35 U.S. Pizzerias That Stand Out From the Crowd
Our annual Pizzerias to Watch in 2026 list spotlights 35 standout U.S. pizzerias, from fast-growing independents to innovative pizza operators reshaping the industry.
We received hundreds of amazing responses from pizzerias and painstakingly whittled them down to feature 35 standout pizzerias to watch in 2026. Now, we are sharing excerpts from each pizzeria’s submission so you can read the passion and thoughts that have gone into their business decisions, direct from each pizzeria’s operator.
If you would like to be considered for the 2027 Pizzerias to Watch feature, e-mail Editor in Chief Denise Greer at [email protected].
Mobile Star
Best Slope Pizza | Hotchkiss, Colorado
Concept: Food Truck/Caterer/Pop-up | Est. 2023
“Over the past 12 months, Best Slope Pizza has grown substantially in both scale and capability. The most significant milestone has been the buildout of our new pizza trailer, which has improved efficiency, increased output and allowed us to operate with a higher level of consistency across events.”
“At the same time, we have strengthened our systems, staffing and service flow, which has expanded our ability to confidently execute large-scale events and festivals without compromising quality. From prep and dough management to on-site execution, we have focused on building repeatable processes that support volume while preserving the standards we care about.”
“Looking ahead, our growth plans are focused on refinement rather than speed. We plan to continue expanding select large-scale event and festival partnerships, further develop our mobile operation and grow our frozen pizza offerings in a measured, local-first way. Longer term, the trailer and mobile infrastructure give us flexibility to explore
additional units, seasonal residencies or a future brick-and-mortar space, always with the goal of scaling thoughtfully and sustainably.”
– Brandt Bishop, owner/operator | iwantza.com
2025 Gross Annual Sales: $160,000
Small-Market Gem
Brenda’s Pizzeria | Oakland, Maryland
Concept: Casual | Est. 2001
“Brenda’s Pizzeria represents what modern independent pizza operators can be: creative, operationally disciplined, community-rooted and brand-driven. We’re a place where great pizza and genuine hospitality come together. We take pride in doing things the right way – from making a quality product to building a strong team and staying connected to our community. In a competitive and evolving industry, we continue to adapt while maintaining a clear identity. Our growth is intentional, our team culture is strong, and our connection to our community is authentic.”
– Jeany Blamble, corporate officer | brendaspizzeria.com
2025 Gross Annual Sales: $2.9 million
Pricing Whiz
Crispelli’s Pizzeria and Bakery | Berkley, Michigan
Concept: Casual | Est. 2012
“Crispelli’s is driven by a deep passion for pizza. Three of our four owners bring more than 90 years of combined experience in the pizza industry, and that expertise fuels our relentless commitment to quality. … What makes Crispelli’s truly unique is our dual focus: We proudly serve both authentic Italian hand‑tossed pizza and Detroit‑style pizza, each prepared with the care and tradition they deserve. Beyond pizza, our chef‑driven menu is intentionally diverse, offering guests a wide range of thoughtfully crafted dishes that have supported consistent sales growth across our locations.”
“We also operate our own bakery, delivering fresh bread daily to every Crispelli’s restaurant –another way we ensure quality from start to finish.”
– Paul Morgan, corporate officer | crispellis.com
2025 Gross Annual Sales: $27.7 million
New Pizzeria on the Block
DropTop Pizza | Saline, Michigan
Concept: Casual | Est. 2024
“Our brand has character, and our product is some of the best. We don’t just hang our hat on pizza either. At our core, we are DropTop Detroit-style pizza. We know that success comes with volume, though. We are not chasing discounts or coupons. We are growing organically, and people are impressed, as shown by our online ratings. To keep people coming back for more, we strategically decided to add a series of regional-inspired smash burgers on house-made potato buns. We understood that to get people to come twice in a week, we need a second option. We decided to show off our baking skills with super-soft, golden potato buns with classic toppings on a custom blend of beef. We have already won the Peoples Choice Award at the Detroit Burger Battle 2025!
“DropTop has quickly become a household name in a short amount of time with little press. Our product and service makes for an experience worth sharing.”
– Jason Branham, owner/operator | droptoppizza.com
2025 Gross Annual Sales: $1.7 million
Stellar Storefront
Monte’s Fine Foods | Portland, Maine
Concept: Carryout & Delivery Only (DELCO) | Est. 2019
“Monte’s Fine Foods offers a high average wage, health and dental insurance, bonus opportunities and paid time off. We offer world-class pizza, a great work environment, are deeply involved in the community and we’re good peeps!”
– Steve Quattrucci, owner/operator | montesportland.com
2025 Gross Annual Sales: $4.1 million
Technology Titan
MOTO Pizza | Edmonds, Washington
Concept: Fast-casual Build-to-Order (BTO) | Est. 2021
“We are building a pizzeria that people talk about after the first bite and come back for because the experience matches the product every single time. Our pizza is bold, premium and unmistakably MOTO, and we’ve built the operational systems to deliver that standard at scale without cutting corners.”
“We have momentum because we are disciplined about how we grow. We obsess over craft and consistency, we treat hospitality like a core product feature, and we invest in our people so the culture travels with every new opening. We are not trying to be the biggest overnight. We are building a brand that lasts, one that earns loyalty through quality, intention and execution.”
– Lee Kindell, Founder | motopizza.com
2025 Gross Annual Sales: $7.5 million
Single-Unit Crusher
Pizza John’s | Essex, Maryland
Concept: Quick-Serve |Est. 1966
“We’ve proven that a legacy brand can continue to evolve while staying true to its roots. After decades in business, we’re not standing still – we’re finding new ways to grow, including expanding into retail with our bake-at-home pizzas, while maintaining strong, consistent restaurant operations.”
“We focus on sustainable, measurable growth, operational discipline and community connection rather than chasing trends. Our ability to adapt, invest in the future and prepare the next generation of leadership positions us as a pizzeria worth watching – not just for where we’ve been, but for where we’re headed.”
– Brett Steall, owner/operator | pizzajohns.com
2025 Gross Annual Sales: $6.3 million
Multi-Unit Mover
Pinthouse Pizza | Austin, Texas
Concept: Fast-casual BTO | Est. 2012 (four locations – soon to be five)
“Over the past 12 months, Pinthouse has continued to strengthen its operational foundation, refine systems and processes and scale thoughtfully while maintaining quality and culture. Growth has come through increased brand recognition, operational efficiency and strong guest loyalty. Looking ahead, our focus is on intentional expansion, with our next location projected to open in late March of 2026, in San Antonio. Pinthouse plans to continue to add locations strategically, deepening leadership development, enhancing guest experience through technology and service innovation and continuing to evolve the brand without losing the craftsmanship, authenticity and community that define Pinthouse.”
– Nic Van Biene, owner/operator | pinthouse.com
2025 Gross Annual Sales: $29.9 million
Survival Superhero
SLYCE | Madeira Beach, Florida
Concept: Casual | Est. 2011
“The last 12 months have been a masterclass in resilience. After the ‘one-two punch’ of Hurricanes Helene and Milton destroyed our St. Pete Beach and original Indian Rocks Beach locations, we faced a choice: retreat or reinvent. … We represent the future of the independent operator: resilient, community-anchored and unafraid to evolve. In a year that could have shuttered our doors forever, we protected our staff, consolidated our brand and launched a brand-new concept in WYNE. We aren’t just watching the market, we are navigating through literal storms to prove that a great pizza brand is built on more than just flour and water – it’s built on the strength of its community and the grit of its leadership.”
– Christopher Derry, manager | slycepizzabar.com
2025 Gross Annual Sales: $2.7 million
National Climber
Via 313 | Austin, Texas
Concept: Casual | Est. 2011
“Via 313 is in a pivotal growth chapter, and we’re doing it intentionally. We’ve evolved from a cult-favorite food trailer into a multi-unit brand without losing our authenticity. As we scale, we’ve invested heavily in infrastructure: modernized digital marketing, loyalty integration, structured local marketing programs, catering growth strategies and long-term brand positioning.”
– Jessie Galioto-Grebe, marketing director | via313.com
2025 Gross Annual Sales: $45.6 million
Menu Mastermind
Zepeddie’s Pizzeria | Charlotte, North Carolina
Concept: Casual | Est. 2024
“Our brand is built around high-quality, artisan, house-made food crafted with intention. From our hand-stretched dough and carefully sourced ingredients to our scratch-made sauces, sandwiches and wings, everything we serve reflects our commitment to authenticity, flavor and consistency. We position ourselves as a modern neighborhood pizzeria that blends traditional craftsmanship with a fresh, elevated approach. Our identity centers on three pillars: Quality. Community. Craft.”
– Brian Zepsa, owner/operator | zepeddies.com
2025 Gross Annual Sales: $1 million
Outstanding Pizzerias to Watch in 2026
Bella Napoli Pizzeria & Restaurant | Port Charlotte, Florida
Concept: Casual | Est. 2003
“We don’t chase trends, we engineer standards. We operate with disciplined dough science, intentional ingredient sourcing and relentless consistency. While others pivot for hype, we refine process – flour selection, fermentation control, execution training and service precision. That level of structure separates professionals from hobbyists. We’ve strengthened leadership systems, elevated staff education, tightened operations and built a brand rooted in heritage but executed with modern discipline. Growth hasn’t been accidental, it’s been strategic. Most importantly, we don’t just sell pizza. We build people, protect product integrity and raise expectations in our market.”
– Vitangelo Recchia, owner/operator | bellanapoli1938.com
2025 Gross Annual Sales: $3.3 million
Billy Bricks | Lombard, Illinois
Concept: Fast-casual BTO | Est.2005
“Rather than chasing rapid unit expansion alone, we focused on diversification and operational discipline: Expanded our mobile fleet, adding additional pizza trucks to support catering, festivals and community events. Launched and scaled our frozen pizza business, including retail, wholesale and Frozen Fundraisers, which quickly became one of our fastest-growing channels. Introduced Moo Joe’s Ice Cream in 2021 and then expanded it into all of our stores and its first brick and mortar, a complementary brand that expands our footprint and seasonality without diluting our core pizza operations. Increased catering and off-premise sales, supported by improved ordering systems and operational processes. Deepened EOS integration, improving leadership alignment, accountability and store-level execution. Maintained strong guest experience metrics across channels while navigating inflation, labor pressure and weather-related volatility.”
– Ric Gruber, president/CEO | billybrickshq.com
2025 Gross Annual Sales: $8.2 million
Brenz Pizza Co. | Westerville, Ohio
Concept: DELCO | Est. 2015
“This past year, we added our seventh company-owned location. This new store marks our fourth location in Central Ohio, with additional locations operating in Durham, NC; Chapel Hill, NC; and Knoxville, TN. For 2026, we are beginning the buildout of our eighth location, which will be in the Raleigh-Durham, NC area.”
– Kyle Rosch, corporate officer | brenz.com
2025 Gross Annual Sales: $10.5 million
Crafters Pizza and Drafthouse | Carmel, Indiana
Concept: Casual | Est. 2021
“Our company has grown throughout this past year, as we have focused on growing our weekend lunch business and our carry out. Crafters is planning on opening two more locations within the next year. Crafters Pizza and Drafthouse is growing at a fast pace.”
– Brian Hall, owner/operator | craftersdrafthouse.com
2025 Gross Annual Sales: $4.9 million
DeCheco’s Pizzeria | Akron, Ohio
Concept: DELCO | Est. 1993
“Over the past 12 months, DeCheco’s Pizzeria has experienced the most significant growth period in its history, effectively doubling the size of the company. After operating as a two-store brand for decades, we expanded to six locations, with the majority of that growth occurring in Q4 of 2025. That period marked a defining moment for the brand: We proved we could scale quickly while maintaining operational discipline.”
– Cory O’Connor, corporate officer | dechecospizzeria.com
2025 Gross Annual Sales: $7.4 million
Di Filippo Wood Fired Pizza | Napa, California
Concept: Food Truck/Caterer/Pop-up | Est. 2019
“We have won best pizza for the past three years in Napa. For a catering company, we beat out several qualified pizzerias in the area.”
– John Difilippo, president/CEO | difilippopizza.com
2025 Gross Annual Sales: $630,000
Folino’s Pizza | Shelburne, Vermont
Concept: Casual | Est. 2012
“We have developed our own style of pizza we call Vermont Artisan Pizza. Our crust is ‘naturally leavened’ which means we don’t use commercial yeast. We keep a levain alive, 14 years strong now, which is a symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast. The natural wild yeasts metabolize sugars to create the perfect carbon dioxide bubbles, resulting in a crust that is incredibly light, airy and easy to digest.”
– Bobby Seaman, corporate officer | folinopizza.com
2025 Gross Annual Sales: $6.5 million
Little Italy Ristorante | Groveport, Ohio
Concept: Casual | Est. 1979
“Over the past year, we’ve grown by becoming more disciplined operationally – not just busier. We’ve focused on tightening systems, improving training and accountability, raising service standards and using better data to drive decisions. We’ve also invested in technology and process improvement so we can scale without losing the quality and consistency that built our reputation.”
– Avery Ward, president/CEO | littleitalygroveport.com
2025 Gross Annual Sales: $5.6 million
No Regrets Pizza | North Bethesda, Maryland
Concept: Casual | Est. 2024
“Our story is one of craftsmanship, discipline and rapid but thoughtful growth. We opened in June 2024 with a clear commitment to making serious pizza without taking ourselves too seriously. In less than a year, we earned a devoted following, generated 2.5 times our annualized sales target and were voted Best Pizza in Bethesda, which validated both our product and our approach.”
– Richard Weiner, owner/operator | noregretspizza.com
2025 Gross Annual Sales: $2 million
Odie’s Pizza Co. | Oceanside, California
Concept: Fast-casual BTO | Est. 2025
“We opened eight months ago, and we’ve experienced insane growth since then. We surpassed our year-one sales projections in the first four months, we’ve hired and trained a management team and are in the process of building out our catering and events team for offsite parties. We just signed a lease for our second location in San Juan Capistrano, slated to open in 2027.”
– Odie OConnor, owner/operator | odiespizza.com
2025 Gross Annual Sales: $2.9 million
Ohio Pie Co. | Brunswick, Ohio
Concept: Casual | Est. 2019
“We opened a third location in May 2025, and all focus for the year went to getting that store running smooth while not missing a beat at the other stores.”
– Nick Robson, owner/operator | ohiopieco.com
2025 Gross Annual Sales: $4.5 million
Ozzy’s Apizza | North Hollywood, California
Concept: Casual | Est. 2022
“We have recently opened our first ghost kitchen operation in Beverly Hills, as Los Angeles dining habits have pivoted greatly toward delivery over the past 12-18 months. We hope to open more ghost kitchen operations throughout California and some other major city markets going forward.”
– Chris Wallace, owner/operator | ozzysapizza.com
2025 Gross Annual Sales: $2.1 million
Parlour Pizza + Pints | New Albany, Indiana
Concept: Casual | Est. 2019
“We opened our first Lexington location, one of our largest and most thoughtfully designed restaurants to date. This expansion reflects our evolution as a brand, from a single neighborhood concept to a multi-market hospitality group with strong average unit volumes and repeat guest loyalty.”
– Destinee Snodgrass, partner & CFO | eatparlour.com
2025 Gross Annual Sales: $14.1 million
Partenope Ristorante | Dallas, Richardson, Texas
Concept: Casual | Est. 2019
“We combine true Neapolitan technique with high-quality ingredients and a strong connection to our community. Our focus is on consistency, craftsmanship and hospitality – not trends – and we continue to grow while staying hands on and locally rooted.”
– Dino Santonicola, owner/operator | partenopedallas.com
2025 Gross Annual Sales: $5 million
Prime Pizza | Los Angeles, California
Concept: Quick-Serve | Est. 2014
“We’re at an inflection point: expanding thoughtfully, investing in digital growth, strengthening community roots and evolving from a beloved L.A. staple into a category-defining regional brand. Prime Pizza isn’t chasing trends, we’re shaping what neighborhood pizza looks like in the next era.”
– Taylor Bulen, VP of brand marketing | primepizza.com
2025 Gross Annual Sales: $25.3 million
R Town Pizza | Reno, Nevada
Concept: Casual | Est. 2022
“We’ve been deliberate about building a cohesive brand that actually stands out. From our custom boxes to our mascot, an amalgamation of Detroit’s professional sports teams, it all creates a unified look and makes one thing clear: Everything we do is intentional.”
– Marvin Kinney, president/CEO | rtownpizza.com
2025 Gross Annual Sales: $1.7 million
Rocco’s Wood Fired Pizza | Williamsville, New York
Concept: Casual | Est. 2011
“Sales are up, business climate is more positive, so we’re looking at expanding our catering – both full and drop off – in addition to adding a broader range of menu options.”
– Charles Mauro, owner/operator | roccoswoodfiredpizza.com
2025 Gross Annual Sales: $3.2 million
Ruckus Pizza | Cary, North Carolina
Concept: Casual | Est. 1998
“We don’t try to be ‘the place to work’ with gimmicks. We earn it by building a team people want to be part of; then, we support that culture with fair pay, growth and appreciation.”
– Robert Royster, president/CEO | ruckuspizza.com
2025 Gross Annual Sales: $10 million
Soprana Rooftop Cucina | Asheville, North Carolina
Concept: Casual | Est. 2024
“In 2025, with a full year of stabilized operations, brand recognition and expanded marketing efforts, we saw substantial revenue growth and improved operational efficiency. Our forecasting for 2026 projects an additional 12% topline increase, driven by continued brand visibility, consistent culinary execution and disciplined cost management.”
– Philip Bollhoefer, corporate officer | sopranarooftop.com
2025 Gross Annual Sales: $2.8 million
Sourdough Willy’s Pizzeria | Kingston, Washington
Concept: Fine dining | Est. 2020
“My other restaurant That’s A Some Pizza has been open for 42 years. We are so busy at the new restaurant, the old restaurant is now my commissary kitchen for my new restaurant. We have box trucks deliver dough, par-baked breads and cheeses daily to Sourdough Willy’s from That’s A Some Pizza.”
– Will Grant, owner/operator | sourdoughwillys.com
2025 Gross Annual Sales: $2.9 million
The Galley Pizza & Eatery | Asbury Park, New Jersey
Concept: Casual | Est. 2019
“We offer great pay, pooled tips, paid vacation days, open five days a week, noon-9 p.m. only. Small place, offer full medical benefits, etc. Closed on most holidays, Christmas parties, employee parties through the year – the list goes on!”
– Kris Black, owner/operator | thegalleyasbury.com
2025 Gross Annual Sales: $2.2 million
Tony Boloney’s | Atlantic City, New Jersey
Concept: Quick-Serve | Est. 2009
“We are not simply adding locations, we are building a vertically integrated brand ecosystem with proof across restaurant, franchise, retail and foodservice channels.”
– Michael Hauke, owner/operator | tonyboloneys.com
2025 Gross Annual Sales: $5 million
Wild Ace Pizza & Pub | Greer, South Carolina
Concept: Casual | Est. 2009
“We opened a satellite location in another town (Taylors, South Carolina) offering the menu as a smaller Express version with dining room, drive-thru and delivery options. This is a new strategy to expand over the next few years to various surrounding cities.”
– Denise VandenBerghe, owner/operator | thewildace.com
2025 Gross Annual Sales: $4.3 million
Zoli’s Pizza | Fort Worth, Texas
Concept: Casual | Est. 2019
“Zoli’s has leaned into its marketing tools over the past 12 months, having begun utilizing email and SMS direct-message marketing tools to speak directly to our users. We have continually focused on improving our training, service levels and kitchen consistency, all with the goal of driving repeat business and providing our guests with the best possible dining experiences.”
– Jeff Amador, corporate officer | zolispizza.com
2025 Gross Annual Sales: $3.3 million
