--- title: "Multi-Unit Development Fuels Toppers Pizza's Strong Second Quarter, Positioning the Brand for Further Expansion in the Second Half of 2016" url: https://burnaze.com/article/55ef6295-3a1e-44f6-a343-a01e2f555aa3 source: "1851 Franchise" original_url: https://1851franchise.com/multi-unit-development-fuels-toppers-pizzas-strong-second-quarter-positioning-the-brand-for-further-expansion-in-the-second-half-of-2016-5474 category: "Pizza" industry: "Restaurants" segment: "Pizza" topics: ["Development & multi-unit"] published: 2016-08-09T16:11:14.000Z modified: 2026-11-01T02:36:06.492Z image: https://newimage.1851franchise.com/cdn-cgi/image/quality=85,format=webp,width=1280,height=720/story/featureImage/6e1b9ab7d1e6ffd18d05f8a38654997d9236160809105404.jpeg --- # Multi-Unit Development Fuels Toppers Pizza's Strong Second Quarter, Positioning the Brand for Further Expansion in the Second Half of 2016 **TL;DR:** Toppers Pizza's multi-unit development fueled its strong second quarter, with sales increasing 5.2% and the brand adding new locations. The brand signed three additional multi-unit development franchise deals that will ultimately open up 41 new locations for business. *originally published in 1851 Franchise on 2016-08-09. [Read the original](https://1851franchise.com/multi-unit-development-fuels-toppers-pizzas-strong-second-quarter-positioning-the-brand-for-further-expansion-in-the-second-half-of-2016-5474).* ## Key facts - Toppers Pizza saw 5.2% sales increase in Q2 - 41 new locations to open via multi-unit deals - Expansion into North Carolina, Colorado, Wyoming, and Virginia ## Story Toppers Pizza, the leading better pizza franchise that’s successfully taking on the nation’s largest pizza chains, is fueled by one bold mission: never settle. This motto, printed on every Toppers Pizza box, is represented in all aspects of the brand’s business, from its fearless approach to shaking up the industry with new products and flavors to its strong digital presence and loyal social media following. It has also led to a strong start for the brand’s development in the first half of 2016. In the second quarter alone, Toppers Pizza’s saw sales increase 5.2% as it added to its rapidly growing franchise system by opening the brand’s second Sioux Falls, South Dakota location and one unit in Kansas City, Missouri. The brand also signed three additional multi-unit development franchise deals that will ultimately open up 41 new locations for business. Six of those units will be in North Carolina, 13 will be in Colorado and Wyoming and 22 will be located in Virginia and Maryland. ## Expansion efforts “We’re incredibly excited about the opportunity to continue to expand the Toppers brand nationwide. Our model and focus on multi-unit development continues to give us the chance to steal business away from the big guys in the industry,” said Scott Gittrich, founder and president of Toppers Pizza. “We’re 100 percent confident that our commitment to convenience and quality, along with our delicious, made-from-scratch products, will instantly become fan favorites in new communities across the country.” Toppers’ expansion deal in Colorado and Wyoming is being led by Todd Geatches and Clayton Hartman, co-owners of the Rocky Top Management group. They both bring a wealth of franchise knowledge to the table—Geatches helped Papa John’s grow from 400 locations to more than 2500 in his role as district manager, and Hartman has three decades of experience addressing the complex needs of high-net worth foundations and business owners. The brand’s expansion efforts in Virginia and Maryland are being spearheaded by Mike McLaughlin, who also spent years working for franchise concepts like Papa John’s and Five Guys Burgers & Fries. He decided to invest with Toppers in order to be a part of the next big name in the growing pizza industry. “The infrastructure that Toppers has in place on the corporate level makes it incredibly well suited to take the brand to the national level. Its passion for creating unique menu options really separates the brand from other major chains in the industry, which is why I decided to franchise with Toppers over other pizza brands,” said McLaughlin. ## Technology investments That heightened level of dedication isn’t limited to Toppers’ menu. The brand also constantly works to stay ahead of the curve when it comes to technology, recently hiring its first ever vice president of information technology, Tony Ellis. As a key member of the brand’s leadership team, he will take the brand’s overall technology strategy, innovation and execution to the next level. His first priority is creating a cloud-first and mobile-first approach to technology. He’ll also be the driving force behind Toppers’ efforts to launch a next generation e-commerce platform. “Seamless technology is essential for any organization, and it’s something that Toppers Pizza has always excelled at. That’s why I’m thrilled to build on the brand’s strong momentum by making sure its digital presence is helping Toppers grow at a rapid rate,” said Ellis. “Offering superior technology to both our customers and local franchise owners is just another way that the brand outshines the competition in the pizza industry.” Toppers Pizza’s strong second quarter builds off the momentum it created from one of its most successful years to date. In 2015, 73 percent of Toppers’ stores broke sales records. That impressive growth led to the brand being named one of the top-five fastest-growing brands in the entire limited service pizza restaurant category of the 2016 Technomic Top 500 Restaurant Chain Report, one of QSR Magazine’s Top Franchise Deals and one of the top food and beverage franchises by the Franchise Business Review. The brand also recently celebrated its impressive year at the annual Toppers Pizza convention in Orlando, Florida, where hundreds of corporate staff, franchisees and location team members came together to recognize the outstanding individuals who drive the brand’s expansion efforts forward with prestigious awards. Going forward into the rest of 2016, Toppers will continue to rely on its strong franchisee and team member network to continue its record-breaking growth. “By signing these major multi-unit franchise deals and stepping up our technology efforts, Toppers Pizza is poised for rapid growth in the months and years to come,” said Gittrich. “We’re going to keep capitalizing on the momentum that’s been building all year, and continue our tradition of never settling when it comes to our development and expansion efforts.” ## Entities - 1851 Franchise (publication) - Restaurants (sector) - unit expansion (topic) - multi-unit development (topic) - Papa Johns (company) - north carolina (location) - Colorado (location) - Virginia (location) - Toppers Pizza (company) - Orlando (location) - Maryland (location) - Five Guys (company) --- Originally reported by 1851 Franchise (https://1851franchise.com/multi-unit-development-fuels-toppers-pizzas-strong-second-quarter-positioning-the-brand-for-further-expansion-in-the-second-half-of-2016-5474). Summarized by Burnaze (https://burnaze.com/article/55ef6295-3a1e-44f6-a343-a01e2f555aa3).