--- title: "Mountain Mike's Pizza Experiences Meaningful Momentum in First Half of 2026" url: https://burnaze.com/article/a25899ee-48f3-4845-8cd4-01b17cf61886 source: "QSR Magazine" original_url: https://www.qsrmagazine.com/news/mountain-mikes-pizza-experiences-meaningful-momentum-in-first-half-of-2026/ author: "Ben Coley" category: "Pizza" industry: "Restaurants" segment: "Pizza" published: 2026-08-10T17:26:46.000Z modified: 2026-10-31T14:56:59.537Z image: https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1561758033-d89a9ad46330?w=1600&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop --- # Mountain Mike's Pizza Experiences Meaningful Momentum in First Half of 2026 **TL;DR:** Mountain Mike's Pizza has maintained significant national brand momentum through the first half of 2026, fueled by franchise growth, menu innovations, and digital campaigns. The brand has opened nine new restaurants and signed franchise agreements to develop six new restaurants, with over 100 restaurants currently in development across 17 states. *By Ben Coley, originally published in QSR Magazine on 2026-08-10. [Read the original](https://www.qsrmagazine.com/news/mountain-mikes-pizza-experiences-meaningful-momentum-in-first-half-of-2026/).* ## Story Mountain Mike’s Pizza, a leading family-style pizza chain for nearly 50 years, and home of the legendary crispy, curly pepperoni, massive 20-inch Mountain-sized pizzas and dough made fresh daily, has maintained significant national brand momentum through the first half of 2026. Fueled by meaningful franchise growth, impressive menu innovations, engaging digital campaigns and widespread recognition, Mountain Mike’s continued to fortify its position as one of the fastest-growing pizza concepts in the country, while establishing a foundation for another strong growth year. During the first half of the year, Mountain Mike’s opened nine new restaurants across six states and entered three new markets with restaurants in Edmond, Oklahoma; Manor, Texas; and Nolensville, Tennessee. The brand also signed a pair of franchise agreements to develop six new restaurants, including a three-unit deal in Queen Creek, Arizona, and a three-unit agreement in South Carolina. With more than 100 restaurants currently in development across 17 states, Mountain Mike’s is expected to open approximately 20 new restaurants in 2026 and grow its systemwide footprint by nearly 7%. “The momentum we created in 2026 stems from several years of disciplined investment in the brand across multiple fronts, and we’re excited to have built a business that consistently attracts experienced franchise operators, resonates with guests and is being welcomed enthusiastically in markets across the country,” said Jim Metevier, CEO of Mountain Mike’s Pizza. “Mountain Mike’s is growing at an impressive pace while maintaining the quality menu that keeps our guests coming back to our restaurants to enjoy a dining experience that’s defined the brand for nearly 50 years.” ## Menu innovations Beyond development, product innovation drove growth and brand excitement in the first half of 2026 as Mountain Mike’s satisfied guest cravings with signature fan favorites and delicious new menu introductions. Back by popular demand, Heart-Shaped Pizzas once again returned for Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day and Father’s Day. The brand also celebrated an impressive performance during National Pi Day, which produced one of the highest sales days in company history. Mountain Mike’s also debuted Garlic Parm Stuft™ Crust, which was the most successful pizza product launch in recent brand history, outperforming every limited-time pizza introduction since 2023. Complementing the success of Heart-Shaped Pizza and Garlic Parm Stuft™ Crust, Mountain Mike’s launched the Triple Play promotion, which quickly amplified its spot on the menu as a standard limited-time offer and became an impressively sustainable value platform that drove guest demand across multiple menu categories. Mountain Mike’s also brought back its Zesty Aloha Pizza with Mango and Zesty Aloha wings for Aloha Summer, which generated strong sales and transaction performances while reinforcing the brand’s reputation for keeping guests engaged through craveable seasonal offerings. In January, Mountain Mike’s introduced premium salads, further enhancing brand appeal for family meals, buffet occasions and guests seeking even more variety. ## Community involvement Alongside an acclaimed restaurant system, Mountain Mike’s continued to thrive in the communities where the chain conducts business, operating throughout the spring and summer as the presenting sponsor of the Los Angeles Angels Rally Camps. The camps connected the brand to youth baseball and softball players throughout Southern California. Mountain Mike’s also established deeper roots in Texas with the launch of its first food truck, delivering a mobile brand experience in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Digital brand engagement reached a major milestone during the first half of 2026. Mountain Mike’s surpassed one million loyalty members in June. The impressive growth follows the brand’s transition to a new loyalty platform in 2024 and has delivered a measurable impact. Since the platform change, average order value has increased dramatically, driving a 20% increase in loyalty transactions and a 31% active member adoption rate. The compelling metrics underscore rapidly growing guest engagement and long-term brand affinity. “What makes our climb especially meaningful is that it’s being fueled by genuine guest enthusiasm,” said Carol DeNembo, Chief Marketing Officer of Mountain Mike’s Pizza. “From the overwhelming response to Garlic Parm Stuft™ Crust and the success of our seasonal promotions, to surpassing one million loyalty members, we’re seeing guests engage with Mountain Mike’s in more ways than ever, creating moments that strengthen guest loyalty and establish lasting connections to our brand.” ## National recognition Throughout the first half of the year, Mountain Mike’s added to a growing catalogue of national recognition. The chain earned the prestigious FRANdata TopScore FUND Award and ranked #75 on the 2026 Entrepreneur’s Franchise 500. The brand also was recognized as the #6 pizza concept on Pizza Marketplace’s Top 100 Movers & Shakers list, ranked #13 in Pizza Today’s Power Pizza Report, #109 among the nation’s Top 500 restaurant chains by Datassential and #133 on the Nation’s Restaurant News and Restaurant Business Top 500. Additional recognition included being named the #2 chain for pepperoni pizza by Eat This, Not That! and one of the fastest-growing established pizza brands in the country by Datassential. With strong development momentum, a robust pipeline and a brand platform that continues to resonate across generations, Mountain Mike’s Pizza remains well-positioned for expansion throughout 2026 and beyond. To learn more about new franchise opportunities in markets of interest, visit www.mountainmikesfranchise.com. ## Entities - QSR (sector) - franchise growth (topic) - QSR Magazine (publication) - Ben Coley (person) - south carolina (location) - Mountain Mike's Pizza (company) - brand recognition (topic) - Jim Metevier (person) - Carol DeNembo (person) - menu innovations (topic) - digital campaigns (topic) - Edmond, Oklahoma (location) --- Originally reported by Ben Coley, QSR Magazine (https://www.qsrmagazine.com/news/mountain-mikes-pizza-experiences-meaningful-momentum-in-first-half-of-2026/). Summarized by Burnaze (https://burnaze.com/article/a25899ee-48f3-4845-8cd4-01b17cf61886).