Toppers

Order Online

Toppers Pizza Rewards Kenosha with Reprieve from the Big Chain

News » Toppers Pizza Rewards Kenosha with Reprieve from the Big Chain

On Heels of New Opening, Emerging Brand to Maintain Tasty Relationship with ‘Fanatics’; Sustain Bond
WHITEWATER, WI – The big pizza chains serve their purpose: Mediocre food, mediocre promises, mediocre connections. However, Toppers Pizza, a 26-unit eclectic pizza delivery franchise brand, doesn’t follow those characteristics. In fact, the new Toppers, located at 6500 75th Street, Kenosha, WI 53142, will celebrate the reprieve with a grand opening celebration unmatched by the big guns.
At 10:00 a.m. on March 20, Toppers Pizza will unleash its newest location to hundreds of “fanatics” by giving the first 50 guests in line free food for a year, and rewarding fans thereafter with prizes and giveaway rewards.
“When we open a location, it truly is a celebration. No fake grand openings with boring ribbon cuttings. We go for the grand slam with the way we open, the way we connect with our customers, and the tastes we offer on our menu,” said Scott Gittrich, CEO of the emerging chain, and former Dominos Pizza delivery driver. “Trust me, I quickly learned what not to do with our customer bonds. This is their party, not ours.”
Along with its ability to tap into the most influential demographic, 18-34 year olds, Toppers has made a name for itself as the innovators of unique menu items. Toppers was the first delivery brand to capture the cheesy bread marketplace with its famous Topperstix. Toppers has never shied away from innovation with its Mac ‘N Cheese; Potato Topper; Cool C-B-R (Chicken-Bacon-Ranch); The Hangover Helper; Buffalo Wings, Quesadillas, Grinders, and dozens of other menu items. Different from the competition, 70 percent of Toppers’ sales come from items not traditionally found on competitor’s menus.
Leading Toppers entrance into the Kenosha market is entrepreneur and pizza lover Justin Marten, who was first attracted to the brand as a customer.
“I connected with the brand, the food and the people. I know when I opened my doors, Kenosha fanatics would have the same experience,” said Marten, owner of the new Toppers Pizza in Kenosha, and owner of Toppers Pizza in Racine.
Marten impressed Gittrich and company, quickly portraying passion for the brand the culture, and, of course, supporting the boycott of the big chain.
“Justin Marten fits the profile of a typical Toppers franchisee in that he has the drive to go over and beyond the lackadaisical efforts of the other guys,” Gittrich said.
The new Toppers is just one part of the ongoing growth strategy implemented by the marketing brains of the brand, Scott Iversen, who serves as Toppers’ Director of Marketing and Franchise Development.
“As we grow, like a balloon, out of Wisconsin and into surrounding states and then nationwide, we want to maintain a stronghold on top-tier franchisees. By doing so, we can maintain our core culture, our brand evolution, and our methodical growth pattern,” he said, noting that the new Kenosha Toppers features the brand’s newest blueprint, an updated, vibrant, “chill”-friendly atmosphere.
In 2008, the face of the pizza industry frowned, as sales were sluggish and growth was stunted. Toppers Pizza, though, dodged a slowdown with increased average unit volumes and system-wide sales, five new units, and the sale of five more locations, all under construction. When the big chains are down, Toppers has remained up, taking names and gripping its share of the $40 billion-plus pizza industry. Why?
“The reason for our success is simple: We are not one of the ‘Wal-Marts’ of the industry. The big chains have lost identity and brand connection,” Gittrich said. “Our customers are fanatical about our brand. Our quirkiness and edginess has given our brand character, thus we have been able to continue our growth and bonding with an untapped national demographic – the 18-34-year olds.”
ABOUT TOPPERS
As a 26-unit eclectic pizza delivery franchise brand, Toppers Pizza, headquartered in Whitewater, WI, takes a unique approach to the crowded pizza segment by appealing to 18-34 year olds in an irreverent way that totally separates them from the competition. Toppers’ menu includes 17 house pizzas; the franchise’s signature product line Topperstix; Oven-Toasted Grinders; Buffalo Wings; Quesadillas; and cold drinks. The brand has strongly established itself in Wisconsin, and is now in the midst of Midwest and then national growth. By focusing on Toppers’ demographic friendly markets, Toppers is able to continue its building of a fanatical relationship with its customer base. For more information on Toppers, visit www.toppers.com.
###