Crust Pizza Co. Southeast Expansion Targets Key Franchise Markets

Crust Pizza Co., a Chicago-style thin crust pizza franchise with roots in Texas, is ready to bring its gourmet pizza and flexible dining experience to a broader audience. After more than a decade of perfecting its model and building a strong presence in Texas and Louisiana, the brand is targeting the Southeast United States for its next wave of growth.

Founded in 2011, Crust Pizza Co. is known for its thin crust pizzas cut tavern-style, fresh ingredients and welcoming restaurant design that caters equally to dine-in families and takeout customers. The brand started franchising in 2019 and has since grown to more than 30 locations.

According to CEO Carl Comeaux, the company’s expansion strategy has been deliberately measured in its early years to ensure a strong foundation and replicable operations. With that foundation now in place, Crust is eyeing new territory.

Southeast expansion plans

“So far, we’ve sold only in Texas and Louisiana to build infrastructure,” Comeaux said. “Our goal is to be a household name in the Southeast — Florida, the Carolinas, Tennessee, Arkansas and Oklahoma.”

The company’s focus on regional growth is paired with a long-term development plan that aims to maintain system integrity while scaling efficiently.

“Our vision is 250 stores in the next nine years,” Comeaux said. “In order to achieve that, we need to get to 25 openings per year, which means that we have to sell about 40 to 45 territories annually.”

Franchise growth strategy

Unlike many fast-growing restaurant brands that focus primarily on unit count, Crust Pizza Co. prioritizes bringing in the right people. The franchise opportunity is designed for both seasoned operators and qualified newcomers who are committed to growing with the brand.

“We’re targeting multi-unit operators who have maxed out another brand and are ready for a new opportunity,” Comeaux said. “Also, people leaving corporate jobs who want to build something for themselves.”

Crust’s leadership team brings deep experience from across the franchise industry, and Comeaux said that support and training are key reasons why new operators — regardless of background — are finding success with the concept. “Many of them have no restaurant experience, but we train them,” he said. “And they’re doing great—many are opening multiple locations.”

The brand’s concept and layout are designed to offer flexibility and consistency across locations. Stores range from 2200-2500 sq ft. square feet, with open ceilings, exposed ductwork and patio seating that’s intentionally designed to create a warm, neighborhood-friendly feel. While dine-in makes up a large part of each restaurant’s early revenue, takeout sales typically grow over time, balancing out to a 50/50 mix.

In addition to its signature thin crust pizza, Crust offers a full menu of pasta, salads and desserts, all made with fresh ingredients. The brand also uses a proprietary mozzarella blend and is working to streamline operations even further with proprietary technology, something Comeaux and his partner Nick Fontenot developed during their time building Main Squeeze Juice Co.

While much of Crust’s recent growth has come from organic interest and word-of-mouth, the company is now actively ramping up development efforts. However, despite the aggressive expansion plans, the team at Crust is remaining selective in how it awards franchises.

“We don’t want 100 franchisees with one unit each. We want strong partners who will scale with us,” Comeaux said.