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This Pizza Restaurant Has a Delicious Recipe for Franchise Success Family-style restaurant chain Mountain Mike's Pizza cooks up strong results on the 2025 Franchise 500.
When it comes to climbing the proverbial mountain of franchise success—especially in a very competitive industry—Mountain Mike' Pizza has made the ascent and has no plans to turn around.
In more than four decades of operation, the company has been on a mission to continually enhance and refine its franchising concept while delivering high-quality pizza in a family-oriented environment. So far, it seems this recipe is paying off. Mountain Mike's Pizza celebrates its 3rd year in the Top 100 and comes in at #89 on the 2025 Franchise 500 list, up slightly from #92 last year.
"From coast-to-coast, Mountain Mike's Pizza is redefining what it means to deliver great pizza and family experiences," says Jim Metevier, CEO at Mountain Mike's Pizza. "Our thoughtful and strategic combination of franchise growth, franchisee support, innovative limited-time offers, and impressive sports partnerships reinforces our reputation as a national pizza mover and shaker."
When BIZ Experiences evaluates franchises for the Franchise 500, we look at more than 150 data points — including very visible ones like size and growth, but we also take a holistic view of the business, the industry it operates in, and the opportunities available to prospective franchisees. That includes things like franchisee support and training, brand strength and marketing, and more.
With more than 300 franchise units (up 22% over the last three years), Mountain Mike's Pizza ranks in the top 25% of all franchise companies on the list for size and growth. It also ranks in the top 20% for support and the top 15% for brand strength. In other words, Mountain Mike's Pizza has strong results across many key areas.
Innovative initiatives powering this pizza restaurant to continued success
Mountain Mike's Pizza has come a long way since it first opened its doors in 1978. Metevier says 2024 was a banner year for innovative limited-time offers (LTOs) and strategic partnerships that help drive the franchise forward.
Mountain Mike's Pizza executed of "a record number of successful LTOs that resonated with guests and built incremental sales in 2024," Metevier says. Among them was the Pi Day promotion in March, which offered a free mini pizza with the purchase of a 20 oz. beverage via the Mountain Rewards app. This promotion resulted in a 25% increase in same-store sales and a nearly 10% improvement over the previous year's results, he says.
The franchise also transitioned to a new loyalty platform midyear, bolstering acquisition and expanding loyalty from previously app-only transactions to online transactions.
Mountain Mike's Pizza has also been busy strengthening its community ties and expanding its brand visibility through strategic sports partnerships. The 2024-2025 season marked Mountain Mike's seventh consecutive year as the "Official Pizza of the San Francisco 49ers" football team. Mountain Mike's Pizza completed its third year as a pizza partner of the Los Angeles Angels baseball team. And Mountain Mike's Pizza tipped off the 2024-2025 NBA season as a pizza partner of the Sacramento Kings basketball team for the third consecutive year, engaging passionate fans across a variety of professional sports teams, supporting kids and communities, and driving pizza sales for game days and beyond.
"These initiatives have been paramount to the brand's ongoing growth and momentum, making each year a standout as Mountain Mike's Pizza expands its reach and strengthens its presence across the country," Metevier says.
Click here to learn more about Mountain Mike's Pizza and its exciting franchise opportunities.
