Blackjack Pizza facts for kids
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| Industry | Restaurants |
|---|---|
| Founded | June 29, 1983 |
| Headquarters | Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, U.S. |
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Key people
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Vince Schmuhl, Founder & President |
| Products | Pizza |
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Number of employees
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800 (estimated) |
Blackjack Pizza is a popular pizza delivery company. It started in Colorado in 1983. A person named Vince Schmuhl founded it. He used to work for Domino's Pizza. He wanted to give people another choice for pizza delivery. Blackjack Pizza grew to become the largest pizza chain in Colorado. It has about 800 employees. In 2013, a company called Askar Brands bought Blackjack Pizza.
Contents
The Story of Blackjack Pizza
How Blackjack Pizza Started
Vince Schmuhl was a college student. He delivered pizzas for Domino's Pizza. After college, he wanted to start his own business. He saw that there were not many big pizza delivery companies. So, he decided to create a new option.
Vince's parents helped him start the company. They gave him $10,000. This money helped him open the first Blackjack Pizza store. He named it "Blackjack Pizza" after the card game. He wanted to show that his pizza was fast. Also, "blackjack" and "dominoes" are both games. This showed that Blackjack Pizza was a new choice.
Growing the Pizza Business
The very first Blackjack Pizza store opened on June 29, 1983. It was in Federal Heights, Colorado. A second store opened soon after in Greeley, Colorado. By 1986, Blackjack Pizza had six company-owned stores. It also had its first franchised store. A franchise is when someone else pays to open a store using the company's name and rules.
The company's main office moved over time. By 1999, it was in Arapahoe County, Colorado. This area later became part of Centennial, Colorado. By 2018, Blackjack Pizza had grown a lot. It had 45 stores in five different states. Their slogan is "Better Pizza, Better Price."
Blackjack Pizza and Sports
Denver Broncos wide receiver Rod Smith used to be in Blackjack Pizza commercials. He was a famous football player. His slogan for the ads was "Stick with the home team." In 2008, Blackjack Pizza started a new ad campaign. It featured actors from a group called Impulse Theater.
Helping the Community
Blackjack Pizza has given money to many groups. In 2005, they donated over $8,800 to the Bonfils Blood Center Foundation. They did this through an "80 Cent Pizza Promotion." They also supported a program for young farmers. This program was for the National FFA Organization in Fort Morgan, Colorado.
In 2006, Blackjack Pizza had a special offer. Customers could order the "Children's Hospital Special." For every order, the company gave one dollar to the Children's Hospital in Aurora, Colorado. This helped kids who needed medical care.
New Ownership
On January 1, 2013, Blackjack Pizza was bought by another company. This company is called Askar Brands. Askar Brands is based in Michigan.
See also
- List of food companies
- List of pizza chains of the United States
