A Pizzana in Dallas. The eight-unit chain has five locations in Los Angeles. | Photo courtesy of Pizzana
The full-service Pizzana chain has a new CEO.
Actually, he’s not so new. Dan Harmon, formerly the CEO of Playa Bowls, moved to the helm of Pizzana in December. Harmon said he’s been quietly working on a plan to grow the eight-unit chain, and now he’s ready to talk about where Pizzana is headed.
First off, the chain, which is owned by Charles and Candace Nelson, of Sprinkles Cupcake fame, has moved its headquarters from Los Angeles to Dallas, where Harmon is based.
There are five Pizzana locations in the Los Angeles area, where it was born in 2017. But the chain now also operates two in Dallas and one in Houston. A second Houston restaurant, which will be the chain’s ninth unit, is scheduled to open toward the end of the year, or in early 2027, Harmon said.
In addition, Harmon is readying Pizzana to launch franchising.
“That’s really what I have been focused on since I walked in the door,” said Harmon. “It was really about how do we take it to the next level.”
Pizzana is known for artisanal Neapolitan-style pizzas. The Nelsons created it in partnership with Italian chef Daniele Uditi, originally from Naples, who has developed dough that is fermented for 48 hours and baked at a lower temperature (around 500 degrees).
Pizzana has twice been given a Michelin nod as a Bib Gourmand concept.
“We’re really focused on how we can continue to scale and think about growth without compromising on the quality and experience that’s made us successful in the first place,” said Harmon.
Pizzana is known for artisanal Neapolitan pizzas. | Photo courtesy of Pizzana.
The challenge will include developing a system for the dough, which will continue to use the two-day fermentation process. Pizzana has been experimenting with using a co-packer to ship dough to the units in Texas, for example.
Harmon is also looking at the layout of restaurants. “We brought in a designer to look at the kitchen from an efficiency standpoint and how we can scale it, and open it up for guests to see,” he said.
Pizzana is also testing lunch, with a new daytime menu in Dallas. The test recently came to one store in LA.
With just the dinner daypart, Pizzana units have an average unit volume of $3 million, Harmon said. Generally, restaurants are around 2,500-square feet, though the 2,300- to 2,500-square-foot range is likely for franchising.
Units in California have beer and wine, but Texas locations have a full bar, and that’s what Harmon would like to move forward with for franchising.
About 50% of sales come from delivery. Harmon said he’d love to see that shift more to dine-in. Adding the lunch daypart would help with that effort, he said.
Pizzana also has a robust loyalty program called Cacio Club, which has about 40,000 members now, and Harmon expects it will reach 65,000 by the end of the year. Membership has attractive perks, like a free pizza each month with a $25 spend, free birthday cake. $5 house wine and beer and more. Roughly 20% of sales comes from loyalty members.
Pizza as a category has had a rough few years.
The quick-service pizza segment has seen sales slip. Last year, six of the 10 top QSR pizza chains had negative sales, including Papa Johns, Marco’s, and Papa Murphy’s.
Pizza Hut is in the process of a sale, and fast-casual players have disappeared, filed bankruptcy or been decimated.
Harmon said the big challenge to the broader category is that “guests expect more.”
That’s where brands like Pizzana come in, he said.
“They’re looking for something more that has flavor, that has quality and is authentic, rather than something that’s thrown into a box that you’ll get through a third-party driver, however it’s been treated in that car, and then thrown on your doorstep,” he said.
“We’re creating a pizza that’s amazing, whether enjoyed in store or taken home to finish baking yourself,” he added. “I think that’s what makes us different.”
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