Nearly every person, and certainly most celebrity chefs, have deep opinions on pizza.
Perhaps most humorously, Anthony Bourdain famously shared a polarizing opinion on pizza. He was asked on X, the former Twitter, whether he preferred deep dish or thin crust pizza and gave a pointed response.
“Deep dish is not pizza,” the deceased chef and travel show host shared.
He later explained that stand while on tour promoting his show, “The Layover.”
“I’m a New Yorker with a deep cultural aversion to pizza that is not New York pizza,” he told Explore.com.
Tony Gemignani, who has written multiple books on pizza, including “The Pursuit of Pizza” and “The Pizza Bible takes a very simple approach.
“Being in the pizza industry, it’s all about the ingredients,” he shared in an interview posted on his website. “What makes a great pizza? I’d say balance is important, but it’s always about your dough, sauce, and cheese.”
As Bourdain has shown, judging pizza can be very subjective, which makes competing in the space very challenging. That’s why so many pizza restaurants fail and an operator for a popular chain, Crust Pizza, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.
Crust Pizza operator files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy
Crust Pizza traces its roots back to 2011. It began franchising soon after that.
“Our first location was officially opened in January 2011, and upon realizing success, we decided to expand by sharing our business model with entrepreneurs looking to maximize their revenue-earning potential by partnering with an established and proven brand,” the parent company shared on its website.
Related: McDonald’s, Wendy’s, Burger King rival closed 100s of restaurants
It’s important to note that the parent company has not filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The chain’s operator in Gosling Pines, Texas, has filed. That filing does not have any bearing on the parent company aside from its impact on the franchise operator.
The Gosling location lists its ownership as JRCP Restaurants, LLC d/b/a Crust Pizza Gosling Pi.
JRCP Restaurants, LLC/Crust Pizza Gosling Pines Chapter 11 bankruptcy details
- Debtor: JRCP Restaurants, LLC, doing business as Crust Pizza Gosling Pines.
- Case Number: 4:25?bk?36931 (Southern District of Texas).
- Filing type: Chapter 11.
- Filing Date: November 18, 2025.
- Debtor Type: Non?individual/corporate.
- Address: 31241 Crescent Timbers Lane, Spring, TX 77386.
- Attorney for Debtor: Lloyd?A.?Lim, Kean Miller LLP (Houston).
- Plan Due Date: February 17, 2026.
- Assets: Reported as “Unknown” (per Inforuptcy).
Source: PacerMonitor Inforuptcy
Pixabay
Crust Pizza is growing
The Crust Pizza parent company still has big plans for expansion.
“So far, we’ve sold only in Texas and Louisiana to build infrastructure,” Comeaux said. “Our goal is to be a household name in the Southeast — Florida, the Carolinas, Tennessee, Arkansas and Oklahoma,” CEO shared in an April press release.
The company has some bold plans despite its franchise operator’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy in Gosling, Texas.
“Our vision is 250 stores in the next nine years,” Comeaux said. “In order to achieve that, we need to get to 25 openings per year, which means that we have to sell about 40 to 45 territories annually,” the CEO shared.
Pizza chains have room to grow
The pizza business itself is also expected to grow.
“The Pizza Market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 6.8% during 2024 and 2029. During this period, the market is also expected to show a growth of USD 70.1 billion. In the dynamic pizza market, online ordering has emerged as a game-changer, offering numerous advantages over traditional telephone orders,” Techavio shared in its Global Pizza Report.
The same report forecast that North America’s pizza market is set to grow by 6.11% and $51.38 billion between 2024 and 2029.
IbisWorld sees the market as growing as well.
“Over the past five years, the Pizza Restaurant Franchises industry has experienced steady growth attributable to increasing consumer sentiment and consumer spending. Consumer spending has improved, resulting in increased expenditure on food away from home, including at pizza franchises,” it shared in its Pizza Restaurant Franchises report.
Low-cost pizza, however, might see the most growth.
“The low-cost pizza franchise market size was valued at $16.4 billion in 2022, and is estimated to reach $26.3 billion by 2032, growing at a CAGR of 4.9% from 2023 to 2032,” according to Allied Market Research’s, “Low-cost Pizza Franchise Market.”
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Research and Markets backs that up.
The low-cost pizza franchise market is thriving due to its scalability and affordability, appealing to young, value-sensitive consumers and first-time entrepreneurs. Growth is driven by simplified operations, digital ordering, and regional menu innovations. Expansion is fueled by urbanization, digital engagement, and strategic partnership,” it shared in its Low-Cost Pizza Market study.
Trends in the pizza business
Pizza Today’s 2024 Pizza Industry Report shared the trends for the industry to follow:
- Online ordering’s increase is not slowing. Its importance to the industry is paramount.
- Quality remains king. Operators continue to say the quality of the ingredients they use remains the driving factor in their ability to retain customers.
- Style variety matters. The trend of offering different styles of pizza is not slowing. Customers are now expecting it.
- Plant-based and Vegan demand remains. Operators continue ramping up their efforts to provide these options to consumers.
- Labor woes. The pandemic may be over, but the labor pool has not gotten much deeper from last year, according to pizzeria owners.
- Automation. Operators are seeking ways to streamline operations to battle the lack of labor and to meet consumer expectations.
- Staying Social. Marketing via the various social media channels remains a critical opportunity, and sometimes a challenge, for pizzeria owners.
Pizza chains closing locations and filing for bankruptcy
Bertucci’s Restaurants
- Filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on April 24, 2025.2
- Announced it will close multiple locations as part of its reorganization.
Source: PacerMonitor
Fiorella (San Francisco)
- Two Fiorella locations (Richmond District and Sunset District) filed for Chapter 11 in 2025.
- The filing lists between $1 million to $10 million in liabilities.
Source: Pizza Franchise Hub
EYM Pizza (Pizza Hut franchisee)
- EYM Pizza, a major Pizza Hut franchisee, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
Source: PacerMonitor - Following the filing, Pizza Hut purchased 18 of EYM’s stores at a bankruptcy auction.
- EYM is expected to close additional locations beyond those sold.
Source: Restaurant Dive
Domino’s Pizza Enterprises (Franchisee)
- Domino’s franchisee (Domino’s Pizza Enterprises) is closing 205 underperforming stores globally (April–June 2025) to improve profitability.
- The cuts include a restructuring cost of $60.8?million.
Source: TheStreet
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