Mountain Mike’s Pizza took home the top honor at Pizza Marketplace’s top brand of 2025. Cicis Pizza won a special award from Xrobotics, and David McKillips was the top executive for the year.
California-based Mountain Mike’s Pizza took top honors on Pizza Marketplace’s 2025 Top 100 Movers & Shakers list and was honored last Tuesday at a gala event at the Las Vegas Country Club.
Mountain Mike’s Pizza has more than 300 units in operation across nine states. In 2024, the brand inked dozens of franchise deals from coast to coast and opened more than 20 locations, including highly anticipated debuts in Houston, Seattle, Colorado Springs and Los Angeles. It is on track to hit 400 units systemwide by the end of 2026 and has a strong leadership team to back up that aggressive growth.
“Mountain Mike’s Pizza is everything a chain should be,” said Mandy Detwiler, editor of Pizza Marketplace. “The brand’s growth is impressive, but so, too, is the team behind it. This is how legends are made!”
To make the Top 100 list, which includes the Top 75 brands and the Top 25 pizza industry executives, brands nominated themselves and were vetted by a panel of judges. They measured their growth, use of technology and leadership in the industry. The event was sponsored by HungerRush, Burkett Restaurant Equipment, Atmosphere and XRobotics.
During the gala event, Cicis Pizza was awarded the Visionary in Technology Award given out XRobotics for the brand’s outstanding commitment to innovation and technology.
Pizza Marketplace’s Top Executive for the year was David McKillips, president and CEO of CEC Entertainment, parent company to Chuck E. Cheese and Peter Piper Pizza.
“David has helped mold the entertainment industry with Chuck E. Cheese’s impressive 45-year legacy,” Detwiler said. “With family fun centers and its new Adventure Zones, Chuck E. Cheese isn’t sitting on its laurels. Instead, it is working toward its bright future under him helm.”
Nominations for the Pizza Marketplace Top 100 Movers & Shakers 2026 list will open this December.
CLICK HERE to read the full list of 75 top brands and 25 top executives.
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