News

Gatti's gets back to business in a big way

March 14, 2017

Nearly 50 years after it last sold franchises, Gatti's is opening the chain up for entrepreneurs, who want a piece of its pie, according to a news release. The fast casual brand said the goal is to expand its presence and grow market share in 27 states. 

Just 42 franchisees now operate Gatti's brand locations in Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia. Those 76 restaurants will see growth in their markets, as well as in Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Nebraska, New Mexico, Nevada, North Carolina, Utah and Wyoming, as the chain launches its expansion plan, according to a company press release.

The pizza mega-brand of the 1970s and '80s is undertaking the expansion by offering two distinct operating concepts under the Gatti'sflagship brand, including:
 

1. Gatti'sPizza:Buffet-style restaurant format
2. Mr. Gatti'sPizza:Tableside service format with expanded menu options including the traditional offerings of the chain as well as new gluten-free crust pies more closely alined with today's demanding restaurant customers. Both concepts will feature game rooms complete with vintage and contemporary accouterment. 

"We are eager to introduce a new generation of fans to our great pizza and family-friendly atmosphere," Gatti's Pizza President Michael Poates said. "With the emergence of the new wave of pizza options sweeping the restaurant industry, the time is right to reintroduce the original Mr. Gatti'sconcept and bring in new franchisees who are excited about the brand and its product."
 
Over the past 1½ years, the chains' leadership has concentrated on creating a full-scale revitalization and growth strategy, including a "refreshed" look for Mr. Gatti'slast year, which harkens back to those woody-styled locations of 40 years ago. 

"While many brands are chasing the trends of the day or trying to hop on the latest fad, Mr. Gatti's Pizza is taking a different approach," Poates said. "We are defining our future by revisiting our past and reconnecting to its latency, at a time and place when the brand had optimal market share and name recognition."
 
Mr. Gatti's prepares food in a copper-tiled, stone-fired rotary deck ovens along with the original Neapolitan-style crust and a Sicilian deep dish crust. New offerings include build-your-own pizza and pasta creations as well as lasagna, meatballs and fresh salads.