Pizza Inn has signed a development agreement for 10 buffet restaurants with a multi-brand operator new to the chain, parent Rave Restaurant Group said September 24. The operator has pizza-industry experience. Rave anticipates the first five restaurants will open in fiscal 2027.
The agreement follows earlier investment in development staff. In a May 7 release, CFO Jay Rooney said Rave had added a second franchise salesperson during the quarter ended March 29 and increased travel spending to approve and develop restaurant sites. A construction director joined early in the following quarter. Rooney described that spending as investment in expanding Pizza Inn's buffet network.
Rave's annual filing says its development team visits each potential domestic site and new franchisees receive on-site training for their first two openings under development agreements.
Pizza Inn ended fiscal 2026 on June 28 with 80 domestic buffets, up from 79 a year earlier. Four opened and three closed. Across all formats, its domestic network shrank from 96 locations to 91.
Buffets offer dine-in, carryout and catering; many also deliver. Pizza Inn also had four delivery/carryout restaurants and seven franchised Express outlets at year end. Its last licensed Pizza Inn Express kiosk, a separate format, had closed.
The September results showed Pizza Inn's domestic comparable sales up 2.4% for fiscal 2026 and down 2.8% in the fourth quarter, both year over year.
Rave also disclosed that CEO Brandon Solano had alleged workplace harassment and discrimination by its board in a compensation-related complaint. The company said it engaged Hagan Law Group September 1 to investigate. The September 24 filing described the investigation as pending.
QSR Pro Staff
The QSR Pro editorial team covers the quick service restaurant industry with in-depth analysis, data-driven reporting, and operator-first perspective.
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