Dive Brief:

• &pizza appointed Mike Burns as its CEO, succeeding co-founder and CEO Michael Lastoria, the company said Thursday in a press release emailed to Restaurant Dive. Lastoria will remain at the company as founder and support the brand, but Burns will manage day-to-day operations. 
• Burns, who joined the company in November, has over two decades of experience across QSR and fast casual chains, most recently serving as chief operating officer and executive vice president at Rave Restaurant Group. 
• Within his first 60 days as CEO, Burns has already helped drive a digital evolution for the brand, supporting an overhaul of its tech stack, launching a new website design, mobile app, loyalty program and upgraded point-of-sales system for its locations.

Dive Insight:

Prior to Burns’ arrival, &pizza’s digital channels were managed in-house and the tech stack was “cumbersome and demanded significant resources,” per the press release. As part of its digital transformation, the pizza chain partnered with Toast, Olo and Thanx. The new tech stack includes updated API integrations with third-party providers, refillable digital wallets and catering. It will eventually include kiosk ordering at restaurants, as well. 

Burns pulled from his experience as EVP and COO at Rave to help with this tech transition. In his previous position, he oversaw operations, training, development, franchise sales, supply chain and IT, according to his LinkedIn profile. Burns’ experience also includes a stint as VP of operations for Pei Wei Asian Kitchen and over a decade with Bojangles, where he oversaw over 170 corporate-owned locations as area director. 

Among the biggest changes to customer facing technology at &pizza was its new loyalty program, dubbed “Dead Presidents Club,” which is available in its new iOS and Android apps. The tiered program has the following three statuses: Washington (bronze), Lincoln (silver) and Benjamin (gold). The Benjamin tier offers a birthday party package with 10 drinks and 10 pizzas, as well as a monthly free pizza and VIP Benjamin t-shirt, though Benjamin Franklin was never U.S. President.

Lincoln tier members can receive a free birthday dinner with two drinks and two pizzas along with monthly buy-one-get-one free pizzas and a VIP Lincoln shirt. New members, regardless of tier, receive an introductory reward of a free pie and complimentary birthday pizza. &pizza didn't provide information about how different the new program is from its previous loyalty structure, which was tied to a mobile phone number, awarded 10 points for ever dollar spent until members reached 5,000 points when they began receiving 11 points for every dollar spent. Upon reaching 10,000 points, members received 12 points per dollar.

Burns also helped the 55-unit chain go back to its roots as a cult favorite after it became a bit too “corporate” prior to the pandemic, according to QSR Magazine. Its streamlined menu seemed “boring” and the brand’s employees’ self-expression was limited. Now, employees can wear their hats backwards, wear piercings and show off their multi-colored hair.

Under Burns’ leadership, the company will bring back fan favorites like Farmer’s Daughter pie, which has a fried egg, slices of sausage and strips of bacon, this year. Other pizzas like Moonstruck Pizza, which were taken off the menu due to operational difficulties, have been tweaked and are easier for employees to handle.

The new CEO also changed up &pizza’s operational structure. Previously, 40 restaurants in the Washington, D.C., metro area were managed by one district manager. Burns has centralized operations in D.C., led by one vice president of operations, and promoted five employees to district manager positions so no one employee is overseeing more than eight units, per QSR Magazine. 

The chain, which had been fully company-operated since its founding in 2012, entered the franchising realm last year by refranchising three units in New Jersey, QSR reported. The company plans to look for additional operators later this year and will open its newest corporate-owned location in August, with other locations expected early next year.