Hungry Howie's Pizza facts for kids
 |
|
A (now closed) Hungry Howie's Pizza in Athens, Ohio
|
|
|
Trade name
|
Hungry Howie's Pizza |
|---|---|
| Private | |
| Industry | Restaurant |
| Founded | 1973 in Taylor, Michigan |
| Founder | James Hearn |
| Headquarters | Madison Heights, Michigan |
|
Key people
|
James R. Hearn (founder) Steven E. Jackson (CEO) |
| Products | Pizza |
| Revenue | $280.0 million (2009) |
Hungry Howie's Pizza & Subs, Inc., often called Hungry Howie's Pizza, is a well-known pizza chain. It is one of the largest pizza companies in the United States. They have more than 550 locations across many states. Hungry Howie's offers a variety of foods. These include pizzas, calzone-style subs, chicken wings, and salads. They also sell bread, cookies, and brookies. The company's main office is in Madison Heights, Michigan.
Contents
The Story of Hungry Howie's
How It All Started
Hungry Howie's began in 1973. A person named James Hearn opened the very first store. It was located on Telegraph Road in Taylor, Michigan. At that time, Steve Jackson worked for Hearn, delivering pizzas.
The pizza place quickly became popular. Many students from nearby schools would hang out there. James Hearn and Steve Jackson decided to work together. In 1982, they chose to let other people open Hungry Howie's stores. This is called franchising.
Growing Across the Country
The first Hungry Howie's franchise opened in 1983. The company grew very fast. Within just three years, there were 65 franchised locations. By 1990, the number of stores had reached 160.
In 2005, Hungry Howie's opened its 500th store. Today, there are over 550 Hungry Howie's franchises. You can find them in 22 different states across the country.
Famous Flavored Crust
Hungry Howie's is famous for its "Flavored Crust Pizza." They even call themselves "Home of the Flavored Crust Pizza." This special idea came from one of their store owners. That owner put sesame seeds and butter on their pizza crusts.
James Hearn and Steve Jackson liked the idea. They started testing different flavors. In 1985, they launched eight different flavored crust options.
Current Crust Flavors
Today, you can choose from several tasty crust flavors. These include butter, butter cheese, and asiago cheese. Other options are ranch, cajun, sesame, and garlic herb. Italian herb crust was added in 2023. You can even mix and match different crust flavors if you want!
Love, Hope & Pizza Campaign
Since 2009, Hungry Howie's has supported a special cause. They work with the National Breast Cancer Foundation (NBCF). Their campaign is called "Love, Hope & Pizza." It helps raise money and awareness for breast cancer.
Every October, Hungry Howie's uses pink pizza boxes. For every pizza sold, they donate money to the NBCF. By September 2020, Hungry Howie's had donated over $3 million to the foundation.
Helping During Difficult Times
From September 28 to October 29, 2020, Hungry Howie's made a special pledge. They donated money from every pizza sold in a pink box. This money went to the NBCF's fund for COVID-19 relief. Customers could also donate online when ordering for the rest of 2020.
See also
