Mr. Gatti's Pizza facts for kids
 |
|
| Private | |
| Industry | Restaurant |
| Founded | 1964 in Stephenville, Texas, USA |
| Founder | James Eure |
| Headquarters | Fort Worth, Texas, USA |
|
Number of locations
|
120 (Open and in development) |
|
Areas served
|
Southern United States |
| Products | Pizza Delivery, Salad bar, Pizza Buffet, Pizza Pickup, Family Entertainment |
| Owner | Sovrano LLC |
Mr. Gatti's Pizza is a popular restaurant chain. It is famous for its pizza buffets. You can find these restaurants mostly in the Southern and Southeastern United States. The main office for the company is in Fort Worth, Texas.
Contents
How Mr. Gatti's Pizza Started
In 1964, a man named James R. Eure opened a restaurant. He was a retired Air Force officer. His first restaurant was in his hometown of Stephenville, Texas. It served both pizza and hamburgers.
Later, in 1969, James Eure moved to Austin, Texas. There, he opened a new pizza restaurant. He called it "The Pizza Place." To make his restaurant special, he held a contest. He wanted a unique name. His wife's maiden name was Gatti. This name won the contest! So, "The Pizza Place" became "Mr. Gatti's Pizza."
In 1974, James Eure sold his 18 Mr. Gatti's restaurants. A group of investors bought them. But he kept a few of his own. The new owners helped the company grow. They opened more restaurants in Texas and other states. The company has been owned by different groups over the years.
Fun and Games at Gatti's
By the 1980s, Mr. Gatti's started to look more modern. Many restaurants added a game room. They also added a buffet bar. This made dining even more fun.
In the 1990s, the game rooms got even bigger. This idea was called "GattiLand." They added more arcade games. Some places even had bumper cars! The entrance to the game room often had an orange canopy. It said, "Welcome to GattiLand - Family Fun & Games." Some famous GattiLand spots were in Louisville, Kentucky, Abilene, Texas, and Round Rock, Texas.
In 1997, Mr. Gatti's created a new idea called "GattiTown." The first GattiTown opened in Austin, Texas. These restaurants looked like a small town's "Main Street." They had a buffet and many dining rooms. They also had a "Midway" game room. This area had lots of arcade games. It even had a big carousel!
Gatti's in the New Millennium
Some Mr. Gatti's locations are known as GattiTown. These are very large. They are called Family Entertainment Concepts (FEC). They have huge gaming areas and attractions.
In 2004, a company called Blue Sage Capital bought the chain. Three years later, in 2007, they changed the name. Mr. Gatti's became "Gatti's Pizza." This was to keep up with new trends.
In 2011, Blue Sage announced big plans. They would build four new, very large Gatti's restaurants. These would be like the GattiTown model. They were huge, between 45,000 and 60,000 square feet. These new places often had bumper cars and go-karts. They also featured miniature golf and miniature bowling. These large locations opened in places like Clearwater, Florida, and El Paso, Texas. Some older Gatti's Pizza restaurants were also updated. They became smaller GattiTowns in places like Corbin, Kentucky.
In June 2015, Blue Sage sold Gatti's Pizza. A company called Sovrano, LLC bought it. Michael Poates became the new president and CEO. In February 2016, Sovrano, LLC changed the name back. It became "Mr. Gatti's Pizza" again. This was because most people still searched for "Mr. Gatti's Pizza."
In January 2019, Sovrano LLC faced financial challenges. They filed for bankruptcy protection. This means they needed to reorganize their business. About 70 locations in eight states stayed open.
As of 2024, the Mr. Gatti's website lists 75 locations. Most of these are in Texas and Kentucky. You can also find them in Louisiana, Indiana, Alabama, Tennessee, Ohio, and Oklahoma.
More About Restaurants
- List of pizza chains of the United States
- List of buffet restaurants
