Cicis Pizza facts for kids
Logo
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Trade name
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Cicis Pizza |
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| Private | |
| Industry | Restaurants Franchising |
| Genre |
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| Founded | 1985 Plano, Texas, United States |
| Founders | Joe Croce Mike Cole |
| Headquarters | Coppell, Texas |
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Number of locations
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234 (2025) |
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Key people
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Jeff Hetsel (CEO) |
| Products | Pizza, salad, pasta, chicken wings, desserts |
| Owner | D&G Investors |
Cicis Pizza, also known simply as Cicis, is an American restaurant chain. It is famous for its pizza buffet. The company's main office is in Coppell, Texas. Cicis started in 1985 and began letting other people open their own Cicis restaurants (called franchising) by 1987.
In 2015, the company changed its name to just "Cicis." They also updated their logo and website. This change was part of a plan to show that Cicis offers more than just pizza.
Contents
The Story of Cicis Pizza
Cicis Pizza was started in 1985. It was founded by Joe Croce and Mike Cole in Plano, Texas. By 2001, Cicis had 363 restaurants. They started making their buffets bigger and updating their restaurant designs.
Just four years later, Cicis had over 500 locations. It was growing faster than any other pizza chain in the United States.
In 2003, Joe Croce retired from the business. He gave ownership of the company to his executive team. Craig Moore, who worked as a general manager, became a vice president. He later became president of the company. Moore helped Cicis grow its operations and franchise locations.
After Moore retired in 2009, Michael Shumsky became the new CEO. Later, Darin Harris took over in 2013. Bill Mitchell became the CEO in 2018.
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In 2010, Cicis announced big plans. They wanted to open 500 more restaurants in the next 10 years. They even thought about opening restaurants in other countries like Canada and Mexico.
What Kinds of Food Does Cicis Offer?
Cicis is known for its wide variety of pizzas. They have classic kinds like pepperoni, meat-lovers, and veggie pizza. You can also find specialty pizzas. These include macaroni and cheese pizza, barbeque pork pizza, and Buffalo chicken pizza. In 2022, they even offered a huge 28-inch pizza called "Piezilla."
Beyond pizza, Cicis offers many other items. You can find chicken wings, different kinds of pasta, and fresh salads. They also have soups. For dessert, Cicis has sweet dessert pizzas, cinnamon buns, and fudge brownies.
Cicis Faces Challenges and Recovers
In 2021, Cicis faced some financial difficulties. This was mainly due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Because Cicis is a buffet restaurant, it was harder for them to offer delivery services.
The company worked out a deal to sell itself to its main lender, D&G Investors. Just two months after facing these challenges, Cicis successfully recovered. They completed the sale and continued their operations.
Awards and Recognition for Cicis
Cicis Pizza has received several awards over the years. From 2004 to 2009, it was ranked third in the pizza category. This was for the "Consumers' Choice in Chains" contest by Restaurants & Institutions magazine. This award is based on what customers think of different restaurant chains.
In March 2009, Men's Health magazine also praised Cicis Pizza. They gave Cicis "top marks" for offering healthy food choices. This was part of their list of 66 major chain restaurants.
See also
- List of buffet restaurants
