When you hear the name Tony Gemignani, you may think of the renowned world pizza champion, four time Guinness World Record holder and prolific San Francisco restaurateur. But how would you feel if you could enjoy a slice of Tony’s hand-crafted pizza in the comfort of your living room? Or in a lively restaurant setting just a short drive away? Thanks to the pizza master’s highly successful fast-casual pizza franchise, Slice House by Tony Gemignani, there’s a good chance you may be able to sooner than you think. The young franchise, which launched in July 2022, has experienced early success with rapid expansion to over 140 franchise units currently open or under development. You may be wondering… how did he do it? We’re here to share how Tony pivoted a few Slice House locations to a burgeoning franchise model.
Slice House by Tony Gemignani, Credit: Juliann Tang
Originally from Fremont, California, Tony grew up cooking alongside his mother, who taught him how to prepare fruits and vegetables harvested from the family farm. This philosophy of creating recipes around fresh, seasonal ingredients has stayed with him throughout his successful culinary career and remains true across all his menus today. After graduating from high school, Tony worked as a pizza maker at his brother’s acclaimed Pyzano’s Pizzeria in Castro Valley, California where he quickly began growing his impressive skills. Tony’s career continued
to take off, eventually earning him a variety of awards and accolades for his pizza making and throwing skills. He is the founder of the World Pizza Champions, the first and only Triple Crown winner for baking at the Interna6onal Pizza Championships in Lecce, Italy, and his most prestigious title to date, the 2007 World Champion Pizza Maker at the World Pizza Cup in Naples, Italy, where he was the first American and non-Neapolitan victor. Tony has also written four books, including The Pizza Bible, the world’s first comprehensive guide to making all of the major pizza styles from Neapolitan to Chicago and more.
Tony Gemignani, 13-Time World Pizza Champion, Credit: Marc Fiorito, Gamma Nine
Following the success of Tony’s Pizza Napoletana, which he opened in San Francisco’s North Beach neighborhood in 2009, Tony opened the first Slice House location next door in 2010. It didn’t take long until Tony made a name for himself, quickly becoming a pizza authority in San Francisco and the greater Bay Area. A year later, Tony teamed up with nightlife and hospitality veterans of more than 30 years – George Karpaty and Trevor Hewitt– to open a new pizza concept called Pizza Rock in Sacramento. With Trevor and George’s nightlife experience, together with Tony’s extensive pizza background, the group established this ‘nightlife energy meets artisan pizza’ hotspot. Pizza Rock quickly became a favorite in Sacramento and later Las Vegas, offering gourmet pizzas in a variety of styles, hand-crafted artisan cocktails, an extensive draft and bottled beer list and more, catering to guests looking to unwind and enjoy the electric culture of city nightlife. After the pandemic hit in 2020 and plans of expansion were in question, the team realized the overwhelming success at Slice House in Walnut Creek (which came after the San Francisco North Beach location in 2016) and saw the long-term potential for an expanded fast-casual pizza chain helmed by the legendary Tony Gemignani.
The Slice House concept was exactly what customers needed during the pandemic – the high- quality, fast-casual model with accessible takeout and delivery options was sustainable. It quickly became clear to Tony, George, Trevor, and partner Bill Ginsburg that this was the future for their pizza empire and in July 2022, they officially launched the franchise program to effectively and efficiently expand the footprint.
Slice House is a convenient way for diners to experience Tony’s world-famous New York, Sicilian, Grandma, and Detroit style pizzas, including gluten-free, vegan, and vegetarian options, outside of the Bay Area. A few menu highlights include the award-winning Cal Italia with asiago, mozzarella, gorgonzola, fig jam, Prosciutto di Parma, shaved parmigiano, and balsamic reduc6on; the Popeye with spinach, garlic, mozzarella, ricotta, and crushed red peppers; and the Wiseguy with mozzarella, sweet & spicy Italian sausage, thin pepperoni, ricotta and Tony’s hot pepper oil. Slice House not only offers an array of regional pizza styles but also pasta, wings, salads, and a beverage menu featuring classic sodas, local craft brews and premium wines. All menu items are made with fresh, seasonal ingredients, just like his mother taught him growing up.
Tony’s award-winning Cal-Italia pizza – Credit: Marc Fiorito Gamma Nine
Today, there are over 142 Slice House franchised locations open or in development across the country, with an additional 25 licensed locations in stadiums and arenas in California and Nevada, including the San Francisco Giants’ Oracle Park, Golden State Warriors’ Chase Center, San Francisco 49ers’ Levi’s Stadium, and the newly opened Sphere in Las Vegas. The team has grown to include a Chief Marketing Officer, Chief Technology Officer, Senior Vice President of Operations, Director of Construction, and others to help propel the franchise forward and introduce the concept nationwide. The fast-casual pizza chain differentiates itself by presenting
the opportunity to join a seasoned team with over 30 years of experience in the multibillion- dollar pizza industry, the credibility of a celebrity chef, and access to authentic regional recipes. As a result of the team’s dedication and ability to outperform initial sales projections, Slice House by Tony Gemignani was named the #1 Emerging Brand in Pizza Marketplace’s Top
100 Movers & Shakers in 2023 and the #1 Overall Brand in 2024. Needless to say, Slice House by Tony Gemignani is on to something and soon enough you will be able to taste the success for yourself.
Slice House is actively expanding to new markets and seeks partners wanting to build a restaurant franchise that can attract customers, grow, and differentiate themselves from other Italian restaurant franchises. For more information on Slice House franchise opportunities, please visit slicehousefranchise.com.