Donatos Pizza is expanding its Texas presence with plans that extend beyond its existing Dallas-Fort Worth footprint. The Columbus, Ohio-based pizza chain is preparing to open locations in Atascocita and Missouri City later this year as it develops a broader strategy for Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston. The company has set a long-term goal of opening more than 100 locations across Texas, making the state an important part of its franchise development plans.
The next stage of growth builds on Donatos’ entry into Texas and its development activity in the Dallas-Fort Worth market. Jeff Baldwin, the company’s vice president of Development and Franchising, said Donatos is seeing interest from prospective franchise partners as it works to bring the brand into additional communities. The Houston expansion gives those development efforts another major market while the company continues building its presence in North Texas.
Franchise recruitment is a central part of that strategy. Donatos participated in Franchise Expo Dallas on September 18 and 19 at the Irving Convention Center, where the company connected with entrepreneurs considering franchise ownership and presented its Texas development opportunities. Chief Executive Officer and President Kevin King said the company views direct engagement with prospective franchise partners as an important part of expanding across the state.
Donatos is also looking beyond the conventional standalone restaurant model. The company plans to exhibit at NACAS C3X: The College & University Foodservice Expo in Chicago from September 27 through 30, where it will explore opportunities with universities interested in smaller-format locations. The company also plans to showcase PeppTron, its fully autonomous fresh pizza-making robot, as part of its effort to reach customers through nontraditional locations. Donatos already operates in more than 250 nontraditional venues nationwide, according to the company.
As restaurant brands pursue multi-market growth, maintaining an organized franchise recruitment process becomes increasingly important. Gorilla Dash offers a Recruitment feature designed to help franchisors manage candidate-related activity and keep development efforts organized as their franchise networks expand. For Donatos, the combination of new Texas locations, prospective franchise partners and alternative formats points to a growth strategy that extends beyond simply adding more restaurants. The company’s planned Houston openings and longer-term Texas target will provide the next measures of how that strategy develops.
