Johnny Carino’s
Johnny Carino's is a privately held Italian casual-dining restaurant chain founded in 1997, operating 23 locations across 10 US states with dine-in, takeout, delivery, catering, loyalty, and gift card programs serving individual families and event customers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1997
- HeadquartersAustin, United States
- Headcount1,001–5,000
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Johnny Carino’s does
Johnny Carino's is a privately held Italian casual-dining restaurant chain founded in 1997 and headquartered in Austin, Texas. The company operates a 23-location footprint across 10 US states (California, Idaho, Indiana, Kentucky, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Tennessee, and Texas) under a mixed corporate and franchise ownership model, with the chain distinguishing between 'non-franchisee' company-owned restaurants and independently owned franchise partners. The menu centers on Italian classics including handmade pasta, lasagna, pizzas, chicken and seafood entrees, sandwiches, family-style platters, and an alcohol beverage program, with most entrees priced in the $15–$22 range and family platters around $40.
The company's product surface spans four operational channels: dine-in restaurant service, takeout and delivery (supported by an OLO-powered web and mobile ordering platform at carinos.olo.com), event catering (boxed meals, party pans, and full-service buffets with tiered delivery fees and minimum order thresholds), and ancillary offerings including physical and digital gift cards. Customer engagement is layered through two digital programs: the Pasta Points loyalty program (1 point per pre-tax dollar, redeemable for free desserts and $25 dining credits) and the E-Club email and SMS marketing club with acquisition incentives. Underlying technology is conventional for the segment — a restaurant POS and an OLO online ordering platform — with no disclosed AI/ML, data, or platform-as-a-service components.
Revenue is generated primarily through transactional per-visit and per-order sales across the dine-in, takeout, delivery, and catering channels, plus gift card breakage and franchise-related income where applicable. Pricing is standardized unit pricing with location-level variation, supplemented by tiered catering delivery fees ($15–$30 by distance), a $45 per-buffet-station setup fee, and a reworked happy hour program featuring $2-off appetizers, $3 domestic pints, and $4–$5 wine and cocktail promotions. The customer base is highly fragmented across individual/family diners (primary) and event-driven catering customers (business, government, weddings), with no enterprise anchor accounts and no disclosed customer concentration risk. In March 2026, the company unveiled a new ~6,000 sq ft restaurant prototype in Laredo, Texas — featuring an open kitchen, large bar, private dining, outdoor patio with fire pits, and an expanded beverage program (20 draft beers, craft cocktails) — explicitly framed as the strategic direction for the brand going forward.
Johnny Carino’s firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Johnny Carino’s
- Legal name
- Johnny Carino's
- Website
- https://carinos.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1997
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1,001–5,000 employees
- Short description
- Johnny Carino's is a privately held Italian casual-dining restaurant chain founded in 1997, operating 23 locations across 10 US states with dine-in, takeout, delivery, catering, loyalty, and gift card programs serving individual families and event customers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Johnny Carino’s industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Casual Dining Restaurants
- NAICS
- Full-Service Restaurants (722511), Restaurants and Other Eating Places (72251)
- SIC
- Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810), Retail-Eating Places (5812)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Brasseries, Bistros & Trattorias (THAFACAI)
Keywords
Where Johnny Carino’s is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Austin
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices24 records
Markets served
Johnny Carino’s business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Dine-in Restaurant Sales: Full-service Italian casual dining with dine-in experience, generating revenue from appetizers, entrees, pizzas, salads, sandwiches, burgers, seafood, chicken specialties, desserts, and beverages including alcoholic drinks.
- To-Go and Delivery Orders: Online and phone ordering for takeout and delivery, with tax and packaging fees applied to all To Go orders.
- Catering Services: Catering for events including pickup, delivery, and full-service options. Offers boxed meals, party pans, sandwich trays, and full catering packages for business, government, weddings, and other events.
- Gift Cards: Gift card sales available online and in restaurant.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Appetizers - Small/Regular/Family sizes |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Signature Pizzas - Regular and Large sizes |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Pasta Entrees |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Sandwiches and Burgers |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Family Style Meals |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Catering - Delivery |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Happy Hour |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Johnny Carino’s product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Johnny Carino's is an Italian casual dining restaurant chain that prepares and serves Italian favorites including pasta, pizza, chicken dishes, and seafood across 23 dine-in restaurant locations in 10 US states. The core restaurant service is supplemented by online and phone takeout ordering, delivery, full-service event catering, and gift card sales. Customer engagement is driven by a Pasta Points loyalty program and an E-Club email/text marketing club.
Product overview
Johnny Carino's is an Italian casual dining restaurant chain founded in 1997, operating as a single unified dining concept across 23 locations in ten US states. The company's product portfolio centers on its restaurant service (dine-in, take-out, delivery), supported by digital platforms including an online ordering system, a catering service for events, gift cards, and loyalty programs (Pasta Points and E-Club). All offerings function as part of the core restaurant experience rather than as independent platform modules.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Johnny Carino's Italian Casual Dining Restaurant Full-service Italian casual dining restaurants offering dine-in service and a menu of Italian favorites including pasta, pizza, chicken dishes, seafood, salads, sandwiches, burgers, desserts, and alcoholic beverages at 23 locations across 10 US states.
- Catering Services
- Gift Cards
- Online Ordering for Takeout and Delivery
- Pasta Points Loyalty Program
- E-Club Email and Text Club
Quantifiable outcome
- Locations across 10 US states with 23 restaurants
Companies that use Johnny Carino’s
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Johnny Carino’s technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Johnny Carino’s partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators4 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Johnny Carino’s competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Fazoli's: Italian fast-casual/limited-service chain serving pasta, pizza, and subs. Comparable on Italian cuisine focus and multi-state footprint, though positioned more toward quick-service than full-service dining.
- Buca di Beppo: Family-style Italian restaurant chain with dine-in, catering, and to-go services. Highly comparable to Johnny Carino's in its emphasis on family platters, group dining, and event catering.
- Maggiano's Little Italy: Owned by Darden Restaurants, Maggiano's operates full-service Italian restaurants with family-style dining and banquet/catering programs. Comparable on cuisine, full-service model, and group/event occasions.
- Carrabba's Italian Grill: Owned by Bloomin' Brands, Carrabba's operates ~200 Italian casual dining restaurants. Comparable as a full-service Italian chain with a similar dine-in experience, lunch/dinner menu, and bar program.
- Romano's Macaroni Grill: Italian casual dining chain offering pasta, pizza, and entrees in a full-service setting. Closely comparable menu, price point, and guest occasion mix to Johnny Carino's.
- Olive Garden (Darden Restaurants): The dominant Italian casual dining chain in the US, operating more than 900 locations. Directly comparable as a full-service Italian dining concept serving families and individuals with dine-in, takeout, and catering.
- Bertucci's: Italian casual dining chain known for brick-oven pizza and pasta. Comparable menu positioning and dine-in casual experience, though smaller in scale than Johnny Carino's.
- The Old Spaghetti Factory: Family-oriented Italian restaurant chain with full-service dining in a distinctive themed setting. Comparable on family-occasion focus, pasta-forward menu, and casual full-service experience.
Regional players
- Zio's Italian Kitchen: Italian casual dining chain historically concentrated in the South-Central US. Comparable Italian full-service concept with a regional footprint that overlaps parts of Johnny Carino's geography.
Broad incumbents
- California Pizza Kitchen: Casual dining chain featuring pizza, pasta, and salads in a full-service setting. Comparable as a casual dining operator with pizza-forward menu overlap, though broader in positioning than a strictly Italian concept.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Johnny Carino’s social profiles
Digital presenceJohnny Carino’s financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Johnny Carino’s leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Johnny Carino’s funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Johnny Carino’s 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 Johnny Carino’s
What does Johnny Carino’s do?
Johnny Carino's is an Italian casual dining restaurant chain that prepares and serves Italian favorites including pasta, pizza, chicken dishes, and seafood across 23 dine-in restaurant locations in 10 US states. The core restaurant service is supplemented by online and phone takeout ordering, delivery, full-service event catering, and gift card sales. Customer engagement is driven by a Pasta Points loyalty program and an E-Club email/text marketing club.
Is Johnny Carino’s a public or private company?
Johnny Carino’s is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was Johnny Carino’s founded?
Johnny Carino’s was founded in 1997. It employs 1,001 to 5,000 people.
Where is Johnny Carino’s based?
Johnny Carino’s is headquartered in Austin, United States, in the North America region.
How does Johnny Carino’s make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Dine-in Restaurant Sales are the primary driver. The others are to-Go and Delivery Orders, catering Services and gift Cards.
Who are Johnny Carino’s's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Fazoli's, Buca di Beppo, Maggiano's Little Italy, Carrabba's Italian Grill, Romano's Macaroni Grill, Olive Garden (Darden Restaurants), Bertucci's and The Old Spaghetti Factory. Zio's Italian Kitchen is listed as a regional player. California Pizza Kitchen is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Johnny Carino’s have an API?
No public API is recorded for Johnny Carino’s.
What industry is Johnny Carino’s in?
Johnny Carino’s's product category is Casual Dining Restaurants. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAFACAI, Brasseries, Bistros & Trattorias. Its NAICS code is 722511 and its SIC code is 5810.