22+ U.S. states (54 franchised and 14 affiliate-owned), with a strategy focused on emerging markets and college towns. The menu centers on handcrafted pizzas featuring 100% real Wisconsin mozzarella, hand-cut vegetables, and signature items including Topperstix breadsticks, Loaded Tot-zza, Buffalo Chicken Mac 'N Cheese, and a Plant-Powered vegan line. The brand operates extended late-night hours (10:30 AM to 2-4 AM in many locations) targeting late-night consumers, college students, and group-order occasions.

The company is supported by a proprietary technology stack developed substantially in-house: a custom point-of-sale system (PIZMET), iOS/Android mobile applications, a full e-commerce website for direct ordering, and the Upper Crust Society digital loyalty program. Distribution occurs through delivery (approximately 25-minute average), carryout/curbside, and a structured catering service with bundles, party packages, and a flat $30 delivery fee. Unit economics are anchored on an Average Unit Sales Volume of $948,848 (fiscal year ended December 28, 2025) and 18 consecutive quarters of positive same-store sales growth.

Toppers monetizes through a hybrid model: consumer transaction revenue at company-owned locations, plus franchise fees ($30,000 initial, with veteran discounts), ongoing royalties from 54 franchised units, catering margins, and digital gift cards (starting at $10). Total franchise investment ranges from $420,700 to $732,684 with a $200,000 minimum liquidity requirement. The customer base is fragmented across individual consumers, corporate catering clients, and the franchisee-recruitment channel. The leadership transitioned from founder Scott Gittrich to Adam Oldenburg as CEO in May 2023, and the company has stated a goal of surpassing 100 units within three years.

Name

Toppers Pizza

Legal name

Toppers Pizza, Inc.

Website

https://toppers.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Toppers Pizza is a privately-held, Wisconsin-based quick-service pizza franchise operating 71 restaurants across 22+ U.S. states via delivery, carryout, and catering, serving individual consumers, late-night and college-town markets, and corporate catering clients through franchised and affiliate-owned units.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Quick-Service Pizza Restaurant

NAICS

Limited-Service Restaurants (722513)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro primary industry

Pizza QSR (THAFAAAB)

Keywords

• Quick-service pizza
• Pizza delivery
• Pizza franchise
• Pizza catering
• Restaurant chain

Headquarters

HQ city

Whitewater

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Pizza and Food Sales: Revenue from direct pizza sales, including build-your-own pizzas, signature house pizzas, and specialty items. Additional revenue from Topperstix, wings, sides, desserts, and beverages through delivery, carry-out, and dine-in channels.
2. Catering Services: Catering orders for events including bundles, pizza parties, lunch meals, and à la carte items with delivery service and a $30 flat delivery fee.
3. Franchise Fees and Royalties: Initial franchise fee of $30,000 (discounts available for veterans) plus ongoing royalties from franchisee-operated locations. Total investment ranges from $420,700 to $732,684.
4. Gift Cards: E-gift cards sold online starting at $10, providing flexible gifting options for customers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Toppers Pizza operates a quick-service pizza restaurant chain selling handcrafted pizzas with 100% real Wisconsin mozzarella, its signature Topperstix breadsticks, wings, sides, salads, desserts, dipping sauces, and beverages. Customers can order for dine-in, carryout, delivery, or catering across 71 company-owned and franchisee-owned restaurants across multiple U.S. states, supported by a proprietary POS system, mobile app, and digital loyalty program.

Product overview

Toppers Pizza operates as a quick-service restaurant (QSR) offering with a unified product portfolio centered on handcrafted pizza and its signature Topperstix breadsticks. The core offering includes customizable Build Your Own pizzas with over a million topping combinations, alongside proprietary House Pizzas (such as Loaded Tot-zza, Buffalo Chicken Mac 'N Cheese, The Pickle) and Signature Pizzas including the CAULIPOWER® gluten-free option. Complementary products include Bone-In and Boneless Wings in multiple flavors, Sides (3-Cheese Wisconsin Mac, Garlic Knots), Desserts (brownies, cheesecakes, frozen custard), an extensive Dippin' Sauces collection, and Beverages. The company supports its restaurant operations with a proprietary PIZMET POS system and a mobile app available on iOS and Android, while the Upper Crust Society loyalty program drives customer retention. Catering services and E-Gift Cards extend the product ecosystem for events and gifting. A dedicated Plant-Powered Menu offers vegan pizza and Topperstix options.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Upper Crust Society: Customer loyalty/rewards program where members earn 1 point per dollar spent and can redeem points for free pizza, 'Stix, sides and more. Members receive benefits including free 'Stix on sign-up, birthday bonuses, and refer-a-friend bonus points.

Quantifiable outcome

• Average Unit Sales Volume of $948,848
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered strategic, core and supporting.

• Corbett Harris (Jimmy John's Franchisee)strategicChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 24 October 2023Veteran Jimmy John's franchisee signing 7-unit deal to expand Toppers brand in Greenville, Raleigh-Durham and Chapel Hill, North Carolina markets.
• Cedar Valley CheesecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with award-winning cheesemakers at Cedar Valley Cheese for the Wisconsin Cheesemaker Topper pizza featuring 100% real Wisconsin mozzarella, pepper jack, asiago, and smoked gouda cheeses.
• CAULIPOWERcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with CAULIPOWER for the CAULIPOWER King pizza featuring an award-winning gluten-free 12-inch cauliflower crust.
• Field RoastsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupplier of Field Roast Plant-Based Pepperoni for vegan pizza options including VEGAN Toppers Classic and VEGAN Spicy Italian.
• Follow Your HeartsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupplier of Follow Your Heart dairy-free mozzarella used in vegan pizza and stix options including VEGANstix.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Jet's Pizza: Regional pizza franchise headquartered in Michigan with ~400 units. Comparable as a Midwest-rooted pizza chain with delivery focus and square deep-dish signature item.
• Mountain Mike's Pizza: West Coast pizza franchise (~300+ units) with family-friendly dine-in plus delivery. Comparable as a growing regional franchise system pursuing national expansion via multi-unit franchisees.
• Papa Murphy's: Take-and-bake pizza franchise (~1,200 units) with comparable franchise development model, FDD, and emerging-market territory strategy. Both target smaller markets underserved by national chains.
• Marco's Pizza: Mid-sized U.S. pizza franchise (~1,200 units) with delivery/carryout focus and similar quality-ingredient positioning. Closest comparable in scale and franchise model, both targeting emerging markets.

Emerging players

• Blaze Pizza: Fast-casual build-your-own pizza concept (~300+ units). Comparable on customization and quality-ingredient story; both emphasize fast service and signature menu innovation in a QSR-adjacent segment.
• MOD Pizza: Fast-casual build-your-own pizza chain with ~500 locations. Comparable on made-to-order customization and ingredient quality positioning, but operates dine-in focused with different unit economics.

Broad incumbents

• Papa John's: Top-five U.S. pizza franchise with premium-quality positioning similar to Toppers' 100% Wisconsin mozzarella focus. Operates delivery/carryout QSR model but at ~6,000-unit scale.
• Domino's Pizza: Largest U.S. pizza chain by unit count and digital sales. Comparable as direct QSR pizza competitor with delivery/carryout focus, but at vastly larger scale (~20K units) and global footprint.
• Pizza Hut: Iconic pizza brand under Yum! Brands. Direct competitor in QSR pizza with dine-in, delivery, and carryout; comparable menu categories and customer base, but at multi-thousand-unit national scale.
• Little Caesars: Value-priced QSR pizza chain under Ilitch Holdings. Competes with Toppers on convenience and price, especially carryout, but with ~5,000-unit national footprint and Hot-N-Ready model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/topperspizza
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCk4R0sIVI4xJrSZZKcYJgZQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/ToppersRocks
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/toppers-pizza-inc-
• Instagraminstagram.com/topperspizza

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

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 Toppers Pizza