America's appetite for pizza appears to be going strong, as restaurant chain MOD Pizza was named the fastest-growing chain in the country.
Though the fast-casual brand sits in 105th place in a Technomic ranking of the top 500 chains, it took first place in terms of growth for its remarkable 44% increase in 2018, a year which saw MOD Pizza opening 102 new locations.
77 of the new outlets were company-owned, whilst 22 were franchised and 4 were debuted in the United Kingdom, including one in London's iconic Leicester Square. In 2019, the chain is hoping to open about 100 new outlets.
Pizzas at MOD Pizza are highly customisable and offer customers a more artisanal experience than rival chains like Dominos and Pizza Hut without breaking the bank - an 11-inch pizza costs just $8 USD, with no additional charge for up to 30 toppings.
MOD Pizza generated $312 million USD in 2018, its tenth year of operation. The company was started by husband and wife team Scott and Ally Svenson in 2008 in Seattle. Previously, the duo owned and operated Seattle Coffee Company, which they sold to Starbucks for $84 million in 1998.
