&pizza Rolls Back Prices, Dials Up Simplicity In Latest Cut Against the Grain

By Charlie Pogacar

Inflation has driven pizzerias and pizza chains to raise prices over the past several years. So why is &pizza now cutting its menu prices? 

Simply put, &pizza wants to be known as a brand that does things differently and always provides value to its customers, Mike Burns, &pizza’s CEO, told PMQ Pizza. The Washington, D.C.-based chain recently announced a sweeping menu simplification and price rollback, positioning itself as a value-driven outlier in a market increasingly dominated by sticker shock.

“Everybody talks about value and everything else, but we’ve nickel-and-dimed people over the years,” Burns told PMQ Pizza on the show floor at the recent National Restaurant Association Show in Chicago. “So if you ordered one of our ‘hits’ and added mushrooms and green peppers—it was $3 more. Now? We’re rolling back prices to pre-COVID levels with unlimited toppings, no additional pricing. It’s all in.”

The move, which was first unveiled to PMQ Pizza last week, slashes pricing across the board and simplifies ordering for customers. It also comes on the heels of the 40-plus-location chain announcing it will franchise for the first time, an announcement that was made back in March prior to the International Pizza Expo. 

Under a new streamlined menu, the brand’s Cheese and White pies, plus a new one-topping, one-drizzle option, are now offered under the brand’s “The Basics” category for just $10. Specialty pies and build-your-own options—dubbed “The Hits”—have been reduced to $12. Other menu items like &pizza’s popular knots, canned sodas, and cookies have also seen price reductions.

“We decided to do something that other chains are simply afraid to do—we called ourselves out for being overpriced, and decided to cut the BS and prices,” added Burns via a press release. Burns emphasized that this is not a limited-time promotion, but a fundamental shift in &pizza’s approach to pricing. “You’ll walk into our shops and see $12. That’s it. We’re really driving that value play,” he said.

The pricing rollback builds on the brand’s recent launch of a $7 lunch combo, which pairs a half cheese pie with a drink and optional topping and drizzle. This initiative has already begun to draw more customers into &pizza’s shops during the busy lunch rush.

But Burns acknowledged that making such a dramatic pricing shift wasn’t just a marketing decision—it required significant operational readiness. “Before we do anything with pricing, we ask: Is this going to break the system?” he said. “Our head of ops made sure we could handle it. We’re not cutting corners—we’re building a better pie, the right way around. And our teams are up for it.”

The move reflects &pizza’s broader philosophy of nonconformity and transparency, values that were on full display at the trade show. Burns and his team brought a crew of ten, proudly sporting the company’s signature gold ampersand logo wherever they could, marking a strong presence at the event.

“We’re very nonconformist, right? That’s kind of the perfect spot for me,” Burns said. “We’ve always been the brand for everybody, so why raise prices when you shouldn’t? We’re choosing not to participate in the price hikes.”

The brand’s bold approach to pricing isn’t just about dollars and cents. It’s also about reinforcing the company’s cultural identity—a blend of edgy marketing, operational transparency and community engagement. Burns noted that recent changes behind the scenes, including streamlining supply chains and strengthening internal communication, have helped the brand stay true to its mission.

“I think the easiest part is culture,” Burns told PMQ. “If you like coming to work, you’ll like guests, and people notice that. We’ve kept the right people on the bus, brought in new ones who challenge us and made sure no one’s a yes-man. That’s how we keep it cool while also scaling up.”

At the trade show in Chicago, Burns’s ampersand tattoo was on full display. He got the ink as part of the brand’s recommitment to edginess, as exhibited by giving out free ampersand tattoos to its fervent fanbase in honor of Ampersand Day, observed annually on September 8. “People see me at shows and ask, ‘You really got [the tattoo]?’ I’m like, ‘You think it was a sticker?’” he said. 

As &pizza continues to grow its footprint, the brand’s leadership is clear-eyed about the challenges ahead—but also confident in its distinct approach. “We push people hard because we know we can get the best out of them,” said Burns. “We’re not going to be as lax as we used to be. We’re scrappy, and we’re here to stay.”