East of Chicago Pizza is a Midwestern pizza franchise renowned for its signature pan pizzas and commitment to high-quality ingredients. The brand began in 1982 when founder L. Scott Granneman opened the first location in Greenwich, Ohio, under the name Greenwich Pizza Barn. After a customer praised the food as the “best pizza east of Chicago,” the name was changed to reflect that sentiment.
The company began franchising in 1990 and is currently headquartered in Lima, Ohio. Today, East of Chicago Pizza has grown to include approximately 70 locations, primarily across Ohio, Indiana, and West Virginia.
The franchise offers a menu that features pan, thin, and specialty pizzas, along with subs, wings, salads, and other sides. Known for using fresh, premium ingredients like California tomatoes and a proprietary blend of mozzarella cheese, the brand emphasizes quality in every bite.
What differentiates East of Chicago Pizza from larger chains is its local, community-focused approach paired with strong franchisee support. Franchise owners benefit from comprehensive training, marketing tools, and operational guidance aimed at long-term success.
Here's what you would need to invest if you were to start this franchise. These costs are provided by the franchisor in the Franchise Disclosure Document.
East of Chicago Pizza offers 2 types of franchises:
We are summarizing below the main costs associated with opening a East of Chicago Pizza Dine-in/Carry-out/Delivery Unit franchise.
For more information on the various types of franchises and its costs, refer to the Franchise Disclosure Document (Item 7).
East of Chicago Pizza provides franchisees with structured training to ensure consistent operations across its locations. The training is primarily focused on preparing the franchisee or their designated Operating Partner to manage the business effectively. Here are the main components of the training program:
East of Chicago Pizza provides limited territorial protection to its franchisees. Under the franchise agreement, franchisees are granted a protected territory where the franchisor agrees not to open another company-owned or franchised location offering similar products under the same trademarks.
However, this protection excludes locations established in limited access venues such as shopping centers, stadiums, or airports that primarily serve on-site patrons. While franchisees are protected from direct territorial competition within their defined area, East of Chicago Pizza reserves the right to accept orders and market within any territory through various channels like internet sales or telemarketing.
Franchisees are also restricted from delivering or catering outside their protected area without prior approval. In Multi-Unit Development Agreements, similar territorial guidelines apply, but franchisees risk losing their development area if they fail to meet expansion schedules or are terminated.
KEY FRANCHISE STATS
All you need to know about this franchise
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Below are some of
East of Chicago Pizza
key competitors in the
Pizza
sector.
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