How nostalgia keeps Mountain Mike’s on the growth track

Can dine-in pizza still work? This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features a trio of executives from Mountain Mike’s Pizza: co-CEO and brand owners Chris Britt and Ed St. Geme and COO Jim Metevier. Mountain Mike’s is a California-based chain that operates about 270 locations. Britt and St. Geme bought the chain about six years ago. The trio talk about the history of the brand and its growth since Britt and St. Geme acquired the company. They talk about the impact the pandemic has had on its takeout and delivery business, which has grown strongly over the past three years. But they also talk about the pull of the chain’s dine-in business. Dine-in pizza has struggled over the years but there is some evidence that people are coming back to it, either for nostalgia reasons or to get out of the house. Brands with an entertainment element have done well and Mountain Mike’s may help prove that. We also have some interesting discussions the owners’ time as Burger King operators.