# Pizza Inn removes five planned buffet openings from fiscal 2027 forecast

> Source: https://qsr.pro/articles/pizza-inn-five-openings-fiscal-2027-forecast
> Publisher: QSR Pro
> Last content update: 2026-11-10T13:50:00.666667+00:00


The ten-buffet agreement’s first five restaurants are no longer expected to open in fiscal 2027.

Published: 2026-11-10T13:50:00.666667+00:00

By QSR Pro Staff

![Pizza Inn removes five planned buffet openings from fiscal 2027 forecast](https://gadzwjyojqpwmxtgebnh.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/article-images/editorial-illustrations/20260925-daily-20260925-rave-year-end-franchise-mix-620af62692c5.webp)

*AI-generated illustration: QSR.pro. Conceptual artwork.*

RAVE Restaurant Group no longer expects any of the first five restaurants in Pizza Inn’s ten-buffet development agreement to open in fiscal 2027, the franchisor [said November 9](https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2026/11/09/3398919/0/en/rave-restaurant-group-inc-reports-first-quarter-2027-results.html).

The [September 24 announcement](https://investors.raverg.com/news-events/press-releases/detail/87/rave-restaurant-group-inc-reports-fourth-quarter-and-fiscal-year-end-2026-financial-results), which [QSR.pro covered at the time](https://qsr.pro/articles/pizza-inn-10-buffet-development-agreement-2026), described an agreement with a multi-brand operator experienced in pizza but new to Pizza Inn. RAVE anticipated the first five openings in fiscal 2027. CEO Brandon Solano presented the deal as part of a push for stronger expansion after five consecutive years of modest store growth. Pizza Inn’s buffet count had increased by one net restaurant in fiscal 2026.

In the [November update](https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2026/11/09/3398919/0/en/rave-restaurant-group-inc-reports-first-quarter-2027-results.html), Solano attributed the revision to unspecified recent events involving that operator. RAVE did not name the operator, provide a replacement schedule or announce that the agreement had been cancelled.

## Buffets grow as smaller formats contract

Pizza Inn’s latest operating counts show where expansion has continued. During the first quarter, which ended September 27, domestic buffets rose from 80 to 81, with one opening and no closures, according to RAVE’s [quarterly filing](https://investors.raverg.com/sec-filings/all-sec-filings/content/0001140361-26-042780/ef20083517_10q.htm). Six closures in the combined delivery/carryout and franchised Express group reduced those formats from 11 locations to five. Across those domestic formats, Pizza Inn ended with 86 restaurants, down from 91.

The company [identified Gilbert, South Carolina](https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2026/11/09/3398919/0/en/rave-restaurant-group-inc-reports-first-quarter-2027-results.html), as its first-quarter buffet opening. A buffet in Warner Robins, Georgia, opened early in the second quarter, placing it after the September 27 count.

Existing restaurants also faced a softer sales quarter. Domestic Pizza Inn comparable retail sales fell 4.2% from the prior-year quarter, the [filing shows](https://investors.raverg.com/sec-filings/all-sec-filings/content/0001140361-26-042780/ef20083517_10q.htm). That measure covers restaurants open at least 18 months and excludes those closed for seven consecutive days or longer.

## What buffet development involves

A buffet brings a larger dining operation than Pizza Inn’s smaller formats. RAVE’s [annual report](https://investors.raverg.com/sec-filings/all-sec-filings/content/0001140361-26-037514/ef20075484_10k.htm) describes standard buffets of 1,800 to 9,600 square feet, seating 50 to 300 customers. They offer dine-in, carryout and catering, with many also delivering. Delivery/carryout restaurants occupy about 1,200 square feet and generally have no seating; franchised Express outlets typically use 200 to 400 square feet with limited or no seating.

The [same filing](https://investors.raverg.com/sec-filings/all-sec-filings/content/0001140361-26-037514/ef20075484_10k.htm) describes site review that includes trade-area demographics and a visit by a development-team member to each potential domestic location. New franchisees receive on-site help from company employees for their first two openings under development agreements. Training covers food preparation, service, cost control, sanitation, safety and personnel management. The company offers initial and some supplemental training without charge, while franchisees pay travel and lodging. These are general features of the franchise system, rather than disclosed findings about the delayed restaurants.

RAVE had already added staff to support buffet expansion. In its [May 7 results](https://investors.raverg.com/news-events/press-releases/detail/86/rave-restaurant-group-inc-reports-third-quarter-2026-results), CFO Jay Rooney said a second franchise salesperson joined during the quarter ended March 29, alongside increased travel spending to approve and develop restaurant sites. A construction director joined early in the following quarter. Rooney described the spending as investment in new Pizza Inn buffets and said the construction role was intended to accelerate restaurant-count growth.

The [latest quarterly filing](https://investors.raverg.com/sec-filings/all-sec-filings/content/0001140361-26-042780/ef20083517_10q.htm) still anticipates modest growth in both domestic and international Pizza Inn unit counts in future periods, without specifying an opening schedule.

Category: [Operations & Management](https://qsr.pro/categories/operations)