Round Table Pizza
TypeSubsidiary
Founded1959 (1959)
Menlo Park, California, United States
FounderWilliam R. Larson
Headquarters
Atlanta, Georgia
,
United States
Number of locations
400+[2]
Key people
Paul Damico (CEO)
ProductsPizza, chicken wings, salads
ParentFAT Brands
Websitewww.roundtablepizza.com

Round Table Pizza is a chain and franchise of pizza parlours in the Western United States. The first Round Table Pizza restaurant was opened in 1959, and the company has over 400 restaurants. The company is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia.[3]

Overview

The company currently operates two formats. Traditional Round Table Pizza restaurants serve primarily pizza, salads, and beverages. A new format, Round Table Pizza Clubhouse - Pizza Pub Play, features expanded entertainment with arcade games for children and big-screen TVs with sports programming, as well as an expanded menu and craft beer selection.[4]

History

Updated version of the Round Table Pizza logo designed by William R. Larson.

Round Table Pizza was founded by William R. Larson.[5][6] Larson was born in San Jose, California, on January 30, 1933, and was raised in Palo Alto, California. After serving 4 years in the U.S. Navy, Larson worked several different jobs, gaining experience that ultimately led him to create his own restaurant.[7][8] He opened his first pizza parlor in Menlo Park, California on December 21, 1959 located at 1235 El Camino Real.[5] He called his new restaurant Round Table Pizza. He named the restaurant Round Table Pizza after the round redwood tables he and his father constructed.[9]

This original location in Menlo Park would eventually be moved to 1225 El Camino Real a few years later, where it still stands today and is owned and operated by Bob Larson, William's son.[10] As of 2020, Bob Larson still owns and operates the original Menlo Park location.[11]

According to PizzaMarketPlace.com, "William's developed recipe & crust soon brought Round Table Pizza a strong following from customers and entrepreneurs."[12] By 1978 under Larson's direction, Round Table had amassed over 225 stores.[13][14] In 2011, the company filed for protection under Chapter 11 with the U.S. bankruptcy court and emerged from bankruptcy the same year.[15] The Consensual Plan of Reorganization provides for 100% repayment of obligations to its secured and unsecured creditors and for its employee owners to retain 100% ownership of the company. Since then, the company met all obligations and its financial strength steadily improved with the retirement of debt and the increase in cash flow.[16]

In 2014, the company signed a 35-store development agreement to build restaurants in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait, and Qatar.[17] As of 2016, more than 450 franchised and company-owned locations were in Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington.[18] On September 15, 2017, Round Table Pizza announced that it was acquired by Global Franchise Group.[19] In the same month, September 2017, Round Table Pizza closed all of the seven branches in Dubai.[20]

In 2019, Round Table Pizza rebranded on its 60th anniversary, including a new logo and a new motto: "Pizza Royalty". The chain also expanded to the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex for the first time in 2019, with new locations in Frisco and near the Southern Methodist University campus in University Park.[21]

On June 28, 2021, Global Franchise Group announced that it would be acquired by FAT Brands, owners of Fatburger and Johnny Rockets.[22] The acquisition was completed on July 22.[23]

Marketing

William Larson penned the slogan for Round Table "share a little pizza with someone you love." This was later changed to "The Last Honest Pizza."[7] In 1961, a friend of Larson's drew some sketches of members of King Arthur's court eating pizza, and Larson then adopted the King Arthur theme for his restaurants.[24] The three banners in the official logo were added in 1970, and are intended to symbolize the letters "F-U-N".[24] Round Table Pizza began to expand through franchising.[25]

Larson sold a portion of Round Table stock to a group of investors in 1979. The investors formed an employee stock ownership plan in 1985, and by 1992, Round Table Pizza was wholly employee owned.[26] Larson sold about 75% of the private franchise corporation to partners in 1978. In 1995 the controlling partners bought out Larson's remaining 25%.[1]

From around 2003 until 2005, Round Table Pizza's official mascots were two puppets, Matt and Marcus, that appeared in the company's television commercials.[27] In 2007, Round Table Pizza's mascot became the Pizza Knight, "defender of family night."[28] Since that time, other spokespersons have been featured, including actor Billy Gardell.[29]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Anne H. Kim, "Did you know that Round Table Pizza started in Menlo?", The Almanac, Menlo Park, CA, January 26, 2000.
  2. ↑ "Number of Round Table Pizza locations in the United States". ScrapeHero. July 14, 2020. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
  3. ↑ "Round Table Pizza, Inc.: Private Company Information - Bloomberg". www.bloomberg.com. Retrieved 2016-11-28.
  4. ↑ "Round Table's New "Clubhouse" Concept Serving Up Sizzling Sales". RestaurantNews.com. Retrieved 2016-12-02.
  5. 1 2 Marek, Grant (18 November 2021). "The story of the man who still runs the first-ever Round Table". SFGATE. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
  6. ↑ "William R. Larson Sr. Obituary (2006) Mercury News". Legacy.com. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
  7. 1 2 "William R. Larson Sr". The Mercury News. 2006-11-28 – via PressReader.com.
  8. ↑ "Bill Larson, 73; founder of Round Table chain of pizza parlors". Los Angeles Times. November 21, 2006.
  9. ↑ Stolzoff, Simone (February 2, 2018). "These Two Silicon Valley Pizza Places Show The Challenges Posed By Automation And Inequality". Fast Company.
  10. ↑ "Revisiting Round Table Pizza just shy of its 60th anniversary". In Menlo. 3 August 2018.
  11. ↑ "The Family Business Founder's son still lives and breathes Round Table Pizza".
  12. ↑ "Bill Larson, founder of Round Table Pizza, dead at 73". Pizza Market Place. 16 November 2006.
  13. ↑ "The family business: Founder's son still lives and breathes Round Table Pizza". Round Table Pizza Franchise. July 13, 2016. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
  14. ↑ "50 Years of Fresh Pizza". InMenlo.com. 17 September 2009.
  15. ↑ "Round Table Pizza Chapter 11 Petition" (PDF). PacerMonitor. Retrieved 31 May 2016.
  16. ↑ Ross, Andrew S. (December 22, 2011). "Round Table Pizza's supreme turnaround". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved January 2, 2015.
  17. ↑ "Round Table Pizza Expands into Bahrain with five country Development Agreement". Nations Restaurant News. Retrieved 6 May 2015.
  18. ↑ "Round Table Pizza to open in Camas". Camas-Washougal Post-Record. 2016-10-06. Retrieved 2016-11-28.
  19. ↑ Maze, Jonathan (15 September 2017). "Great American Cookies owner buys Round Table Pizza". Nation's Restaurant News.
  20. ↑ Clowes, Ed (September 15, 2017). "Round Table Pizza in Dubai has shut down". gulfnews.com. Retrieved 2020-09-23.
  21. ↑ Gubbins, Teresa (29 April 2019). "California restaurant chain Round Table orders up pizzas for SMU Dallas".
  22. ↑ Inc, FAT Brands (28 June 2021). "FAT Brands Inc. Agrees to Acquire Global Franchise Group for $442.5 million". GlobeNewswire News Room. Retrieved 1 September 2021. {{cite news}}: |last1= has generic name (help)
  23. ↑ Inc., FAT Brands (22 July 2021). "FAT Brands Completes Acquisition of Global Franchise Group". GlobeNewswire News Room. Retrieved 1 September 2021. {{cite news}}: |last1= has generic name (help)
  24. 1 2 Company website Archived 2006-10-16 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved January 12, 2007.
  25. ↑ "Obituaries: Bill Larson, 73, founder of Round Table chain of pizza parlors," Los Angeles Times, November 21, 2006, page B8
  26. ↑ "Bill Larson, founder of Round Table Pizza, dead at 73". pizzamarketplace.com. November 16, 2006. Retrieved January 2, 2015.
  27. ↑ Company website Archived 2007-09-27 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved January 12, 2007.
  28. ↑ Gianatasio, David (September 13, 2007). "Hungry peasants bow down to Pizza Knight". Adweek. Retrieved January 2, 2015.
  29. ↑ Daly, Sean (2015-09-20). "Comic Billy Gardell Opens Pizzeria In Orlando, May Turn Into Reality Show". TheTVPage.com. Retrieved 2020-09-23.
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