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Pizza

Leadership

Former Scooter's Coffee exec John Owen named CEO of Blaze Pizza

 By Lisa Jennings on Jan. 06, 2026

With career roots that include McDonald's and Subway, Owen brings deep franchising experience to the fast-casual pizza brand. He replaces Beto Guajardo at the helm.

Financing

How Pieology's attempt to rescue restaurants contributed to bankruptcy

 By Lisa Jennings on Dec. 10, 2025

The fast-casual chain ultimately blamed its sales decline on the pandemic. But the parent company's acquisition of 29 underperforming franchised locations went awry, forcing the closure of 17 units before this week's filing.

Financing

No restaurant chain became the 'Chipotle of pizza'

By Jonathan Maze on Dec. 10, 2025

The Bottom Line: A decade ago, several fast-casual chains emerged in the race to become to pizza what Chipotle was to Mexican. None of them made it.

Financing

Pieology Pizza files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy

By Lisa Jennings on Dec. 09, 2025

The fast-casual pizza chain founded in 2011 was once one of the promising franchise brands in the niche, before the pandemic.

Financing

10-unit Sicilian Oven lands a private-equity investment

By Joe Guszkowski on Dec. 04, 2025

Goode Partners made a strategic investment in the Florida-based wood-fired pizza brand with plans to help it grow within and outside of its home state.

Financing

Papa Johns, shifting away from company restaurants, sells 85 locations to a franchisee

By Jonathan Maze on Nov. 25, 2025

The pizza chain completed a “strategic refranchising” of a joint-venture operation in Washington, D.C., and Baltimore to Pie Investments, which will open another 52 locations in the market by 2030.

Financing

Franchisees sue the Fat Brands-owned Round Table Pizza over marketing

By Jonathan Maze on Nov. 25, 2025

The Round Table Owners Association is accusing the pizza chain of “intentional mismanagement” of the marketing fund since Fat Brands bought the company in 2021, leading to falling sales.

Financing

California Pizza Kitchen to be sold to investor group, report says

By Joe Guszkowski on Nov. 21, 2025

A group led by Consortium Brand Partners is set to acquire the casual-dining pizza chain for less than $300 million, Reuters reported.

Operations

Shakey's returns to its pizza parlor roots

By Lisa Jennings on Nov. 12, 2025

The 70-year-old fast-casual brand is opening a new prototype in Los Angeles designed to embrace nostalgia around its storied past.

Food

BJ's Restaurants hits refresh on its signature pizza

By Joe Guszkowski on Nov. 12, 2025

Pizza is one of the casual-dining chain’s core products, but customer satisfaction had been declining over the years. A “familiar, but refreshed” version hit the menu last week.

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