Mountain Mike’s has major expansion goals outside its home state of California.
California-based Mountain Mike’s Pizza wants to go beyond its status as a regional brand and a Texas franchisee says the Lone Star State could be the epicenter of that growth.
Since 2017, Mountain Mike’s has increased its restaurant count by 120 percent and is set to surpass 300 units by mid-2024. The brand was founded in 1978, began franchising in 1981 and opened its first location outside of California in 1993.
Today, most of the company’s locations are still in California, but the brand has a presence in Arizona, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Utah and Texas. Steve Ziegler is an operator in Texas, where he has one location open as part of a three-unit agreement signed in 2022. He thinks there’s room for dozens of Mountain Mike’s in the state.
“I think we’re going to have upward of 50 stores at least,” Ziegler said. “There are so many opportunities here for growth. We’re going to be the pizza place in town, so I think the future is bright. I believe we’ll get to the point where we will be the largest market for Mountain Mike’s outside of California.”
Mountain Mike’s CEO Jim Metevier said he agrees with that assessment.
“We feel like Texas can be the next California for us,” Metevier said. “It has the growth in population and it’s very business friendly there. Before opening our first Texas location, we had guests on social media who grew up in California asking for us to come to Texas.”
Ziegler, who grew up in southern California, said the phenomenon is similar to that of another Golden State brand that has since grown, In-N-Out Burger.
“I’m a big In-N-Out fan, and I have been my whole life,” Ziegler said. “What’s interesting is I’ve seen Mountain Mike’s have the same kind of cult following that In-N-Out had. Obviously on a much smaller scale, but the Californians who’ve moved here have followed it. They’re happy to see it and have a taste of home.”
Franchisee Steve Ziegler is developing the pizza brand in communities near Frisco, Texas.
For the Texas growth, Metevier said the brand is mainly focusing on the metro areas of Dallas, Houston and Austin. Along with Ziegler’s location in Lewisville, a community close to Frisco, Mountain Mike’s has 30 units in development in Dallas and Houston.
Ziegler knows he can’t just rely on California transplants, though, which is why he’s drawing on his background in the corporate space and as a franchisee.
He opened his first Jersey Mike’s restaurant in 2008 after 23 years in the corporate world, including time at JCPenney. He said Mountain Mike’s systems and structures are strong and remind him of his time with JCPenney, making the decision to franchise easy.
Ziegler also said it fit a community need. Full-service pizzerias dwindled following the pandemic, he said, making it the time right to swoop in and rebuild the model with the California style of pizza he knew.
“Family-oriented pizza business was one thing I felt was missing in north Texas,” Ziegler said. “A place where teams can gather, where there’s an arcade for the kids, liquor sales for adults and an overall place where people can have a good time.”
Ziegler added the atmosphere and quality of the brand will help it stand out in a category full of competitors.
Jim Metevier
“It comes down to high quality,” Ziegler said. “I think when you compete on price, it’s going to be hard to beat the leaders in the industry, and that’s not who we are. We are about community and quality.”
In the immediate future, Metevier said Mountain Mike’s is ready to expand in communities west of the Mississippi, with a strategy that balances new markets and filling in existing areas. The growth, though, must be measured.
“We can put some number out there, and you see it all the time, with people saying ‘we’re going to build 1,000 restaurants,’” Metevier said. “I’m not about those types of numbers. The one number I’m about is 100, as in 100 percent of our franchisees should be successful. So, we’re very thoughtful on the selection of franchisees and the sites where we build.”
By the end of 2026, Metevier said the brand looks to reach 400 units, and eventually surpass 500. From there, he said Mountain Mike’s can reach the status of a national player.
“It will snowball,” Metevier said. “Once you plant the flag and people have a place to visit and know the brand, there’s more and more people who will get interested.”