Highest-Grossing Pizza Chains in the U.S.

Is there anything better than pizza? 

I was such a fan of the Pizza Hut Book It! program as a kid that I demanded most birthdays take place at our local Hut. Even into my 30s, I continue to host themed pizza parties for myself. And I'm not alone: Americans consume about 100 acres of pizza every day, while each person in America eats about 46 slices, according to Pizza.com, a site that exists to share fun facts about this popular food.

With about 61,269 pizzerias from coast to coast, there’s no shortage of pizza options. We took some time to investigate the top 25 pizza chains and explore what makes them popular.

25. Mountain Mike’s Pizza

U.S. sales: $157,625,000

Year founded: 1978

Headquartered: Newport Beach, California

Number of locations: 195

What started as a single restaurant in Palo Alto, California, has grown into a pizza franchise with nearly 200 locations across the west. Mountain Mike’s Pizza can be found in California, Oregon, Nevada and Utah. Mike's is known for crispy, curly pepperoni. Celebrities have been known to indulge in Mike's including Quinn Cook of the Los Angeles Lakers.

* Sales numbers are from a Pizza Today 2018 report.

24. Villa Fresh Italian Kitchen

U.S. sales: $170,044,066

Year founded: 1964

Headquartered: Morristown, New Jersey

Number of locations: 235

Michele “Michael” Scotto left his home in Naples, Italy, for New York City with his authentic old-world recipes and a vision for a family restaurant that eventually turned into Villa Fresh Italian Kitchen. In 2014, Michele and Villa celebrated 50 years in business. His two sons, Biagio “Ben” and Anthony Scotto, still run the restaurant empire today.

The pizzeria is known for its commitment to hospitality, homemade dough and fresh sauce. With nearly 250 locations, Michele made his mark with Villa Pizza. 

Fun fact: The first location opened in 1964 next to the CBS/Ed Sullivan Theater on Broadway.

23. Donatos Pizza

U.S. sales: $191,000,000

Year founded: 1963

Headquartered: Columbus, Ohio

Number of locations: 161

Jim Grote was just 13 when he learned to make pizza at Donatos Pizza. Fast forward to 1963 when Grote was a sophomore at Ohio State University and still a pizza lover. He bought Donatos then for $1,300 and grew the business to include more than 150 stores in nine states.

As Grote grew the business, he also expanded his family, who lived right behind the pizza shop. "When folks arrived to pick up their pizza, I had them stop by to say hi to Nancy and the kids," he said. "It was great, a home filled with friends and neighbors."

The company is still family-owned and Grote's daughter Jane serves as a chairwoman of the board. Donatos is known for its "Edge to Edge" promise that ensures every inch of a slice is filled with toppings.

22. Mellow Mushroom

U.S. sales: $210,645,000

Year founded: 1974

Headquartered: Atlanta, Georgia

Number of locations: 194

You'll never forget your first slice of Mellow Mushroom pizza, thanks to the brand's bright yellow interiors and spring water crust. The company started in 1974 in Atlanta, Georgia, with stone-baked pizzas sold in art-filled locations.

Nearly 200 stores later, Mellow Mushroom remains committed to crafting unusual pizzas in creative spaces. Each location incorporates its own design but remains committed to using fresh ingredients.

21. Rosati’s Pizza

U.S. sales: $211,500,000

Year founded: 1964

Headquartered: Elgin, Illinois

Number of locations: 143

Ferdinand Rosati brought his pizza-making skills from Naples, Italy, to Chicago in 1906, when he opened a restaurant on Taylor Street. For decades he and his sons opened Italian restaurants in the city, but it was in 1964 that they decided to focus on pizza with their first spot in the Illinois suburb of Mount Prospect.

Since then, the three brothers have grown the business to include more than 125 restaurants across the country. Rosati’s was included in Entrepreneur Magazine’s Top 500 Franchises list and is included in the Pizza Hall of Fame.

20. Papa Gino’s Pizzeria

U.S. sales: $215,000,000

Year founded: 1961

Headquartered: Dedham, Massachusetts

Number of locations: 281

Mike and Helen Valerio opened their first Papa Gino’s Pizzeria to share their favorite Italian recipes with their community in Boston. Many decades and nearly 300 stores later and the pizza recipe has never changed.

"So the pizza you grew up with is the same pizza you feed your family," the company said.

19. Pizza Ranch

U.S. sales: $231,386,000

Year founded: 1981

Headquartered: Hull, Iowa

Number of locations: 207

Adrie Groeneweg was 19 when he dreamed of opening his own pizza place. He was splitting his time between welding and working at a pizzeria in a nearby town. After he told his dad he noticed tons of locals driving out of town to get pizza, the family thought it should open its own restaurant.

Groeneweg worked on the recipes with his mom while his dad helped secure a location. Before they knew it, Pizza Ranch was born. The chain now has more than 200 locations across 14 states.

18. Uno Chicago Grill

U.S. sales: $245,000,000

Year founded: 1943

Headquartered: West Roxbury, Massachusetts

Number of locations: 113

Thanks to Ike Sewell, the world knows the joy of deep dish pizza. He opened his Chicago restaurant on the corner of Ohio & Wabash in 1943. The buttery, pie-like pizza became famous despite needing nearly an hour in the oven.

Since then, Uno has expanded to 113 locations, but each restaurant still makes the deep dish dough fresh every morning. They've also added some thin crust options and partner with brewers to offer a wide selection of craft beers.

17. Godfather’s Pizza

U.S. sales: $250,000,000

Year founded: 1973

Headquartered: Omaha, Nebraska

Number of locations: 465

Godfather’s Pizza has had a wild ride. The restaurant opened in Omaha in 1973 and at its peak grew to 911 pizzerias. Pillsbury owned the company that, at one point, was the fastest-growing food chain in the United States in terms of sales growth, according to The New York Times. And Herman Cain served as Godfather's president at one point, too.

The pizzerias are still beloved in the U.S. and have 465 locations. Godfather’s is best known for thick-crust pizza.

16. Old Chicago Pizza and Taproom

U.S. sales: $265,409,945

Year founded: 1976

Headquartered: Bloomfield, Colorado

Number of locations: 106

While Old Chicago Pizza and Taproom has excellent pizza, it's equally focused on its beer selection. Since 1976 the company has proudly boasted its dedication to the beverage. 

The restaurant is named after the classic pinball game called Old Chicago. A few Colorado friends opened a place where they could serve Chicago-style pizza and discover new craft brews.

15. MOD Pizza

U.S. sales: $275,000,000

Year founded: 2008

Headquartered: Bellevue, Washington

Number of locations: 367

MOD follows the Chipotle model. It makes individual artisan-style pies with more than 30 ingredients available. The fast-casual pizzeria also has great salads. Scott and Ally Svenson opened MOD in their hometown of Seattle in 2008, and the company has expanded to 367 stores.

The concept is a dream come true for larger families where every member wants a different kind of pizza. The company prides itself in paying employees "as much as possible" and giving folks second chances. They also made their pizza boxes, napkins, salad containers, cups, straws and utensils 100 percent biodegradable.

14. Blaze Pizza

U.S. sales: $314,700,000

Year founded: 2011

Headquartered: Pasadena, California

Number of locations: 278

Entrepreneurs and spouses Elise and Rick Wetzel co-founded Blaze Pizza in 2011 with the hope of being the Chipotle of pizza, according to Inc. magazine. The company is known for being eco-friendly.

All of the company's packing is recyclable, compostable and/or made from post-consumer reclaimed materials.

13. Jet’s Pizza

U.S. sales: $372,294,000

Year founded: 1978

Headquartered: Sterling Heights, Michigan

Number of locations: 387

Founder Eugene Jetts was on his way to buy his first home when he changed plans and signed a lease for a restaurant. Then he launched Jet's Pizza in the space with his brother. Since then, the brothers have expanded to more than 20 states with their deep-dish pizza.

12. Round Table Pizza

U.S. sales: $398,000,000

Year founded: 1959

Headquartered: Concord, California

Number of locations: 450

Round Table Pizza was started in Menlo Park, California in 1959 by Bill Larson. He wanted to create a restaurant where people could "share a little pizza with someone you love." Now, more than 400 Round Table locations serve that purpose across the country.

11. Hungry Howie’s Pizza

U.S. sales: $410,336,588

Year founded: 1973

Headquartered: Madison Heights, Michigan

Number of locations: 551

Hungry Howie’s is home to the original flavored crust when it comes to U.S.-based pizza chains. My favorite is garlic herb. Founder Jim Hearn turned a hamburger spot outside of Detroit into the first Hungry Howie’s in 1973. You can try its pizza in more than 500 stores in 22 states.

10. CiCi’s Pizza

U.S. sales: $445,000,000

Year founded: 1985

Headquartered: Irving, Texas

Number of locations: 465

CiCi’s, founded in 1985 in Plano, Texas, is in a league of its own. Not only do they have pizza, salads and desserts, but the restaurant is home to the original unlimited pizza buffet. After all, what's better than unlimited pizza?

9. Chuck E. Cheese’s

U.S. sales: $504,000,000

Year founded: 1977

Headquartered: Irving, Texas

Number of locations: 756

Chuck E. Cheese’s has everything a kid could want in one place: pizza, endless arcade games and animated entertainment. The company is currently modernizing some locations and replacing the animal characters with a dance floor, but the pizza is still a hit.

8. Marco’s Pizza

U.S. sales: $596,358,506

Year founded: 1978

Headquartered: Toledo, Ohio

Number of locations: 901

Founded in 1978 just outside of Toledo, Ohio, Marco's Pizza is unapologetically Italian. "We got here by doing things the Italian way because when your founder is a native Italian, you take pride in serving authentic Italian quality," the company says. Now, you can grab Marco's in more than 900 locations in four countries.

7. Sbarro

U.S. sales: $609,000,000

Year founded: 1956

Headquartered: Columbus, Ohio

Number of locations: 830

Carmela and Gennaro Sbarro opened their first Sbarro in Brooklyn in 1956. Carmela "Mama" Sbarro made slices that the pair sold to shift workers who needed a fast meal. While Sbarro is still popular in New York, the pizza chain has expanded to 28 countries.

6. Papa Murphy’s International

U.S. sales: $827,000,000

Year founded: 1995

Headquartered: Vancouver, Washington

Number of locations: 1,550

The first Papa Murphy’s was founded in 1995 when two other pizza places merged: Papa Aldo's Pizza and Murphy's Pizza. The company specializes in take-and-bake pizza. You place your order, they make your pizza and then you bake at home in your oven. 

Despite the company's massive success, I hadn't heard of Papa Murphy’s until I relocated to Seattle. But that lack of widespread visibility could change for folks living outside the Pacific Northwest, as Papa Murphy’s is still expanding.

5. California Pizza Kitchen

U.S. sales: $840,000,000

Year founded: 1985

Headquartered: Playa Vista, California

Number of locations: 267

Despite having less than 300 locations, California Pizza Kitchen has a loyal following that brings in a ton of money. Its bright yellow restaurants have tons of creative pies on the menu, and the company recently launched a take-and-bake pizza program.

4. Papa John’s International

U.S. sales: $3,695,000,000

Year founded: 1984

Headquartered: Louisville, Kentucky

Number of locations: 5,199

The brand started when John Schnatter turned the broom closet in his dad's tavern into a pizza-making operation. Over the years, the company exploded in popularity and now has locations in 45 countries and territories around the world.

3. Little Caesars Pizza

U.S. sales: $4,000,000,000

Year founded: 1959

Headquartered: Detroit, Michigan

Number of locations: 5,500

Mike and Marian Ilitch spent their live savings opening the first Little Caesars Pizza in a suburb outside of Detroit in 1959. Their first shop is still in business today, and they've added more than 5,000 new ones. The chain is famous for having hot pizza ready for customers to pick up. It has no plans to add delivery services.

2. Pizza Hut

U.S. sales: $12,034,000,000

Year founded: 1958

Headquartered: Plano, Texas

Number of locations: 16,748

Pizza Hut, which has the most locations of any U.S. pizza company, was founded when two brothers borrowed $600 from their mom and opened a pizza place. They named the Wichita, Kansas location Pizza Hut because the restaurant's first sign could only fit eight letters. Now the company has more than 16,000 locations and 350,000 employees in more than 100 countries. It was the highest-grossing pizza company in 2017, but lost the top spot on this list to...

1. Domino's

U.S. sales: $12,252,100,000

Year founded: 1960

Headquartered: Ann Arbor, Michigan

Number of locations: 14,856

Domino's started in 1960 when two brothers opened their first restaurant in Michigan. Nowadays, the company has more than 14,000 locations in 85 countries. It delivers more than 1.5 million pizzas every day. 

The company has continued to grow by adding various dishes to its menu, including oven-baked sandwiches, multiple kinds of pasta and desserts. It also introduced a new pizza recipe in 2010.