Cicis pizza chain changes hands

cicis pizza salad dessert

A specialized investment concern has teamed up with the management of Cicis Pizza to buy the 440-unit regional chain. Terms were not disclosed.

Cicis CEO Darin Harris said he and his senior team will continue to direct day-to-day operation of the chain, which operates in 33 states.

The specific executives who teamed up with Arlon Group to buy Cicis were not revealed. The pizza concept was sold by founders Joe Croce and Mike Cole—the C’s in the name—to its management in 2003.

Arlon is an investment firm that specializes in the food and agriculture industries. It was founded with funds from Continental Grain Co., a 200-year-old agriculture firm.

Cicis is known for its low-cost buffet. Patrons pay one price for all the pizza and salad they want.

The concept also boasts a scaled-down to-go format.

Members help make our journalism possible. Become a Restaurant Business member today and unlock exclusive benefits, including unlimited access to all of our content. Sign up here.

Multimedia

Exclusive Content

Operations

Hitting resistance elsewhere, ghost kitchens and virtual concepts find a happy home in family dining

Reality Check: Old-guard chains are finding the alternative operations to be persistently effective side hustles.

Financing

The Tijuana Flats bankruptcy highlights the dangers of menu miscues

The Bottom Line: The fast-casual chain’s problems following new menu debuts in 2021 and 2022 show that adding new items isn’t always the right idea.

Financing

For Papa Johns, the CEO departure came at the wrong time

The Bottom Line: The pizza chain worked to convince franchisees to buy into a massive marketing shift. And then the brand’s CEO left.

Trending

More from our partners