WASHINGTON — Washington’s already crowded field of pizza places is getting another, and this one plans a major push into the Washington market.
Wisconsin-based Toppers Pizza says it will open 22 locations in Northern Virginia and Maryland, starting with five locations in Northern Virginia next year.
Toppers has signed a franchise agreement with a former Domino’s Pizza franchise operator for the Washington area stores, its first in this region. The initial Toppers Pizza locations will open in Arlington, Fairfax, Falls Church, Alexandria and Annandale.
Toppers’ slogan is “Never Settle for Pizza Made by The Man,” a dig at big, corporate run national chains.
Toppers may not be a national chain, but it is on its way to becoming one. The chain, which opened its first location 25 years ago, now has pizza joints in 13 states. It says 73 percent of its stores broke sales records in 2015.
Toppers’ push into the Washington region is part of a larger growth plan. It says it has signed franchise deals for a total of 35 new locations, including Virginia, Maryland, Colorado and Wyoming. The Toppers brand has doubled in size over the last three years.
Toppers says its handmade pizzas are baked in about 360 seconds, and there are more than one million combinations of its toppings.
Here’s a look at Toppers’ menu.
