Why &pizza’s CEO Believes the Brand is Finally Ready to Franchise

&pizza CEO Mike Burns believes fast-casual pizza is dead. Or at least, it’s changed from what consumers knew it to be.

Pre-COVID, &pizza was 70 percent dine-in, as was most of its peers. The brand had a reputation for loud music, cool employees, and a differentiated in-restaurant experience. It wowed customers with thick crusts designed for on-premises occasions. The dough was fresh with five ingredients and no preservatives.

But in recent years, with consumers switching to digital, &pizza’s dining mix flipped to majority takeout and delivery. The chain responded by adjusting its dough to hold longer and changed the pizza box to ensure it could maintain heat. It added kiosks in dining rooms for another layer of convenience and switched digital platforms from a proprietary system to partnerships with Thanx, Toast, Olo