The news about fast-food restaurants these days are mixed, with reports of how some fast-food joints have permanently closed down due to the pandemic. But some brands haven’t just survived the Covid-19 problem, but have even thrived despite the pandemic.
This is certainly true of some pizza chain restaurants, which have reported terrific growth for 2022. And for the foreseeable future, these brands are growing even more!
Papa Johns
Papa Johns has always been a major player in the pizza industry, but it’s not resting on its laurels. In post-Covid 2022, the brand has enjoyed increasing sales numbers, and it’s expanding the number of its locations both in the US and around the world.
Its sales have always been bolstered by the enduring popularity of its stuffed crust pizza, along with various limited specialty offerings such as their Chicago-style and New York-style pizzas.
It doesn’t hurt that they keep on offering great special deals, like their $18 Big Deal that includes a large pizza, a side of bread, and a 2L drink. You can get 2 pizzas with various toppings for less than $14. You can enjoy flavored crusts, vegan pizzas, and various family deals.
It’s for this reason that Papa Johns boosted its revenues to more than $542 million, while opening 62 new locations this year. In fact, the folks at Papa Johns are planning to open about 300 new locations for 2022. And they also have a new deal that plans on opening at least 1,350 new locations in China.
Little Caesars
Fans have long expected great deals from Little Caesars, which is why it has always steadily boosted its sales over the years. It’s now the 3rd-largest pizza chain in the US, as their sales are quickly approaching the $4 billion mark.
How has the brand achieved this? It starts with making good pizza, of course, with offerings like their Detroit-style deep dish pizza. They also have their famous Crazy Bread and Crazy Sauce. And then they offer an irresistible offer by giving out 2 pizzas for the price of 1.
Sure, they increased the price of their super-popular Hot-N-Ready pie from $5 flat to $5.55 to compensate for labor and supply cost increases resulting from the pandemic. But most Little Caesars fans haven’t really complained all that much, since the price increase did come with a 33% increase in the amount of pepperoni in the pizza.
Because of the pandemic, Little Caesars runs a “contactless” Pizza Portal that lets their customers scan a QR code to pick up their pies. And for the first time, in January of 2020, the chain introduced delivery services, just in time for the pandemic.
With all these things factored in, it shouldn’t be surprising that there’s a Little Caesars location in all 50 states of the country. And there’s also a location in at least 27 other countries and territories. The brand is still expanding, with domestic growth represented by new locations in New England, New York, Denver, Minneapolis, and the Pacific Northwest. And there will also be new Little Caesars in the UAE, France, and Brazil.
Blaze Pizza
This is an artisanal pizza chain that’s sure making a buzz in the fast-casual pizza industry, and it’s really making some long-time pizza names a bit nervous. It also doesn’t hurt that it’s backed by NBA superstar Lebron James, who had the vision to invest $1 million in the company in exchange for 10% ownership. Reportedly, that share of the company is now worth $25 million.
The brand uses a super-efficient assembly line that makes sure that each pizza is made in just 3 minutes, and the customer can see the entire process.
They start with dough that they make from scratch, which they then use to create their signature crust that seems lighter than air. And the more health-conscious fans can’t complain about the salads, and how the place offers various plant-based and gluten-free menu items.
It doesn’t hurt that Blaze Pizza offers a lot of specials and bundles that really give customers a lot of value for their money. Customers can get the BYO bundle for $19.95, and they get 1 large Signature Pizza, a 4-pack of Dough Knots and choice of an Entrée Salad OR two Desserts.
Because of the brand’s robust customer support, its same-store sales have increased by 18% in 2021, and they have put up 34 new locations to boost their current roster of 340 locations spread out across 38 states and 6 countries. Last year, they added 14 new locations in California, Pennsylvania, Florida, and Texas, and a new franchise agreement will add even more locations in southern Tennessee.
Blaze Pizza isn’t done growing. By the end of 2022, Blaze Pizza plans on having a total of a thousand locations, with sales of $1 billion!