How &pizza Scales Without Selling Its Soul

When Mike Burns, CEO of &pizza, took over two years ago, he inherited a brand with 47 units, a loud identity, and a problem: they'd been growing in all the wrong places. His solution? Strip out the in-house tech, turn away deep-pocketed franchisees, and focus on markets where pizza lovers don't have a signature style. Here's what restaurant operators can learn from their turnaround.

The Wrong Way to Grow

&pizza started as a lifestyle brand in DC—ordained minister founder, amperand tattoos, marrying couples on Pi Day. Then they made the classic mistake: expanding into the Northeast. "Everything's expensive in New York City except for pizza," Burns explained. "If I go to New York, I want that giant slice with grease dripping down my forearm as I walk down the street." &pizza's skateboard-shaped pie with six clean ingredients? It doesn't work there.

The data backed this up: they were fighting established pizza preferences in markets where local shops already dominated. Burns pivoted hard, now targeting Southeast and Southwest markets where research shows people love pizza but don't buy from one signature place—Charlotte, Raleigh, Atlanta, Orlando, Charleston. It's about finding markets that crave pizza but don't have their style.

When Real Estate Goes Wrong, Everything Spirals

"If you pick the wrong real estate, you're in a death spiral," Burns warned. "You're in that building for 20 years. You start cutting food and labor costs to chase the bottom line, which affects the top line, and you just continue to spiral." He's seen it firsthand—&pizza overexpanded in DC, landing in locations that didn't match their urban, college-focused identity.

Third strip mall in Cherry Hill, New Jersey? "Nothing says edgy like mom and her two kids at lunch," Burns joked. The fix required brutal honesty: close wrong locations, return to data-driven site selection near college campuses and urban areas, and commit to a disciplined 3,200 square foot footprint with 8-12 seats. Get real estate wrong, and no amount of marketing or menu engineering can save you. Get it right, and everything else becomes easier.

Ripping Out the In-House Tech

&pizza had built their own proprietary tech system that required 11-15 people to support. Every time Apple or Google pushed an update, the company faced massive API development costs just to keep things running. Burns' move: "We went to the guys that did it the best. We went with Toast and Olo. We want to make pizza, not build technology."

The Customer Data That Changed Everything

Their research revealed something unexpected: they're 50/50 male/female, strong under 30, dead zone 30-40, then heavily skewed female over 40. "It's really moms with kids and families above the age of 40. We don't really cater to them, but they like us. So now we're reforming our menu and bundles to go after that customer base."

Back to Black and White

After creating 45 different prototypes ("the founder would wake up and say 'let's get green tile'"), &pizza is returning to their roots: black and white, linear, neon, with a splash of local color. Opening in Chapel Hill? Add Carolina blue. Clemson? Tiger paw and orange.

The 250-Unit Vision

Burns has a clear target: 250 units by 2030, primarily through franchising. But selectivity is non-negotiable. "We've turned away so many people that are qualified to be in our brand. Deep pockets wanting to invest and grow 6, 12, 25 restaurants in certain markets. But it's got to be the right fit." If a franchisee walks into discovery day (which happens in their loud DC restaurant, not an office) and says "this music's too loud," they're out.

The first corporate location outside the Eastern time zone opens Q1 in Vegas, partnering with a casino—a test for how the brand translates to new markets. But the real strategy is finding the right franchisee for each market, especially the first one. "The first franchisee has to be the right choice, especially if you're going into a new market," Burns emphasized. They're vetting heavily because they can't afford to miss. One bad franchisee in Atlanta could poison the entire Southeast expansion.

The Bottom Line

&pizza's turnaround proves that sometimes growth means saying no—to wrong markets, wrong partners, wrong real estate, and wrong technology. Fresh ingredients (no freezers, shred cheese in-house), loud music, and a founder who officiates weddings aren't optional elements. They're the brand.

Watch the full talk below 👇