Boston Pizza

Name: Boston Pizza (in USA known as Boston’s The Gourmet Pizza or Boston’s Restaurant & Sports Bar)

Type of Food: 25 varieties of gourmet pizza as well as pasta, baby back ribs, chicken, seafood

Interesting Fact: Despite its name, Boston Pizza was not founded in Boston, and as yet has no locations in Boston or even Massachusetts. The company is Canadian! The name Boston was chosen because it was a considered a recognizable and established name.

History: The Boston Pizza concept began in Edmonton, Alberta in 1964 when Greek immigrant Gus Agioritis opened “Boston Pizza and Spaghetti House”. Although he lacked any significant restaurant experiences, Agioritis achieved success by combining hard work with a business strategy that included a focus on growth through franchising.

The company started franchising in the 1960s; Gus’ two younger brothers, Nino and Trifon helped found the first restaurant in Edmonton and each started a franchise in Saskatoon and Regina, respectively. When the company and its franchise rights were sold, Nino and Trifon established pizzerias under new names: Nino’s Pizza and Trifon’s Pizza still exist in these cities. Six years after opening, Gus had 17 locations (two corporate and 15 franchised) in operation across Western Canada. In 1978 Agioritis sold the company to Ron Coyle.

In 1983, Jim Treliving, a former RCMP officer who was one of the original franchisees (who had opened his first restaurant in 1968 in Penticton, British Columbia), along with business partner George Melville, bought the chain. By 1995, the company boasted 97 restaurants in Western Canada.

The first U.S. restaurant opened in 1998 under the name “Boston’s The Gourmet Pizza”. Today there are over 350 restaurants in North America and Mexico combined. Jim Treliving, Chairman and Founder of Boston Pizza Restaurants L.P. is looking towards expansion into Australia, the United Kingdom and eventually Asia.

Boston Pizza Website: www.bostonpizza.com

Official Boston Pizza Social Media: Facebook - Twitter

Official Boston’s The Gourmet Pizza Social Media: Facebook - Twitter

View the Boston Pizza menu: here

View Boston’s The Gourmet Pizza menu: here

Find your local Boston Pizza in Canada here and Boston’s The Gourmet Pizza from the USA here

Specials:
-Newsletter – Gift Card – Coupons Boston Pizza

-Newsletter – Gift Card - Coupons Boston’s The Gourmet Pizza

Chuck E. Cheese’s

Name: Chuck E. Cheese’s

Type of Food: Focus on Pizza, but also offers buffalo wings, sandwiches, breadsticks, mozzarella sticks, cinnamon sticks, and salads.

Interesting Fact: Chuck E. Cheese specializes in birthday parties for those 1-12 years of age.

History: The business was founded in 1977 by Atari founder Nolan Bushnell as the Chuck E. Cheese’s Pizza Time Theatre, and featured singing animatronic characters. As of January 1, 2006, The company operated over 500 restaurants in the United States and other countries.

Chuck E. Cheese’s Website: www.chuckecheese.com

Official Chuck E. Cheese’s Social Media: Facebook - Twitter

View the Chuck E. Cheese’s menu: here

Find your local Chuck E. Cheese’s: here

Specials: -Newsletter - Gift Card – Coupons

Little Caesars

Name: Little Caesars

Type of Food: Pizza

Interesting Fact: After founding Little Caesar in 1959 and growing it into one of the nation’s top three pizza firms, family patriarch Mike Ilitch purchased the Detroit Red Wings hockey team in 1982 and the Detroit Tigers baseball team a decade later.

History: On May 8, 1959, the dynamic husband and wife team, Mike and Marian Ilitch opened the first Little Caesars Pizza restaurant in Garden City, Michigan. In 1962, the Ilitches sold the first Little Caesars franchise. Today Little Caesars has about 2,000 pizza outlets on five continents.

Little Caesars Website: www.littlecaesars.com

Official Little Caesars Social Media: Facebook - Twitter

View the Little Caesars menu: here

Find your local Little Caesars in the USA here in Canada here

Little Caesars Specials: -Newsletter – Gift Card – Coupons

Mike’s Restaurant

Name: Mike’s Restaurant

Type of Food: Pizza, Pasta and Hot Submarines

Interesting Fact: There are more than 3,000 employees on the MIKES® team, and sales total more than $127 million.

History: Mike’s Restaurant was originally founded in 1967, in Montreal, as a sandwich shop by the Marano Brothers. The menu has grown to include pizzas, pastas, steaks, salmon, brochettes and more. There are over 100 Mikes in four Canadian provinces: Quebec, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick. Since 2000 it has been owned by Imvescor Inc (previously Pizza Delight). From its humble beginnings in Shediac, New Brunswick four decades ago, the company has solidly established itself in the restaurant industry and today ranks as a regional leader, with a growing presence across the country in the moderate/casual family dining segment. Imvescor Inc. also operates the Pizza Delight, Scores, and Bâton Rouge brands.

Mike’s Restaurant Website: www.mikes.ca

Official Mike’s Restaurant Social Media: Facebook - Twitter

View the Mike’s Restaurant menu here

Find your local Mike’s Restaurant here

Mike’s Restaurant Specials: -Newsletter – Gift Card – Coupons

Papa Gino’s Pizzeria

Name: Papa Gino’s Pizzeria

Type of Food: Pizza, submarine sandwiches, pasta

Interesting Fact: Papa Gino’s Pizzeria is the official pizza of the New England Patriots and the Boston Red Sox.

History: Papa Gino’s began in 1961 as a single East Boston pizza shop. When the family of Papa Gino’s founder, Michael Valerio, sailed from Italy to Boston in 1936, they brought with them authentic Italian family recipes handed down through generations. These were the recipes Michael and his wife, Helen, used when they opened their first pizzeria, Piece O’ Pizza in 1961

In 1968, the owners, Helen and Michael Valerio, changed the name to “Papa Gino’s” and began expanding the business to multiple locations. Papa Gino’s has been established as the leader of New England pizza chains.There are over 200 Papa Gino’s locations in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island.

Papa Gino’s Pizzeria Website: www.papaginos.com

Official Papa Gino’s Pizzeria Social Media: Facebook - Twitter

View the Papa Gino’s Pizzeria menu: here

Find your local Papa Gino’s Pizzeria here

Papa Gino’s Pizzeria Specials: -Newsletter - Gift Card – Coupons