Cassano's Pizza King facts for kids
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Former Cassano's location in Springboro, Ohio.
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| Private | |
| Industry | Food wholesale |
| Founded | Dayton, Ohio, USA (June 4, 1953) |
| Headquarters | Dayton, Ohio, USA |
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Key people
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Vic Cassano, Sr. (Co-founder, d. 2002), Vic Cassano Jr. (d. 2010) |
| Products | Pizza, Subs, Salads |
Cassano's Pizza King, now known simply as Cassano's, is a popular pizzeria chain. It started in Dayton, Ohio, and is famous for its unique Dayton-style pizza.
The company was founded on June 4, 1953. A grocer named Victor "Vic" J. Cassano, Sr. started it with his mother-in-law, Caroline "Mom" Donisi. Today, Cassano's has many restaurants in the Dayton area. They also have locations in other parts of Ohio and even in Quincy, Illinois, and Hannibal, Missouri.
You might also see Cassano's Pizza Express kiosks in gas stations and stores. The company also sells frozen pizza dough called Cassano's Fresh Frozen Dough Company. For a while, from the mid-1980s to 1997, the chain was called Cassano's Pizza and Subs.
In the 1970s, Cassano's was recognized as one of the top four pizza chains in the United States. In 2016, a special Ohio Historical Marker was placed in Kettering, Ohio, to honor Cassano's Pizza King.
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What Makes Cassano's Pizza Special?
Cassano's traditional pizza is known as "Dayton Style Pizza." It's similar to St. Louis-style pizza and tavern-style pizza. This pizza has a very thin, crispy crust that tastes a bit salty.
Instead of being cut into wedges, it's usually cut into small rectangular pieces. This is often called a "party cut." Another local pizza place in Dayton, Marion's Piazza, also uses this unique style.
How Cassano's Pizza Grew and Changed
Over the years, Cassano's grew quite a bit. They even had franchises in states like Pennsylvania, Kentucky, and Indiana. At one point, the chain had over 100 locations!
Vic Cassano, Jr. took over the company. Later, he sold it to a company called Greyhound Food Management in 1986. At that time, Cassano's had 48 locations. Greyhound wanted to open many more new restaurants each year. They even tried opening delivery-only stores in Columbus, Ohio.
However, Cassano's pizza was more expensive than some competitors. It was harder for them to compete in the delivery-only market. Greyhound also changed some classic menu items. The big expansion plans didn't work out, and many new stores had to close.
In 1989, Vic Cassano Jr. and Randy Leasher bought the company back. They faced more challenges. In 1995, the company had 43 restaurants and filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. This is a legal step for companies to reorganize their finances.
Despite these difficulties, new ideas helped. The wholesale dough business, which started in 1994, became successful. The Cassano's Pizza Express kiosks also launched in 1999. But the number of full-service restaurants kept shrinking for a while.
Turning Things Around
Vic Cassano Jr. was determined to make Cassano's strong again. He got help from experts to improve the company's finances. They worked hard to pay off debts and manage money better.
Even though more locations had to close at first, the chain began to grow again. By 2003, they had 38 restaurants. The company saw an increase in pizza orders.
New Ways to Order and Grow
In 2004, Cassano's opened a special call center at its main office. This allowed people to call one number to order pizza from any location. This call center was one of only a few for pizza chains in the U.S. It helped Cassano's business grow by 20 percent in its first year.
Vic Cassano Jr. also planned to update or move every store. He wanted to make sure delivery service reached even more homes. In 2005, sales increased, and a new restaurant opened.
In 2006, there were plans to open four new pizzerias in the Dayton area. They also planned to rebuild an existing store. By 2007, the chain had 33 locations. Vic Cassano Jr. announced plans to invest in new machines for making dough. He also planned to add new stores and move others.
Vic Cassano Jr. passed away on May 28, 2010.
In 2010, several restaurants were moved or updated. The company also added online ordering to its website. They even planned to sell frozen pizzas online. At this time, Cassano's had 500 employees and many company-owned and franchise locations.
In 2011, Cassano's planned to open another location in Piqua, Ohio. Pizza Today magazine ranked Cassano's among the top pizza companies in the U.S. based on sales.
Selling Pizza Dough
Cassano's pizza dough is made at a special facility in Kettering. It's quickly frozen before being sent to restaurants. Since 1994, this frozen dough is also sold to other businesses, like caterers, through Cassano's Fresh Frozen Dough Company.
See also
