January 10, 2024
Hungry Howie’s Pizza
MADISON HEIGHTS, MICHIGAN (Jan. 10, 2024) – Hungry Howie’s, the originators of Flavored Crust Pizza®, celebrated its 50th anniversary year with an uptick in development growth and plans to build on the momentum in 2024. The brand opened multiple new locations in 2023 across target development markets with existing franchisees, ending the year with six signed agreements, and adding 11 new franchisees to its system. Among these new developments include locations in Traverse City and Monroe, Michigan, as well as Alabama, Ohio, and Texas, that are on pace to open between end of year 2023 through mid-2025.
“We celebrated our 50th anniversary this year and it proved to be a strong one in terms of growth, menu innovation and technology evolution. Through these enhancements and achievements, we’ve set ourselves up for success with a pipeline of development activities that span 2024 and beyond,” said Steve Clough, Director of Franchise Development at Hungry Howie's. "In 2023, we had the privilege of announcing new store openings and agreements with existing franchisees, and welcoming new franchisees to the Hungry Howie’s brand. As we continue to reach our goals, we are grateful to our customers and team for the continuous support as our success continues.”
Additional recent highlights for Hungry Howie's include:
- Menu innovation and evolving technology continues to play a vital role in the company’s customer experience. Hungry Howie’s recently released its new pizza party planner website that calculates the recommended amount of pizza customers should order based on the number of guests and their age range.
- Hungry Howie’s celebrated its 50-year anniversary with the launch of its Secret Menu which includes a variety of new, customized pizza offerings available exclusively through a QR code. Each item on the limited-time menu pays tribute to the brand’s 50-year history while offering a twist to its Flavored Crust roots. In August 2023 alone, Hungry Howie’s sold over 49,000 pizzas from the Secret Menu across all stores systemwide resulting in over $515,000 in sales and 1.42 percent of total sales. The brand also saw an increase in direct website sales traffic, gaining over 5.2K new users and a user return rate of 19 percent in August.
- Industry accolades for the brand include rankings on Franchise Times Top 500, Pizza Marketplace's Top 100 Movers and Shakers and Fast Casual’s Top LTO Fall / Winter 2023 Trends. Samantha Hebel, Hungry Howie’s Manager of Advertising, was named a Young Leader to Watch by QSR. Additionally, Hungry Howie’s ranked #103 on Technomic’s Top 500 Chain Restaurant list and #8 in the Limited-Service Pizza Chains list.
- Hungry Howie's® raised approximately $5 million in funds and spread awareness for the National Breast Cancer Foundation, Inc® (NBCF) through its 15th annual "Love, Hope & Pizza" campaign.
Hungry Howie’s began as a 1,000-square-foot hamburger shop in Taylor, Michigan that has since turned into a successful carry-out and delivery pizza chain. Today, the originators of the Flavored Crust® pizza franchise have expanded to 535 locations in 21 states across the country. Hungry Howie’s is a leader in the national pizza segment and specializes in offering 10 free Flavored Crust® options – Butter, Asiago Cheese, Cajun, Butter Cheese, Sesame, Garlic Herb, Ranch, Italian Herb, Disco Inferno and Cheese Puff. Additionally, the franchise offers a vast selection of calzone-style oven-baked subs, Howie Bread®, fresh salads, and more.
Hungry Howie's is actively seeking qualified candidates to help grow its footprint throughout the U.S. To learn more about Hungry Howie’s, visit HungryHowies.com and follow on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or Tik Tok. For more information on franchising, please visit www.franchising.hungryhowies.com.
About Hungry Howie’s
Known for inventing Flavored Crust® pizza, Hungry Howie’s has been around for 50 years and provides customers of all ages with high-quality products at a great value. Currently, the brand has over 535 stores in 21 states across the United States and their customers are big fans of flavor. The menu aims to satisfy all – with dough made fresh daily in-house at all locations, offering original round, deep dish, thin crust, and gluten-free options, coupled with the array of options for just crust, including 10 free Flavored Crust® options – Butter, Asiago Cheese, Cajun, Butter Cheese, Sesame, Garlic Herb, Ranch, Italian Herb, Disco Inferno and Cheese Puff. No one can live on pizza alone, so Hungry Howie’s offers a great selection of calzone-style oven-baked subs, Howie Bread®, fresh salads, Howie Wings®, Howie Rolls®, desserts & Pepsi® products.
The company is also widely known for its annual Love Hope & Pizza campaign, giving back to the National Breast Cancer Foundation for the past 15 years. The campaign marks its commitment to give back to local communities, by educating all around breast cancer awareness. To learn more about Hungry Howie’s and to stay in the know, check out www.hungryhowies.com or stay up to date through Instagram, Tik Tok, Twitter, and Facebook.
