Franchise Focus

Mr Gatti's franchise dream comes true for long-time fans

Jeff and Kristie Gleinig, new Mr Gatti's franchisees, are learning what the brand is all about.

Mr Gatti's Clear Lake Photo: Jeff and Christie Gleinig

February 7, 2025 by Mandy Wolf Detwiler — Editor, Networld Media Group

When selecting a pizza franchise in which to invest, there are plenty to choose from. Jeff and Kristie Gleinig opted for a Mr Gatti's franchise after forming a life-long love of the brand.

Other than working in restaurants in their youth, the Gleinigs didn't have ownership experience in the industry. Jeff, a small business owner, and Kristie, a chemical engineer, worked in different careers and raised four boys before opening their Mr Gatti's franchise.

Christie and Jeff Gleinig. Photo: The Gleinigs

Jeff always wanted to be a franchise owner, Kristie said in a phone interview, and did a bit of research before settling on Mr Gatti's fairly quickly. A Mr Gatti's restaurant had actually been the couple's first date in 1989.

"I personally have always been a fan of Mr Gatti's because of the pizza quality," Jeff said in a phone interview. "The dough's made fresh every day. That was always my go-to place for pizza."

Buying into the brand

The Gleinigs purchased a current Mr Gatti's that had been in existence for more than 30 years in the Houston area in Clear Lake, Texas, last June. The owner had plans to retire and was selling.

"It was not too far from where we live, so we thought it would be a great opportunity to purchase that and kind of get experience with the Mr. Gatti's before building and opening our second store," Kristie said.

Jeff said the location is in the middle of a refresh as it is a bit dated, "but they have a clientele that that's just their go-to place."

The update includes fresh furniture, paint, new signage and all-new arcade games.

"We're resurrecting the delivery and carryout area," Jeff added, including a pick-up window that has been closed for years.

With dough made fresh every day, Jeff said the brand goes above and beyond with its menu.

"Everything they use is fresh," Jeff said, "and you just don't see that nowadays with the national chains."

Kristie said the food quality makes a difference because diners can get pizza anywhere but they want it to taste good. She said the fresh salad bar is stocked well with a variety of good ingredients and is an important part of the Mr Gatti's brand.

The Gleinigs also liked the good, clean environment Mr Gatti's provides families. They're seeing new faces at the Clear Lake Mr Gattis as new families discover the brand.

They're doing some social media marketing and Google ads to market the redesigned fun center as well, as the previous owner had not done any marketing himself.

"The refresh and the marketing we're doing are really starting to move the needle," Jeff said.

Kristie said when the couple had their first meeting at Mr Gatti's corporate office in Fort Worth, known as a "Discovery Day," they met the owners of the brand and several corporate employees.

"Just meeting everyone and talking with them — I think that's what really sold us," she said.

The couple also went to a Mr Gatti's conference in Fort Worth, where they met other franchisees, and they're trying to utilize their input on how those franchisees are finding success.

"It was a good opportunity for us all to get together," Jeff said. "They got to share their experiences and what's been successful."

Rather than try to differentiate their own Mr Gatti's from others in the system, the Gleinigs are trying to bring the Clear Lake restaurant into line with other successful units.

A grand re-opening was held in January.

Operations

Jeff said the employees are the franchise's biggest asset.

"At Clear Lake, we have a very solid group of employees that has been there for years," Jeff said, including one employee who has been at the restaurant for 20 years. "Our employees there are top notch and they take a lot of pride in their work. That's one thing that sold Christie and I are the restaurant. Although it was dated and old, it was super, super clean. The salad bar was just amazing, and they continue to do that. … The cleanliness and the quality of food — they just continue to maintain the quality there. When you've been around for 33 years, it's doing something right."

The new redemption counter at the Clear Lake, Texas, Mr Gatti's location. Photo: The Gleinigs

Second opening

Now the Gleinigs have plans for a second location in Portland, Texas, the town where the couple grew up. There had been a Mr Gatti's in Portland when they were young, but it had been closed since the mid-1990s.

"There's just a huge need for a Gatti's-type family entertainment center," Jeff said. "Growing up, our four sons and we would always drive to Corpus Christi. It was like a 30-minute drive for the kids to attend birthday parties."

Kristie said what the family was really interested in was the opportunities provided by the game room and party rooms, as well as the pizza buffet the brand is known for.

"Our hometown doesn't really have anything like that," she said, "and it's big-time families here … our town would really love to have something like that. So, we're opening here in Portland. We've kind of just gotten started."

The plan is to open within a year to 18 months.

"We're excited to bring that back to our hometown with the quality pizza, but then also the family games together for an experience," Kristie said. "The playing of the games, the hosting of the birthday parties with your kids — that' s what we're really excited to bring here."

About Mandy Wolf Detwiler

Mandy Wolf Detwiler is the managing editor at Networld Media Group and the site editor for PizzaMarketplace.com and QSRweb.com. She has more than 20 years’ experience covering food, people and places.

An award-winning print journalist, Mandy brings more than 20 years’ experience to Networld Media Group. She has spent nearly two decades covering the pizza industry, from independent pizzerias to multi-unit chains and every size business in between. Mandy has been featured on the Food Network and has won numerous awards for her coverage of the restaurant industry. She has an insatiable appetite for learning, and can tell you where to find the best slices in the country after spending 15 years traveling and eating pizza for a living.

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