What ians pizza does

Ian's Pizza is a privately held, multi-location pizza restaurant chain founded on October 31, 2001 by Ian Gurfield in Madison, Wisconsin. The company operates eight company-owned locations across four cities — Madison (three), Milwaukee (three), Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and Verona, Wisconsin — with a ninth location planned for Milwaukee's Harbor District in August 2026. Its core product is NY-style, hand-tossed thin-crust pizza sold by the slice or as whole pies (12", 16", 20"), anchored by the signature Mac n' Cheese pizza invented at founding. The menu also includes salads with locally sourced ingredients, side sticks with house-made dipping sauces, vegan and gluten-friendly options (sourced from suppliers like Good Planet, Upton's Naturals, and Schroeter's), sweet snacks, and Calliope Ice Cream from a sister company.

The business generates revenue through four streams: in-store restaurant food sales (dine-in, carryout, curbside, and delivery), full-service and delivery-only catering (tiered $17-$27 per person packages), branded merchandise and gift cards ($10-$1,000), and franchise fees ($25K-$300K+ investment per operator). Online ordering is handled through a website integrated with the Dripos POS platform, with payments processed via Stripe and Square. Catering, the Slice of the Month Club subscription, and the Pizza Power Pack bundle extend the brand beyond per-transaction food sales. The company has stated a 2030 vision of becoming a nationwide coalition of independently owned, employee-led restaurants and currently operates a franchise inquiry program targeting Green Bay, LaCrosse, Iowa City, Ann Arbor, and Denver.

Operationally, Ian's runs a people-centric model with employee ownership stakes (doubled since 2020), a dedicated Operations Group created in 2021, and co-located partnerships with Calliope Ice Cream and Lion Bridge Brewery. The company reported $35M in combined revenue as of 2023 with profit margins of 12-20%. There is no external parent company, venture capital, or private equity investment disclosed in the source material.

Name

ians pizza

Legal name

Ian's Pizza

Website

https://ianspizza.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Ian's Pizza is a privately held, eight-location pizza-by-the-slice restaurant chain founded in 2001 in Madison, Wisconsin, serving college students, families, and late-night diners across Wisconsin and Iowa with NY-style pizza, catering, and an emerging franchise program.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Casual Dining Pizza Chain

NAICS

Limited-Service Restaurants (722513), Full-Service Restaurants (722511), Caterers (722320)

SIC

Retail-Eating Places (5812), Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro primary industry

Pizza QSR (THAFAAAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Pizza Fast Casual (THAFABAB)

Keywords

• By the slice pizza
• Ny style pizzeria
• Pizza catering services
• Vegan pizza options
• Casual dining restaurants

Headquarters

HQ city

Madison

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices9 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Restaurant Food Sales: Core revenue from pizza by-the-slice and whole pie sales across 8 restaurant locations, including dine-in, carryout, and delivery. Signature items include Mac n' Cheese pizza and specialty slices.
2. Catering Services: Full-service and delivery catering for corporate events, weddings, parties, and community gatherings. Menu packages range from $17-$27 per person plus tax and gratuity.
3. Merchandise and Gift Cards: Sale of branded merchandise including apparel, stickers, gift cards, and specialty items like the Slice of the Month Club subscription.
4. Franchise Fees: Franchise inquiry and development program with investment capital requirements ranging from $25k to $300k+ for qualified operators.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Ian's Pizza operates a multi-location pizzeria chain serving NY-style hand-tossed thin-crust pizza by the slice and whole pie (12", 16", 20"), with a menu headlined by the signature Mac n' Cheese pizza invented in 2001. Offerings extend to vegan and gluten-friendly pizzas, signature salads, side sticks, puppy chow, catering services (full-service and delivery), merchandise, gift cards, and the Slice of the Month Club subscription, supported by 8 dine-in/carryout/delivery locations across Wisconsin and Iowa.

Product overview

Ian’s Pizza is a by-the-slice pizzeria chain operating 8 locations across Madison, Milwaukee, Cedar Rapids, and Verona. The core offering is NY-style thin-crust pizza sold by the slice or whole pie, featuring signature creations like the Mac n’ Cheese pizza (their all-time best seller invented in 2001), Buffalo Chicken, and Smokey the Bandit. The product portfolio includes vegan and vegetarian pizza options, signature salads with locally sourced ingredients, side sticks with house-made dipping sauces, puppy chow desserts, and Calliope Ice Cream (sister company). Services include dine-in, delivery/pickup via Dripos online ordering, and on-location catering with full-service or delivery-only options. The company also operates a merchandise line including apparel, gift cards, the Slice of the Month Club subscription, and Pizza Power Pack gift bundles.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Calliope Ice Cream: Sister company providing ice cream at Ian's Pizza Garver and State Street locations. Offers 12 standard flavors and 4 rotating small-batch flavors made in-house.

Products and services

• Salads Signature and build-your-own salads featuring locally sourced ingredients and house-made dressings, including Southwest, Caesar, Wisco, Greek, and House salads in sizes from side to party servings.
• Side Sticks Parmesan and herb breadsticks served with a choice of house-made dipping sauces including Zesty Marinara, Green Chile Ranch, Ian's Famous Ranch, and Bacon Queso.
• Puppy Chow Sweet snack featuring Chex cereal coated in chocolate and peanut butter with powdered sugar, available in standard and vegan churro varieties.
• Pizza by the Slice Signature NY-style hand-tossed thin-crust pizza sold individually by the slice or as whole pies in 12", 16", and 20" sizes. Features signature creations like Mac n' Cheese, Buffalo Chicken, Smokey the Bandit, and classic cheese and pepperoni options. Available at all 8 Ian's Pizza locations for dine-in, carryout, curbside, and delivery.
• Vegan Pizza Plant-based pizza options using Good Planet vegan mozzarella and cheddar, house-made vegan meats (vegan pepperoni, walnut sausage), and vegan cream sauces. Includes vegan versions of Mac n' Cheese, Tomato Pesto, All The Veg, Vegan Philly Cheese Steak, and Vegan Gyro.
• Catering Services On-location and delivery pizza catering for corporate events, weddings, parties, and community gatherings. Madison packages run $17-$27 per person plus 15% gratuity and 5.5% tax. Milwaukee full-service labor minimum $550 plus 15% gratuity; equipment minimum $250. Minimum 2-week notice for delivery, 3-week notice for full-service.
• Slice of the Month Club Six-month subscription delivering one monthly 16" featured pizza special; subscribers choose from 4 rotating specialty pizzas each month. Available at Madison and Milwaukee locations only, priced at $180 for 6 months.
• Gift Cards Magnetic swipe gift cards available in any amount from $10 to $1,000, accepted at all Ian's Pizza locations including Madison and Milwaukee.
• Pizza Power Pack Limited edition gift set bundling 12 $35 gift cards, 12 free slice cards, 1 Ian's t-shirt, and mystery Ian's swag.
• Apparel and Merchandise Branded clothing and accessories including t-shirts, hoodies, hats, and trucker hats, featuring annual Halloween designs commemorating the October 31, 2001 founding date.
• Calliope Ice Cream Small-batch ice cream from sister company Calliope, available at Madison (Garver and State Street) and Verona Ian's Pizza locations. Features 12 standard flavors and 4 rotating seasonal varieties made in-house.
• Franchise Program Franchise expansion program seeking owner-operators for new Ian's Pizza locations in priority Midwest markets including Green Bay, LaCrosse, Iowa City, and Ann Arbor, with future expansion to Denver and other Midwest markets. Investment capital requirements range from $25k to $300k+.

Quantifiable outcome

• 30% of management team from historically underrepresented groups
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Lion Bridge BrewerycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-located brewing partner at Cedar Rapids location in Czech Village. Shared indoor and outdoor space with Ian’s pizza counter adjacent to brewery taproom. Beer, soda, salads, and pizza served in unified casual dining experience.
• Calliope Ice CreamcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSister company sharing Garver Feed Mill location with Ian’s. Calliope offers 12 standard flavors and 4 rotating small-batch flavors made in-house. Ian’s also scoops Calliope ice cream at Verona location.
• Dane County Farmers’ MarketminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorIan’s giant food cart purchases fresh produce from the famous Dane County Farmers’ Market on Saturdays during summer. Supports local farmers and seasonal ingredient sourcing.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Happy Joe's Pizza & Ice Cream: Iowa-based pizza and ice cream chain founded in 1972 with a similar Midwest pizza-plus-dessert model. Comparable by-the-slice and whole-pie offerings, regional Iowa/Wisconsin footprint, and combined food-retail-plus-family-dining positioning.
• Sbarro: Iconic pizza-by-the-slice QSR chain operating primarily in food courts and malls. The closest direct comparable to Ian's on the by-the-slice counter-service model, though operating at much larger scale and through food court venues.
• Toppers Pizza: Wisconsin-headquartered pizza chain with multiple Midwest locations, known for signature creative toppings and by-the-slice service. Direct competitor in the Wisconsin market with overlapping customer base and similar craft-quality positioning.

Regional players

• Aurelio's Pizza: Chicago-area regional pizza chain with deep-dish and thin-crust offerings, family-style dining rooms, and franchise expansion. Comparable regional Midwest pizza chain with dine-in heritage and craft ingredients.
• Rosati's Pizza: Chicago-based regional pizza franchise chain with both dine-in restaurants and delivery. Comparable on franchised regional expansion, pizza-and-Italian menu mix, and family-friendly positioning.
• Giordano's: Chicago-based stuffed deep-dish pizza chain with regional Midwest presence and sit-down dining model. Comparable on regional brand strength and full-service restaurant operations, though differentiated by deep-dish specialization.

Broad incumbents

• Marco's Pizza: Toledo, Ohio-based pizza franchise chain with 1,000+ locations. Comparable franchise-led growth model in Midwest markets and pizza-focused menu, though at significantly larger scale and more limited-service positioning.
• MOD Pizza: Fast-casual pizza chain with assembly-line customization model. Comparable craft-quality positioning, vegan menu breadth, and counter-service format, though national in scale and more standardized in menu.
• Blaze Pizza: Fast-casual artisanal pizza chain with custom-built pies and a strong fast-casual brand. Comparable on speed of service, customizable menu, and craft positioning, though operates primarily through franchised mall and urban locations.
• Domino's Pizza: Largest pizza QSR chain in the US by global retail sales, dominant in delivery. Represents the scale competitor Ian's faces on delivery and pricing, though positioned very differently on dine-in experience and craft ingredients.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 ians pizza