Rocky Rococo facts for kids
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| Private | |
| Industry | Restaurant, delivery |
| Founded | Madison, Wisconsin, U.S. (1974) |
| Headquarters | Oconomowoc, Wisconsin,
United States
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Number of locations
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31 (as of 2025) |
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Key people
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| Products | Pizza, pasta, salad |
| Revenue | US$ 41,000,000 |
| Parent | Rocky Rococo Corporation |
Rocky Rococo Pizza and Pasta is a popular chain of restaurants in North America. They are famous for their delicious pan-style pizza, which you can buy by the slice! The first Rocky Rococo restaurant opened in Madison, Wisconsin, in 1974. It was started by two friends, Wayne Mosley and Roger Brown. They got the name "Rocky Rococo" from a fun character created by a comedy group called the Firesign Theatre in 1969. The restaurant chain grew quite a lot, reaching 120 stores by 1986. As of 2025, there are 31 Rocky Rococo locations. Most of these, 30, are in Wisconsin, and one is in Minnesota.
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How Rocky Rococo Started
Wayne Mosley and Roger Brown opened their very first pizza place in Madison, Wisconsin, in 1974. They wanted a catchy name for their new restaurant. They found inspiration from a character named "Rocky Rococo." This character was created in 1969 by a comedy group called the Firesign Theatre. He appeared in one of their funny stories on their album How Can You Be in Two Places at Once When You're Not Anywhere at All. The character was a bit like a detective's villain. The name "Rocky Rococo" was also a playful nod to a character from a the Beatles song called "Rocky Raccoon".
Designing the Rocky Rococo Look
To create the restaurant's look, Mosley and Brown hired an artist from Madison. This artist drew a character for their logo that looked a bit like the "White Spy" from Mad Magazine. They also hired an actor named Jim Pederson to play their mascot, "Rocky Rococo." He dressed up as a cool Italian character with a mustache, a white suit, a wide-brimmed hat, and sunglasses.
A Name Dispute
In 1975, the comedy group the Firesign Theatre visited the first Rocky Rococo Pizza. They thought it was funny that a restaurant used their character's name. They even gave the owners pictures signed "To Rocky, from Rocky" to hang on the wall. However, in 1985, when the pizza chain had grown to 62 restaurants, the Firesign Theatre sent a letter. They said they owned the name "Rocky Rococo."
The restaurant owners looked into similar cases. They found a story about a pizza place in Texas called Conan's. That restaurant had also used a famous character's name without permission. Because the creator of the Conan the Barbarian comic had supported the restaurant, the lawsuit against Conan's failed. So, the Firesign Theatre and Rocky Rococo Pizza decided to settle their disagreement outside of court.
By 1986, the Rocky Rococo chain had grown to 120 stores. In 1988, Wayne Mosley and Roger Brown sold the rights to the franchise to Tom Hester and a group of investors.
Where You Can Find Rocky Rococo
As of 2025, there are 31 Rocky Rococo locations. Most of these, 30, are in Wisconsin, and one is in Minnesota. A location in Spokane, Washington, closed in 2020 after being open for 35 years. In the past, Rocky Rococo also had restaurants in many other states, including Florida, Iowa, Colorado, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Missouri, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, and Ohio.
See also
