By Donatos Pizza
For many businesses, reaching 5-, 10-, and 15th anniversaries is a pipe dream; but for the team at Donatos, the brand’s multi-generational longevity is a reality due to constant innovation and a desire to deliver more. It’s a philosophy perfectly captured in the brand’s new tagline of “Gotta love more.” In its 62nd year in business, the brand is doubling down on what sets it apart— its promise to deliver more of everything that matters most: more smiles, more laughs, more love, more time together, more toppings, more flavor, more fun, AND more nationwide growth.
When Founder, Jim Grote, opened the first Donatos in 1963 during his time as a student, his father called “the whole pizza thing” a fad. That “fad” resulted in a sprawling business that still resides within the family today, 6 decades later.
Donatos Pizza Vending Machine (Yes, a full automated pizza restaurant.)
With CEO and President Kevin King at the helm, the brand opened its first fully autonomous pizza restaurant in June. Donatos and its sister company Agápe Automation partnered with Appetronix to bring the robot operated restaurant to life. The new fully automated restaurant can be found before security in front of Concourse B at the John Glenn Columbus International Airport and is operated by restaurateur HMS Host. This partnership further strengthens Donatos Pizza’s mission to promote goodwill through its products, service, principles, and people, while King’s recent four point strategy, which focuses on creating new, innovative ideas that will disrupt the pizza scene.
The autonomous restaurant operates 24/7, leveraging state-of-the-art robotics and data science technologies that enable an efficient experience from the time the pizza is ordered to the time the customer picks it up. The robot also offers an engaging visual experience, allowing customers an inside look at their pizzas being freshly prepared in real time.
This new model has a significantly smaller footprint than traditional restaurants and is built to thrive in on-the-go locations like airports, offices, military bases, hospitals, and universities. By reducing space requirements and operating costs, the model creates new opportunities for franchisees to thrive in areas where a full kitchen is not feasible.
The automated restaurant has been met with great demand, with many on-the-go travelers taking advantage of the freshly and speedily baked pizzas. Future robot vending machines will continue to offer an engaging visual experience, allowing customers an inside look at their pizzas being freshly prepared in real time.
As the demand for flexible, efficient restaurant formats grows, Donatos is investing in technologies that reduce barriers to entry and help franchise partners build stronger, more profitable businesses.
Texas Takeover
The brand continues its Texas takeover with the signing of three new franchise groups, further solidifying its commitment to the Lone Star State. The latest deals—two in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and one in Houston— bring Donatos Pizza’s total multi-unit franchise groups in Texas to nine, with seven now actively developing in DFW and two in Houston.
Donatos Pizza currently operates locations in Flower Mound and Frisco, where it has earned great praise for its consistent quality, customer satisfaction, and signature Edge to Edge® pizzas. With the pipeline of new stores growing rapidly, the brand anticipates several new Texas locations will open their doors beginning in 2025.
These new signings emphasize the brand’s ambitious long-term growth strategy in Texas, where it aims to open more than 100 locations over time across key markets including DFW, Houston, Waco, Austin, and East Texas. This momentum in Texas builds on a strong 2024 for Donatos Pizza, as the brand continues to advance its strategic focus on People, Innovation, Brand Relevance, and Growth under the leadership of King.
As expansion accelerates, high-potential territories remain available across key Texas markets, offering a limited-time opportunity for qualified franchise partners to join the brand before these markets are fully claimed.
With Texas being one of the friendliest franchising states due to its strong economy and low tax burden, businesses can retain more of their earnings and reinvest in growth, making it the perfect place for Donatos to continue expansion. Furthermore, Texas has a thriving restaurant industry, creating ample opportunities for multi-unit franchise partners.
Looking Ahead
In addition to the Appetronix partnership and rigorous franchise development plans, the brand continues to reach new heights with the implementation of new menu items like Buffalo Chicken Pizza and, most recently, Chicken Dippers.
Donatos continues to embrace new technologies that offer scalable solutions and redefine how and where high-quality food is served. These exciting consumer advancements coupled with exponential franchise growth have allowed Donatos to have a record-breaking year of innovation. The brand looks forward to the rest of 2025 and continuing to serve premium pizzas to its customers across the nation, truly living up to their tagline of “Gotta love more.”