Every chain restaurant segment category has its Goliaths and its Davids, and pizza is no exception.

The Goliaths? You know them well. Domino’s, Pizza Hut, Little Caesars and Papa Johns — heavy hitters that are household names not just around the country but around the globe. In 2023 those four brands generated $22.7 billion of $49.4 billion in total U.S. pizza restaurant sales, according to market research firm Statista.

In their shadow, however, exists a vibrant group of Davids — relatively small, local, regional and budding national brands gaining and growing footholds in this intensely competitive segment. Applying nimbleness, operational efficiency and menu innovation, they offer consumers alternatives to the big-box Goliaths, and — in their own ways and on their own strategic pathways — they are out to slay it. Here’s a taste of five diverse chains in growth mode and the operational systems helping to fuel their momentum.

Specializing in authentic Detroit-style pizza baked in heavy, rectangular pans, Via 313 offers a full bar and neighborhood pizzeria-style dine-in service at all of its brick-and-mortar locations.

Via 313 Pizzeria

• Headquarters (HQ): Austin, Texas
• Founded: 2011
• Units 2024: 23
• Reach: Texas, Utah, Colorado
• Average ticket: $18 per person; $40 - $50 per transaction
• 2023 Average Unit Volume (AUV): NA

Zane and Brandon Hunt, the founders of Via 313. Images courtesy of Via 313 PizzeriaLaunched as a food truck in 2011 by brothers Brandon and Zane Hunt, Detroiters who missed authentic Detroit-style pizza after relocating to Austin, Texas, Via 313 was a hit from day one. One truck soon grew to two, and by 2020, the brothers had added three brick-and-mortar locations in Austin. In September 2020, Via 313 — named for Detroit’s 313 area code — became part of Savory Fund, a private-investment firm that targets distinctive emerging brands. Its portfolio includes The Crack Shack, PINCHO Burgers & Kebabs and Swig, among several others.

Since then, Via 313’s revenues have grown by more than 313%, and its unit count has leapt from 3 stores to 23, 6 of which opened in 2024. Most locations operate in or around Austin, Houston and San Antonio, with additional markets developing in Utah (5 units), where Savory Fund is based, and Colorado (2 units). 

In February 2025, a new round of funding added $3.25 million in capital, primarily from Asilia Investments and Brightwood Capital Advisors. The money will support an additional 20-plus stores within the next three years, according to the chain.

Cass Tenney, director of development for Savory Fund, describes Via 313 as having some of the “best unit economies of any brand that we’ve partnered with.” 

Conceived of as a sort of old-school, neighborhood pizzeria and gathering spot, Via 313 emphasizes the dine-in experience. Detroit-style pizza — baked in heavy, rectangular iron pans, with focaccia-like crust, to-the-edges cheese, and sauce on top — is the big draw and differentiator. But Via 313 also offers a thinner-crust, “bar-style” pizza.  A selection of appetizers, salads and desserts, including baked-to-order Hub Cap cookies with ice cream, round out the menu.

Kiplan Welsch joined Via 313 as vice president of operations in September 2023, and in August 2024 was promoted to president. He continues to focus on menu innovation and operational efficiency. “We do a lot of LTOs [Limited-Time Offers], soliciting creative input from our teams,” Welsch says. “Over the past 15 months we introduced the Hub Caps and new lunchtime pizza-by-the-slice options. We parbake the pies ahead and can then finish slices to order, crisping the crust on the stone in the oven. Detroit-style pizza takes time to bake, so this option lets guests get in and out quicker at lunch.”

Other recent menu additions: roasted Brussels sprouts and The Detroit Duo appetizers. Developed for football season and sized for sharing, the latter features regular and pepperoni cheese breads served with dipping sauces. 

Via 313’s current prototype, incorporating Detroit imagery and design touches, averages 3,500 square feet and includes an 8- to 10-seat bar and approximately 120 seats for on-premises dining. Front-of-the-house areas take up 65% of total space, according to Tenney. While second-generation sites comprise roughly half of all units, most newer locations are in newly developed suburban shopping/lifestyle centers. Depending on location, dine-in comprises 55% to 70% of total sales.

Turning to the kitchen, staff make dough fresh throughout the day and proof it at ambient temperatures. Stone-deck pizza ovens cook all hot items. “Our equipment package is pretty simple,” Welsch says. “No fryers, no convection ovens. Just dough mixers, refrigerated pizza and salad prep tables, slicers, cheese shredders, typical small wares, etc. Every unit has at least two pizza ovens, which allow us to use execute both Detroit-style and thinner, bar-style pizzas.”

He adds that figuring out how to reduce cook times — 14 minutes for the typical Detroit-style pizza; slightly more for those with heavier toppings — represents a top operational challenge. “We’ve done a lot of research in the past year and a half, looking at different types of conveyor ovens to try to get the speed up. We’ve gotten close in terms of being able to replicate the quality and authenticity, but the cost of converting and expanding our hood canopies is very high. And ultimately, we’d only gain a minute or so on cook times. So, we continue to look, and to focus on finding ways to streamline and speed up everything else in the process.”

Toppers Pizza

• HQ: Whitewater, Wis.
• Founded: 1991
• 2024 units: 71
• Reach: Primarily Midwest, recent expansion into North Carolina
• Average ticket: $25 - $30
• 2023 AUV: $1.1 million

Each day, staff at Toppers Pizza make pizza dough fresh in-store using 60-quart mixers, and they use the walk-in cooler to proof it. Dough sheeters were added to the brand’s equipment package a few years ago. When Scott Gittrich founded Toppers Pizza in 1991, he wanted to bring something more interesting to the pizza delivery game. He’d worked at Domino’s before dropping out of college to pursue opening his own restaurant. He’d also watched the rise on the West Coast of California Pizza Kitchen, which brought new and nontraditional pizza toppings into the spotlight. Taking what he’d learned at Domino’s and inspired by CPK’s fresh and creative approach, he created Toppers, a delivery-focused quick-serve restaurant (QSR) brand grounded in ingredient integrity and menu innovation.

By late 2024, Toppers Pizza had 71 units, 16 of them company owned. Most operate from in-line centers, at 1,200 to 1,400 square feet, with a design that emphasizes off-premises service. Mac Malchow, vice president of development, notes that approximately 80% of sales come through Toppers’ digital platform, and depending on location, 35% to 50% of sales are delivered by Toppers’ own drivers.

To help fuel its next growth chapter, Toppers expanded from its mostly upper Midwest footprint to North Carolina, where it has development deals in place in Charlotte, Greenville and Raleigh. More aggressive growth is in the cards too, with the chain expecting to hit 500 units within the next decade. 

“Our strategy is to grow east of the Rocky Mountains, excluding New England,” Malchow says. “That’s mostly based on supply chain. We have a wide range of menu items and many proprietary products. When we open new markets, we need to ensure we can supply them the same items that our other stores are selling.”

In addition to familiar classics, signature pizzas at Toppers include Buffalo Chicken, The Stinger (with cherry peppers and hot honey drizzle), Mac ’N Cheese, and Loaded Tot-zza, with applewood smoked bacon, green onions, tater tots and nacho cheese drizzle. A newer addition, initially debuted as an LTO, is The Pickle, featuring a ranch sauce and mozzarella base topped with bacon, sliced dill pickles and a sprinkle of dill seasoning.

Mac Malchow, vice president of development for Toppers Pizza. Images courtesy of Toppers PizzaIn 2020, Toppers added a Plant-Powered menu section, including vegan pizzas, baked meat-free “chicken” wings, and vegan Topperstix, the brand’s version of breadsticks. Noting growing demand for vegetarian options among its main 18- to 34-year-old demographic, Malchow says the company intends to grow that section of the menu in 2025. Other items that round out the menu include a variety of brownies, frozen custard and several variations of Topperstix. 

Each day, staff make pizza dough fresh in-store using 60-quart mixers, and they use the walk-in cooler to proof it. Dough sheeters were added to the brand’s equipment package a few years ago. “They’ve been critical for enabling us to make consistent pizzas every time using our fresh dough,” Malchow notes.

Another key to consistency: All hot menu items go through the same ovens — double-stack conveyor ovens — at the same temperature. Each individual oven has the capacity to cook up to 90 pizzas per hour. “It’s important for us that we don’t have to make oven adjustments,” Malchow says. “All LTOs and menu additions are engineered with that as the end goal. It’s just way easier, especially for our higher-volume stores, many of which have also added a third oven.”

Malchow adds that a big lesson Toppers learned as a growing franchise is to standardize its key equipment package. “Fifteen years ago, we probably had five or six versions of ovens and oven brands approved for use in the stores,” he says. “We’ve since zeroed in on one model and have converted almost all of our stores to it. If you allow different brands, models and systems, it becomes difficult to scale. You end up spending a lot of energy trying to figure out how things can work across multiple platforms instead of just making sure everyone is on the same platform, and then rolling out products, technologies and operational procedures that are best on that platform.”

Stoner’s Pizza Joint

• HQ: Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
• Founded: 2013
• 2024 Units: 51 
• Reach: Primarily Florida, Georgia and South Carolina with recent expansion into North Carolina, Kentucky, Texas and Colorado
• Average ticket: $28
• 2023 AUV: $807,000

Stoner’s Pizza Joint units, most in second- generation, delivery/takeout-focused locations, are dressed with wallpaper sporting bold brand colors (red and black) and slogans that give playful nods to marijuana lingo. Images courtesy of Stoner’s Pizza JointFinancier and private-equity investor John Stetson became a Stoner’s Pizza Joint franchisee in November 2019, opening his first unit in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. He soon learned that Stoner’s financial health was struggling, but his own business did well — so well that he acquired additional units and quickly became the brand’s largest franchisee. In May 2020, with 10 units open in three states, Stetson bought out all existing shareholders and became Stoner’s CEO. The brand has since grown to 51 units in 7 states. Of those, Stoner’s owns 20, and 32 are franchised.

“I’ve been very nimble and looked for second-generation spaces, with hood systems and grease traps already installed.” Stetson says. “With that infrastructure in place we can open quickly and eliminate a lot of development cost. That’s allowed for quick growth and creates a compelling value proposition for franchisees.”

Compared to other brands, Stetson says, costs to open a Stoner’s are dramatically lower — as low as $138,000. “If the stars align, and we find a spot that’s fully built out, we can do it even cheaper,” he notes. “But it’s a fraction of what is typical for most QSR pizza brands.” 

Being delivery- and takeout-focused — more than 80% of sales are for off-premises consumption — Stoner’s footprint has shrunk to a sweet spot of 1,200 to 1,400 square feet. Most units operate from in-line centers. “Many units are almost like ghost kitchens, but we do include maybe 16 to 20 seats, and those do get used, especially at lunch,” Stetson says. “Overall, however, we’ve traded dining space for more kitchen and storage space.”

He describes Stoner’s design as “fairly bare bones,” but units are dressed up with wallpaper sporting its bold red brand color and slogans that give playful nods to marijuana lingo (inspired by the brand’s name), such as “Legalize Marinara” and “Get Baked.” (The brand, incidentally, was named not for marijuana references, but for the stones surrounding the first unit’s pizza oven.) 

The kitchens also feature a simple design and equipment package. “We run off of three main pieces of equipment — a dough mixer, a smoker for our wings, and conveyor pizza ovens,” Stetson says. “Every product that’s cooked goes through our oven, which in typical locations is a double-stacked unit. We can cook multiple pizzas with a cook time of around five minutes. We have a prep table, a cut table, a walk-in refrigerator and a freezer. It’s an extremely compact equipment package, which also enables us to get into these smaller, more affordable locations.”

While Stoner’s economic proposition was a major draw for Stetson, he was equally attracted by its food quality and ingredient integrity. Staff makes dough fresh daily in-house, pizzas come in classic and more nontraditional specialty varieties such as Hawaiian, taco and Italian steak. Staff smoke the wings in-house and finish them to order in the oven. Calzones, stromboli, a variety of breadstick products, sandwich-style “Bents,” salads and desserts round out the menu. Stetson’s says wings and “munchies” contribute 15% of total sales.

In the first half of 2025, he says Stoner’s is on track to open 15 new units — 11 in Texas, 2 in Georgia, and 1 each in Florida and Colorado. “We want to reach that 50-unit milestone, but I’ve watched other brands become so focused on growth that they lose sight of quality and service,” Stetson notes. “I want to keep growing, but with the right franchisees who will adhere to our brand standards and put out high-quality products with good customer service.”

Donatos Pizza

• HQ: Columbus, Ohio
• Founded: 1963
• 2024 units: nearly 500 (200 traditional, plus nontraditional and Red Robin partner units)
• Reach: Midwest, Central and Eastern U.S., plus nationwide for nontraditional units
• Average ticket: $20 - $25
• 2023 AUV:  $1.239 million

No spring chicken among pizza brands, Donatos celebrated its 60th anniversary in 2023. Over that six-decade run, it has seen its share of ups and downs and taken notable twists and turns. Among them, being acquired by McDonald’s Corp. in 1999 as part of the burger giant’s plan to diversify. And in 2018, Donatos inked a partnership with Red Robin Gourmet Burgers, adding its pizza to Red Robin’s menus and delivery platforms.

Ultimately, McDonald’s retreated on pizza, and Donatos’ founding family repurchased the company in 2004. The Red Robin partnership, however, continues to thrive. Donatos pizza now appears on the menus of roughly 275 Red Robin units across the country.

Donatos’ prototype calls for roughly 2,000 square feet, including a welcoming dine-in area for guests and kitchen operations that tap technology and automation to simplify operations, speed service and reduce costs. The appeal of the Donatos brand for strategic partners and franchisees, alike, lies in its blend of premium positioning and scalability, according to Jeff Baldwin, vice president of development and franchising. It’s a one-two punch, he says, that has Donatos ramping up growth again. With the brand now boasting nearly 200 traditional units, the company signed 8 new multiunit development agreements in 2024. The chain expects to open 20 to 30 units in 2025. “It’ll be a mix of traditional and nontraditional units,” Baldwin says. “But the bulk of our activity is on the traditional side, particularly in Texas, the Carolinas, Georgia and Florida. We’re heavily focused on growth through franchising.”

On the nontraditional side, Donato’s continues to develop in venues such as sports venues, airports and ghost kitchens on a nationwide basis.

As for premium positioning, the brand is known for thin-crust pizza loaded with toppings from edge to edge. “Our toppings are generous — 100 slices of pepperoni on a large pepperoni pie, for instance — and we use high-quality ingredients,” Baldwin says. “Our cheese is 21-day aged provolone, which is much more expensive and distinctive compared to what most in the industry use. We’re focused in a category somewhere between giant discount, delivery-focused chains and the local, independent Italian pizzerias.”

In a typical Donatos, off-premises consumption accounts for 80% of sales. Of that figure, delivery drives roughly half, and 40% comes from carryout, with the remaining balance derived from catering. Its prototype calls for approximately 2,000 square feet, with 1,000 to 1,200 square feet of kitchen/production space. The front of house usually has 26 to 30 dining seats. “We believe in having a welcoming dine-in experience. We’re not just a delivery/carryout brand with a very small storefront in the back of a strip center,” Baldwin notes. “We take larger, more prominent locations that reflect the quality of the product.”

In addition to pizza, also available with thicker, hand-tossed or cauliflower crust, Donatos offers baked subs, wings, salads, appetizers and desserts. Popular newer menu additions include hot honey pepperoni pizza, hot chicken pizza and Calzatos, the brand’s take on calzones. 

As for scalability, Donatos has long focused on efficiency and innovation, tapping technology and automation to maintain quality, simplify operations, speed service and reduce costs. In collaboration with its sister company, Agape Automation, it has introduced or is testing solutions including automated saucers, now in all units, as well as rings that minimize waste and improve consistency in cheese distribution, an automated system for pepperoni distribution, and an AI-powered call system.

“We’re at about 80% in mobile ordering, coming in through a mix of third-party platforms and our own website,” Baldwin notes. “Call-ins are now a very small percent of orders, and we’re leveraging AI technologies for order assistance, which has resulted in significantly greater accuracy.”

Donatos has also worked to simplify operations. Fresh dough preparation was removed from individual stores some 20 years ago, for instance. Dough is prepared and sheeted at a central facility in Ohio and delivered fresh to units ready to top and bake. “Yeast, water and humidity vary from market to market, which can change the flavor profile of the dough,” Baldwin says. “This way, we’re able to control all those factors. And it enables us to scale easily to other types of operations and very small nontraditional sites because it’s so easy to execute.”

In traditional stores, kitchen design features a linear flow that starts with proprietary, double-sided make tables. Freshly topped pizzas then head either directly into a 70-inch conveyor oven or into refrigeration, ready to be baked on demand. “We can hold pretopped pizzas refrigerated for a few hours, and when the rush hits, we’re ready to go. We call those ‘ready for revenue,’” Baldwin says.

Marco’s Pizza

• HQ: Toledo, Ohio
• Founded: 1978
• 2024 Units: 1,200-plus
• Reach: 35 states, with development focused in the Midwest, East Coast and Sun Belt, plus international
• Average ticket: $21
• 2023 AUV: $1.209 million (top 50% of U.S. franchised stores)

Among the fastest-growing chains in the business, Marco’s ranks as the fifth-largest U.S. pizza chain, with more than 1,200 units and sales exceeding $1 billion. Images courtesy of Marco’s PizzaAmong the fastest-growing chains in the business, Marco’s Pizza is becoming something of a Goliath itself. Founded by Pasquale “Pat” Giammarco in 1978, Marco’s now ranks as the fifth-largest U.S. pizza chain, according to Technomic’s Top 500 Chain Restaurant Report, recording 2023 sales of $1.03 billion. That still leaves some distance between it and fourth-largest chain Papa Johns, which recorded 2023 sales of $3.86 billion, but Marco’s continues to expand and is intent on shrinking the gap.

Since 2004, when the brand began franchising, it has grown from 120 units to more than 1,200. Marco’s prioritizes multiunit franchise development as well as growing with existing partners, according to Gerardo Flores, chief development officer. “In 2024, we signed 85 agreements with 65% coming from existing franchisees, further validating the franchise opportunity and belief in the brand.”

Marco’s uses fresh dough that staff make in-store daily, a three-cheese blend and its Italian founder’s original sauce. In addition to signature items such as Pepperoni Magnifico, White Cheezy Pizza, the Pizzoli and PizzaBowls, the menu includes sandwiches, salads, wings and Cheezybread with dipping sauces. Non-pizza items represent roughly 25% of total sales, according to Flores.

Optimized primarily for delivery and carryout — fewer than 100 units offer dine-in — the typical location measures 1,200 square feet, and the brand’s latest prototype, which debuted in summer 2024, aligns with its new “But Wait, There’s Marco’s” marketing platform. The design features a fresh, contemporary aesthetic, dedicated guest waiting areas, QR code integration for customer engagement, and a frictionless pickup experience. “These enhancements ensure Marco’s not only meets the evolving demands of off-premises dining but also create a welcoming environment for those seeking in-store interaction,” Flores says. “This design is a pivotal step in our nationwide growth, blending operational efficiency, innovative technology and guest-focused convenience into every aspect of the store experience.”

Behind the scenes, Marco’s prep areas are “meticulously designed to ensure efficiency and consistency,” Flores says. Kitchens include dedicated zones for fresh dough preparation, pizza assembly and order staging. Each location utilizes gas-powered conveyor ovens, most being double-stacked units that can cook multiple pies at once and have a cook time of approximately six minutes. “This setup is crucial,” he explains, “for maintaining speed and quality during peak times.”

On the technology front, Marco’s over the past year has focused on implementing its own cloud-based platform, the Marco’s Order Management System. A one-stop shop for franchisees and general managers, it can support payment processing and a point-of-sale system with inventory management and sales dashboards. The brand is also exploring voice-to-text and text-to-text ordering; AI and machine learning to generate automated promise times; new equipment such as warming racks, pizza pickup lockers and dough rollers/cutters; pickup windows; and an upgraded digital customer experience.

Key markets targeted for growth include the Midwest, East Coast and Sun Belt. Internationally, initial targets are Mexico, Puerto Rico and the Bahamas. “We’re also exploring options for nontraditional development, including prioritizing ghost kitchens in urban areas,” Flores says.