A BELOVED pizza chain that diners have called superior to Domino’s has set its sights on opening more than 100 new spots in the coming years as part of a massive expansion.
The news comes as the top boss of Donatos Pizza revealed a new and irresistible menu deal for just $5.
Donatos Pizza is planning to open more than 100 franchisee-owned spots in the coming years[/caption]
Founded in 1963 in Columbus, Ohio, Donatos is a popular Midwestern pizza chain famous for its abundant Edge to Edge toppings and high-quality ingredients.
The company operates nearly 180 traditional restaurants across 12 states and is served at over 280 Red Robin locations.
Donatos Pizza is working to bump up these numbers, with big expansion plans in the works.
As part of a Southern expansion, the iconic chain plans to enter the Houston market by the end of this year with the recent signing of two local franchisee groups, Donatos announced in a press release.
They signed their franchise agreements in January and March, respectively, and are currently working with local brokers to search for locations, according to Jeff Baldwin, Donatos’ vice president of development and franchising.
He shared that one franchisee is browsing spots in suburbs north of Houston, particularly the Tomball and The Woodlands areas, while the other is looking in the southwest around Missouri City.
Both local franchisee groups plan to open three locations initially.
“Obviously, we have a huge market and a huge opportunity in Greater Houston, and so we’re really focused on that area and bringing in high-quality partners, restaurant operators… that can open multiple stores and fill in the Houston market,” Baldwin said.
The move to enter the Houston market comes on the heels of Donatos opening its first two Texas restaurants in the Dallas-Fort Worth area in fall 2024, with another one on the way.
Donatos is aiming to open over 100 franchisee-owned spots in The Lone Star State over the next 10 years, including 40 to 50 in both the Houston metropolitan area and Dallas area, per Baldwin.
The chain is also hoping to open franchisee-owned restaurants in East Texas, Waco, and Austin in the future.
Donatos breaking ground in Texas is part of the company’s larger growth strategy to expand outside its roots in the Midwest, primarily in the Southeast.
FOOD FIGHT
Donatos Pizza is a family-owned business beloved among foodies for its popular thin-crust pizzas made with abundant toppings spread Edge to Edge.
The chain has built up a loyal fan base, with customers’ praises flooding social media.
States with Donatos Pizza
Donatos Pizza operates in 28 states with nearly locations, including traditional restaurants and non-traditional spots such as at Red Robin, sports venues, and Reef Kitchens.
- Alabama
- Arizona
- California
- Colorado
- Florida
- Georgia
- Iowa
- Idaho
- Indiana
- Kentucky
- Maryland
- Missouri
- North Carolina
- Nebraska
- New Mexico
- Nevada
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Virginia
- Washington
- Wisconsin
Source: Donatos Pizza
“Donatos is way better than Domino’s,” said one fan on X. “No debate.”
Another foodie listed his favorite pizza shops in his city, ranking Donatos as the top spot, in front of other popular chains including Pizza Hut, Little Caesars, Domino’s, and Papa Johns.
While Donatos’ quality has helped the chain to secure its spot as a fan-favorite pizza joint, its emphasis on abundance, quality toppings, and consistency poses a struggle for the chain as the pizza industry faces rising pricing wars.
As Donatos expands in the South, the chain will have to compete in a market dominated by major national pizza vendors, Baldwin admitted.
Donatos CEO Kevin King revealed one of the chain’s strategies for gaining a leg up on its competitors in terms of pricing in an April episode of Pizza Marketplace Podcast.
He admitted that, while the company was not going to change its pizza or lower its quality standards in order to reduce its pricing, the beloved brand had recently rolled out new menu category.
Dubbed $5 Pizza Pals, Donatos customers can purchase a large pizza at regular price and score a side item for just $5.
“We’re never going to be able to sell a 14-inch Donatos pepperoni pizza for $6.99 – we’re not even going to try. So we’re trying to demonstrate value to the consumer in a different way,” said King.
Donatos is not the only popular restaurant chain with expansion plans underway.
For example, a coffee chain “way better than Starbucks” with over 20,000 drink combos is opening seven locations – and the first arrived on June 16.
Plus, a Mexican chain that’s “better than Taco Bell” opened its first full service restaurant last week.
Donatos Pizza, a competitor to Domino’s, added $5 Pizza Pals to its menu in a move to better compete with national pizza brands[/caption]
