MOD Pizza is a fast-casual pizza joint that's taking the world by storm — and growing
at a ridiculous pace.
We decided to take a close look at what MOD is all about — from the company's philosophy
to its slew of topping options.
This is the untold truth of MOD Pizza.
In comparison to pizza giants like Pizza Hut and Domino's, MOD is definitely the new kid
on the block.
The chain's story began in Seattle, Washington in 2008.
Founders Scott and Ally Svenson were inspired to open their first pizza joint in their hometown,
but not because they felt the world really needed another pizza place.
Speaking to Q13 FOX in 2016, Scott recalled something Ally told him right off the bat:
'Listen, the last thing the world needs is another pizza chain.
So if we're going to do this, it has to have more meaning.'"
The Svensons wanted to create a workplace where employees could truly thrive.
As Ally explains it,
"We are unapologetically for-profit, but our purpose is to make a positive social impact."
Scott's background was in investment banking.
Ally formerly had a career in the publishing industry.
They're a truly unique pair.
"We started dating when I was fifteen."
"A teenage romance spawned in Bellevue High School."
In 1995, the couple changed course and opened Seattle Coffee Company in London.
They both left their day jobs to open the new business, and the leap of faith certainly
paid off: The Svensons sold Seattle Coffee Company to Starbucks for close to $90 million
in 1998.
Ten years later, they moved back to Seattle, explored the pizza scene, and MOD Pizza was
born.
"We're a overnight success ten years in the making."
It's not often that a company makes a concerted effort to hire people with criminal histories
— but MOD Pizza isn't your average company.
Their hiring practices are truly unique.
One of the reasons the Svensons wanted to open the restaurant was to offer a great place
to work, and they've embraced a wide variety of employees with different types of backgrounds
from the start.
As one employee puts it,
"It's people who have been out of the workforce for a long time.
It's single mothers who have limited availability and they got to raise kids and stuff.
It's people who have been in the military…"
MOD Pizza calls it "impact hiring."
According to Entrepreneur, the company happily partners with community organizations devoted
to offering career counseling for people who were incarcerated.
"I'd just gotten released from federal prison on a drug charge."
They also work closely with the Monarch School, an organization that helps people with ADHD
and autism find jobs.
As Ally Svenson told Entrepreneur,
"People go to job fairs [for impact employees] and hire two or three people.
But we just hire that way."
MOD doesn't keep track of its number of impact hires, but those hires reportedly prove to
be some of the most successful.
A lot has happened since that first MOD Pizza opened in downtown Seattle in 2008.
The chain has opened new locations left and right, growing at a ridiculous pace.
In May 2019, National Restaurant News reported that MOD Pizza was the fastest-growing Top
200 restaurant chain for a second year in a row.
In 2019 alone, MOD Pizza saw a 44.7 percent growth in sales, for a total of $390.7 million.
In May 2019, the company announced its plan to rapidly increase growth, with a goal of
1,000 locations over a five-year period, ultimately creating more than 14,000 new jobs.
The next expansion is set to develop locations in Canada, with their first expansion project
dedicated to Vancouver Island in British Columbia.
If there isn't a MOD Pizza near you, it's only a matter of time.
Walking into MOD is a pizza lover's dream come true.
You can basically get anything and everything on your pizza.
First you choose your crust — or there's even a salad option, if that's how you want
to roll.
As for toppings, there are six different types of sauces to get the party started, including
pesto and barbecue sauce, along with seven different types of cheese — including ricotta,
feta, and Gorgonzola.
You can choose one of nine different meat options — or choose all of them if you're
feeling wild.
But don't forget to leave room for all of the veggies: You can choose hot peppers, roasted
garlic, asparagus, and basically any vegetable you'd ever want.
Best of all, customers never have to pay more for additional toppings.
Sweet deal, no?
"At MOD, they all come out the same price.
No catch.
No surprises.
No problem!"
Budgeting can be tough when you're in college… but MOD makes it easy.
That's because you already know exactly how much money you're going to spend there.
The Svensons built the pizza chain on the idea of helping people enjoy great, delicious
food on a fixed income... and college students should definitely get in on the deal.
As we mentioned, the price is the same whether you add two or 22 ingredients to your pizza.
Writing for the Enterprise-Record in Chico, California, one college student discovered
that MOD Pizza is the perfect place to go with just $11 in your pocket.
That's enough to buy an incredibly filling lunch at MOD — and you'll even have some
leftovers for later.
Any student can pile the toppings on high, making their pizza more filling and ultimately
stretching their dollar.
At the end of the day, it's just a great deal — for college students, and anyone else.
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