Americans have eaten pizzas for decades.
It has been a staple since the late 19th century after being introduced by Italian immigrants in the United States.
In fact, pizza is one of the most popular foods in the U.S., with more than three billion pizzas consumed by Americans every year.
With pizza’s rise in popularity, it is only natural to find thousands of pizza restaurants in the country.
In 2021, the country had over 39,000 independent pizza restaurants and over 35,000 chain restaurants.
Pizza restaurants and chains have become among the most popular places to eat, have pizza delivery, or throw a party.
As a result, the U.S. is among the largest pizza markets in the world, with $46.24 billion sales in 2020 and 45.59 billion sales in 2021.
It is home to many big names and leading pizzerias in the world, from Domino’s to Pizza Hut and Papa John’s.
In this article, we dive into the leaders of the pizza industry in the United States.
The article covers the 10 largest pizza chains in the US based on the number of store locations.
We will also take a closer look at the pizza chain’s sales, overview, offers, and many more.
So, if you are curious to know which pizza chain reigns supreme or want to discover more about the top pizza chains in the country, continue reading this informative guide.
Get ready to explore some of the biggest names in the U.S.
In summary, the top 10 largest pizza chains are:
- Domino’s Pizza
- Pizza Hut
- Little Caesars
- Papa John’s Pizza
- Papa Murphy’s
- Marco’s Pizza
- Godfather’s Pizza
- Hungry Howie’s Pizza
- MOD Pizza
- Chuck E. Cheese
Contents
- 1 1. Domino’s Pizza – 6,686 U.S. Stores
- 2 3. Little Caesars – 4,170 U.S. Stores
- 3 4. Papa John’s Pizza – 3,164 U.S. Stores
- 4 5. Papa Murphy’s – 1,166 U.S. Stores
- 5 6. Marco’s Pizza – 1,154 U.S. Stores
- 6 7. Godfather’s Pizza – 600+ U.S. Stores
- 7 8. Hungry Howie’s Pizza – 535+ U.S. Stores
- 8 9. MOD Pizza – 556 U.S. Store Locations
- 9 10. Chuck E. Cheese – 527 U.S. Stores
- 10 Final Thoughts
1. Domino’s Pizza – 6,686 U.S. Stores
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Overview of Domino’s
It all started in 1960 when two brothers, Tom and James Monaghan, bought a pizza store in Ypsilanti, Michigan called “DomiNick’s”.
Tom changed the store name to “Domino’s Pizza Inc.” in 1965 and opened its first Domino’s Pizza franchise store in 1967.
In 1989, Domino’s introduced Handmade Pan Pizza, its first new product and a fan-favorite crust today.
Breadstick was Domino’s first non-pizza menu item launched in 1992, followed by winged buffaloes in 1994.
Domino’s pioneered several firsts, including the patented insulating bags for oven-hot pizza delivery, the durable corrugated pizza box, and the 3D car-top sign.
Today, you can find a variety of pizza styles from Domino’s Pizza Menu, including ExtravaganZZa, MeatZZa Pizza, and Ultimate Pepperoni Pizza, to name a few.
Domino’s U.S. Stores and Sales
Domino’s is the largest pizza chain in the U.S., with a total of 6,686 Domino’s stores as of January 1, 2023.
It opened its 1,000th in the U.S. in 1983.
In the same year, Domino’s also branched out to its first international store in Winnipeg, Canada.
Fast forward to 1998, the 6,000th store was opened in the U.S., and its 1,500th international store in 1997.
It was considered the fastest-growing pizza company in the U.S. when it opened 954 stores in 1985.
You can find 19,880 stores in the world, according to Domino’s Fourth Quarter And Fiscal 2022 Financial Results.
Today, the income from operations of Domino’s is $767.9 million, with a net income of $452.3 million.
According to Domino’s 2022 Annual Report, the U.S. franchise royalties and fees has a revenue of $556.3 million and U.S. retail sales of $8,751.7 million or over $8.6 billion.
In addition, Domino’s had nearly $2.0 billion in international sales and over $2.0 billion in U.S. retail sales in the third quarter of 2022.
2. Pizza Hut – 6,536 U.S. Stores
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Overview of Pizza Hut
Pizza Hut was founded in 1958 in Wichita, Kansas by two brothers, Dan Carney and Frank Carney.
It is operated by Yum! Brands, an American fast-food corporation known for running other famous fast-food chains like KFC and Taco Bell.
Its famous Pan Pizza was introduced in 1980 and Hand-Tossed Traditional Pizza in 1988.
Among all its crusts, its Original Stuffed Crust® helped boost its sales by $300 million when it was introduced in 1995.
Pizza Hut is also known for many innovations, including being the first national chain to provide online delivery orders via the internet in 1994 and the first company to deliver pizza to the International Space Station in 2001.
In 2003, Pizza Hut also launched WingStreet chicken wings in restaurants.
Its menu today now includes a variety of pizza styles, sides, and desserts.
You can order gluten-free, classic Pepperoni, or Veggie Lover’s pizzas and choose from among its five crust types.
Pizza Hut U.S. Stores and Sales
Pizza Hut became the top pizza chain by sales and store locations in 1971.
In 1986, it opened its 5,000th store in Dallas, Texas.
Today, Pizza Hut has more than 16,000 restaurants in over 120 countries.
According to YUM! Brands Store Count by State as of P13 2022, there are 6,536 Pizza Hut stores in the U.S.
In fact, Texas has the most Pizza Hut locations with 879 stores.
Following Texas is California, with 549 stores, and Florida with 447 stores.
In terms of sales, the Percent of Pizza Hut System Sales is 45% for the United States.
Based on the Fourth Quarter 2022 Financial Summary of YUM! Brands, Inc., Pizza Hut’s Global System Sales record is about $12,853 million.
3. Little Caesars – 4,170 U.S. Stores
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Overview of Little Caesars
Opened in 1959, Little Caesars is a family-owned restaurant founded by husband and wife Mike Ilitch and Marian Bayoff.
The first Little Caesars store was established in Garden City, Michigan in Detroit.
In 1962, the first franchise opened in Warren, Michigan.
It soon expanded to the city of Detroit in 1967, opening its first store there.
In 1979, Little Caesars launched a new popular deal, two pizzas for one.
It was the time their famous catchphrase PIZZA!PIZZA!® was established.
In addition to their offer of two pizzas for the price of one, another new offer of two Pan!Pan! pizzas or Mix or Match® with a round pizza was launched in 1988.
It was named Best Value in America based on Highest Rated Chain – Value for the Money by Sandelman & Associates (2007-2019).
Today, Little Caesars is known for its HOT-N-READY® promotion and Crazy Bread®.
It is the best place to try Detroit Style deep dish pizzas and customizable large round pizzas.
Little Caesars U.S. Stores and Sales
By 1969, Little Caesars had 50 store locations.
It was also in the same year that it opened its first international store in Canada.
It became the fastest-growing pizza chain in the U.S. based on the stores added between 2008 and 2015.
Little Caesars is the third largest pizza chain in the world, available in more than 25 countries.
You can find 4,170 Little Caesars locations across 50 U.S. states.
It has the most stores in California, with 540 stores.
It is followed by Texas with 527 stores, and Michigan with 313 stores.
In 2021, it generated a total of $4.23 billion sales in the U.S.
It was included in the list of Technomic’s Top 500 Chain Restaurant Report ranking the highest-grossing U.S. companies.
4. Papa John’s Pizza – 3,164 U.S. Stores
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Overview of Papa John’s
Papa John’s was founded in 1984 by John Schnatter.
It is headquartered in Jeffersontown, Kentucky and Cumberland, Georgia in the United States.
The first Papa John’s pizza was actually made in an oven installed in a broom closet in Jeffersonville, Indiana.
It was located in the back of the tavern of John’s father.
What makes Papa John’s distinct from the rest is its best-selling dipping sauces for pizzas.
Today, Papa John’s offers seven crust styles and a variety of pizza options to choose from.
It is also popular for its Papa Bowls, pizza ingredients on a bowl, as well as a selection of sides like Papadias and Papa Bites.
Papa John’s U.S. Stores and Sales
In 1994, Papa John’s opened its 500th store.
It continued to grow throughout the years, reaching up to 1,500 stores in 1997.
From its latest annual report in December 2021, Papa John’s had a total of 3,164 U.S. restaurants.
In North America, including 175 locations in Canada, there were 3,339 stores in total.
Papa John’s has 2,311 international stores, totaling 5,650 locations in 45 countries worldwide.
In 2021, Papa John’s sales in the U.S. were $3.59 billion.
Based on Papa John’s 2022 Fourth Quarter and Full Year Financial Results, North America comparable sales increased by 1% from the past year.
For the full-year results, the global system-wide restaurant sales were $4.84 billion.
5. Papa Murphy’s – 1,166 U.S. Stores
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Overview of Papa Murphy’s
Papa Murphy’s was born thanks to the merger of two local pizza companies, Papa Aldo’s Pizza and Murphy’s Pizza.
It is a take-and-bake pizza company founded in 1995 and headquartered in Vancouver, Washington.
In 2019, Papa Murphy’s was sold to MTY Food Group for about $190 million.
It is among the top pizza companies, having been voted the Best Pizza Chain in America by Restaurants and Institutions Magazine in 2003 and one of America’s Favorite Restaurant Chains in 2023 by Newsweek.
Its menu offers a healthier option to frozen pizzas with its Take ‘N’ Bake offers.
This pizza is made from scratch based on your preferred toppings, sauces, and crusts.
All you have to do is take it home and bake it yourself.
Papa Murphy’s U.S. Stores and Sales
Papa Murphy’s has more than 1,200 locations across the United States, Canada, and UAE.
In 2006, the company opened its first store in Canada.
By October 2000, it had 600 stores already, where the 600th store opened in Overland Park, Kansas.
Today, there are 1,166 U.S. locations available in 36 U.S. states and 760 cities.
Washington has the most number of Papa Murphy’s stores with a total of 147.
The second state with the most number of Papa Murphy’s stores is California with 136, followed by Oregon with 102 stores.
In 2020, there were 1,296 domestic Papa Murphy’s Take ‘N’ Bake Pizza stores, including both franchised and company-owned.
In 2021, Papa Murphy’s in the United States had 0.81 billion in sales, or $810 million.
6. Marco’s Pizza – 1,154 U.S. Stores
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Overview of Marco’s Pizza
Marco’s Pizza opened in 1975 in Oregon, Ohio and founded by Pasquale “Pat” Giammarco.
Its headquarters is located in Toledo, Ohio.
As of 2021, the company employs about 20,000 employees.
The company has won several awards and recognitions, including being among Newsweek’s 2023 America’s Best Customer Service List, Franchise Times’ list of the Top 200+ franchises, and No. 51 Spot on Entrepreneur’s Highly Competitive Franchise 500®.
At Marco’s, you can choose from among their popular Specialty Pizzas or Build Your Own Pizza.
Aside from pizzas, they also offer Specialty Pizza Bowls and sides like subs and wings.
Marco’s Pizza U.S. Stores and Sales
Marco’s Pizza has over 1,100 stores located in 33 U.S. states, Puerto Rico, and the Bahamas.
The exact number of U.S. store locations is not outlined on their website.
However, some sources indicate that Marco’s Pizza has about 1,154, while others say there are only 1,002.
It opened its 1,100th store in 2022 and surpassed its $1 billion annual systemwide sales milestone.
In addition, the top 50% of Marco’s Pizza franchised stores had $1,198,201 average sales in 2021.
In the same year, Marco’s Pizza also had a 12.8% gain in year-over-year Average Unit Volume (AUV).
7. Godfather’s Pizza – 600+ U.S. Stores
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Overview of Godfather’s Pizza
Godfather’s Pizza opened its doors in 1973, serving quality pizza pies.
It is headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska.
The company is best known for its Pizza Express programs since 1990, with more than 1,300 Pizza Express locations across the U.S.
In 2018, Godfather’s Pizza TO GO® was also launched.
The menu includes two types: traditional menu and express menu.
You can also Create Your Own Pizza for both types of menu.
There are several sides available, including calzones, desserts, breadsticks, garlic bread, and many more.
Godfather’s Pizza U.S. Stores and Sales
Godfather’s Pizza has over 600 restaurants across more than 43 U.S. states.
In 2019, it had $250 million in sales in the U.S., followed by $270 million in sales in 2021.
Moreover, it had a revenue of $980 million in 2021.
8. Hungry Howie’s Pizza – 535+ U.S. Stores
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Overview of Hungry Howie’s Pizza
Hungry Howie’s Pizza opened in 1973 and started out first as a 1,000-square-foot hamburger shop.
It was founded by Jim Hearn, who eventually turned it into a delivery and carryout pizza place.
He became partners with Steve Jackson, one of his staff members who delivered pizzas for him.
Steve Jackson is now the President/CEO of Hungry Howie’s Pizza.
In 2004, it was awarded Chain of the Year by Today magazine and was always included in the top 10 largest pizza franchises in the U.S.
It also ranked #148 on the 2020 Franchise Times Top 200 List.
Hungry Howie’s Pizza is best known for its Flavored Crust®.
There are eight free flavored crust options: butter, asiago cheese, cajun, butter cheese, sesame, garlic herb, ranch, and onion.
The pizzeria also features its Featured Flavored Crust®, which can be added to original round, deep dish, thin crust, or gluten-free crusts.
Hungry Howie’s Pizza U.S. Stores and Sales
In 1983, Hungry Howie’s Pizza had its first franchise.
In the next three years, there were 65 franchises opened, which soon became 400 pizza franchises by 1999.
Hungry Howie’s Pizza opened its 500th location in 2005.
Today, there are over 535 stores in more than 21 U.S. states.
However, the exact number of locations is still unclear as Hungry Howie’s Pizza also mentioned on another page that they have more than 600 locations.
It ranks #11 in U.S. pizza sales, with an average unit revenue of +15.6% in 2020.
In 2009, Hungry Howie’s Pizza had revenue of $280 million and $480 million in sales in 2021.
9. MOD Pizza – 556 U.S. Store Locations
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Overview of MOD Pizza
Scott and Ally Svenson founded MOD Pizza in 2008 in Seattle, Washington.
It is headquartered in Bellevue, Washington, United States.
MOD actually stands for “Made on Demand”.
The pizzas are highly customizable, with more than 40 toppings to choose from.
It also includes the option to select from among eight finishing sauces and eight dressings.
In May 2021, MOD Pizza celebrated its 500th store with “500 Seconds of MODness”.
It was named America’s fastest growing chain restaurant by Technomic and has also become the most loved pizza brand by Foodable Network.
Their pizzas come in three sizes: Mini (6 inches), MOD (11 inches), and Mega (11 inches of thick crust).
MOD Pizza U.S. Stores and Sales
MOD Pizza has 556 U.S. locations across 29 states.
It also has a location in Canada, with MOD Belmont Market being its first Canadian location.
In MOD Pizza’s business highlights for fiscal 2020, they had system-wide sales of $461 million, net revenue of $388 million, and increased digital revenue of up to almost 275%.
10. Chuck E. Cheese – 527 U.S. Stores
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Overview of Chuck E. Cheese
Chuck E. Cheese is a pizza restaurant catered to children’s birthday parties.
It has pizza, arcade games, and animatronics all in one place.
This pizza place is more popular for families with children to have fun and celebrate.
It was founded in 1977 and was formerly known as Chuck E. Cheese’s Pizza Time Theatre, Chuck E. Cheese’s Pizza, and Chuck E. Cheese’s.
The main food items you can eat here are pizza, wings, appetizers, and desserts.
You can choose to Build Your Own pizza or select from among its pizza specialties.
One of their family offers is the Spring Family Fun Pack, available for delivery and carryout.
This package includes two large 1-topping pizzas, two bags of Rainbow Cotton Candy, a goody bag, activity sheet, and 250 E-tickets.
Should you decide to play games at Chuck E. Cheese, you will need to load your Chuck E.’s Play Pass card or Play Band with play time or points.
Chuck E. Cheese U.S. Stores and Sales
It reached 300 locations by the year 2000.
In 2019, Chuck E. Cheese had 527 U.S. locations in 47 states.
However, the coronavirus pandemic in 2020 left Chuck E. Cheese with no choice but to close down locations for dine-in in March.
It also has 85 international locations, located across Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Guam, Guatemala, Honduras, India, Jordan, Mexico, Panama, Peru, Puerto Rico, Saudi Arabia, Trinidad and Tobago, and the United Arab Emirates.
According to its Fiscal 2019 report, Chuck E. Cheese had $912.9 million in revenue.
Check out the summary table below to get a clear overview of the 10 largest pizza chain In the US by total number of stores. The data below were taken from the latest reports released from the annual report. Some of which are estimated numbers, while some were taken from 2020 to 2023 data.
Summary Table of 10 Largest Pizza Chain In The US
| Rank | Pizza Chain | Number of U.S. Locations |
| 1 | Domino’s | 6,686 |
| 2 | Pizza Hut | 6,536 |
| 3 | Little Caesars | 4,170 |
| 4 | Papa John’s | 3,164 |
| 5 | Papa Murphy’s | 1,166 |
| 6 | Marco’s Pizza | 1,153 |
| 7 | Godfather’s Pizza | 600 |
| 8 | Hungry Howie’s Pizza | 535+ |
| 9 | MOD Pizza | 556 |
| 10 | Chuck E. Cheese | 527 |
Final Thoughts
In summary, the largest pizza chain in the U.S. is Domino’s, with a total of 6,686 stores.
Ranking second is Pizza Hut with 6,536 stores, and the third is Little Caesars with 4,170.
Placing last in the 10th place is Chuck E. Cheese, with only 527 U.S. stores.
When it comes to sales, it is not surprising that Domino’s also ranks first as the largest pizza chain by sales.
Domino’s had a revenue of $556.3 million and U.S. retail sales of $8,751.7 million in 2022.
Following Domino’s with the largest sales is Pizza Hut and Little Caesars again.
If you noticed, Domino’s, Pizza Hut, and Little Caesars are always head to head in rankings.
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