Mountain Mike’s Pizza Signs 30-Store Franchise Development Deal In Utah

Pelican Food executive Mike Smith, former BYU basketball great and NBA alum, is helping to spearhead the chain’s growth throughout Utah, which was inaugurated earlier this month with the acquisition of the one existing Mountain Mike’s Pizza location in the state, which opened in South Jordan in 2006. The group is also in discussions on a handful of other prospective locations in the greater Salt Lake City area. This big news closely follows the announcement that 2020 was Mountain Mike’s best year ever, with record same store sales growth and total system sales surpassing $200 million.

"We’re thrilled to bring our premium pies and unique dining experience ideal for families, sports fans, celebrations, fundraisers and team gatherings alike, to Utah residents,” said Donte’ Andry, CEO and principal owner of Pelican Food Concepts. Smith, a longtime dedicated member of the Salt Lake City community and studio broadcast analyst for the Utah Jazz, added, “With my wife and I having ten kids of our own, we know the importance of having a pizzeria restaurant like Mountain Mike’s within our communities, and we’re confident that our fellow Utahns will enjoy having a new family-friendly pizza spot in their neighborhoods. We’re currently seeking passionate franchise partners who are excited to grow with our thriving, family-forward brand.”

The pizza segment is booming, and the demand has never been higher for Mountain Mike’s mouthwatering pizzas made with high quality ingredients like real whole milk mozzarella cheese. Recent reports named Mountain Mike’s an emerging leader in the pizza space, one of the hottest franchise categories of 2021, and even called the pizza segment both recession-and pandemic-proof, a statement in many ways validated by Mountain Mike’s incredibly strong performance in 2020. As an area developer partner, Pelican Food Concepts plans to own and operate many of its own Mountain Mike’s Pizza locations and build a team of talented franchise partners to open other locations throughout Utah, a state that has been identified as a prime market for a family friendly pizza concept like Mountain Mike’s.