If you haven’t yet been to a Mod Pizza restaurant you’re really missing out on some great pizza. My first experience was taking a look at a specialty pizza the kids brought home. It didn’t look like anything special and the sprigs of fresh spinach looked very out of place.
It had a flat appearance and I was hesitant to take a bite. When I relented, this is when my world changed. Mod Pizza is the most amazing expression of the dish I’ve ever experienced. It’ worthy of exposition, so here are 20 things you didn’t know about Mod Pizza
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1. At Mod Pizza, it’s all about the people
Mod Pizza has a unique operating philosophy. Yes, they take pride in the pizzas that they make and they’re delicious, but they know that they’re good so they focus on the people.
They train their workers very carefully and make sure to pay living wages that give employees the resources that they need from the job. They’re a well-balanced organization that does not take advantage of their workers.
2. They’re classified as fast/casual
If you’ve never heard this term before, Mod Pizza could have easily opted for a more upscale atmosphere for their restaurants because they have an upscale flavor and uniqueness that screams high end and classy.
This wasn’t their vision. They offer a moderately priced fast food option in a laid back and casual environment. Their chain maintains this consistency throughout the 330 some locations throughout the nation.
3. They were founded in Seattle
Mod Pizza is a chain that started in the city of Seattle, Washington. They launched their first restaurant in 2008. Within ten years of being in business, they’ve expanded to include more than 330 locations.
4. Mod Pizza has gone international
Although founded in the United States, Mod Pizza has expanded its chain to the United Kingdom. This gives them international status. This isn’t uncommon for Seattle based companies that have the extra exposure to foreign interests. Seattle is a hub for international travel and if I lived in the UK, I’d want to have a Mod Pizza nearby as well.
5. Mod Pizzas are baked hot and fast
Mod pizzas have an unusually fresh flavor. They have a unique way of baking them. They place them in an 800 degree Fahrenheit oven and bake them for a scant three minutes. At this high heat, it’s hot enough to melt the cheese.
6. They offer three different sizes for their salads and pizzas
Mod pizza caters to the needs of its customers and treats each as the individuals they are. They offer three different sizes of the 10 classic pizzas on their menu.
You’re welcome to modify them as you please. they offer individual pizzas or those that can be shared. The three size options are mini, mod and mega. They bypassed the old familiar and traditional sizing of small medium and large and the terminology suits them well as a unique establishment.
7. Their beverage menu is amazing
For a pizza place, Mod Pizza has an amazing beverage section on their menu. It’s one of the best restaurants to go just for a hand-spun milkshake, for a beer or for a glass of wine. They offer it all and everything they serve seems to tie together so well.
8. They use a very special kind of flour
Mod Pizza uses a single brand of flour to make their pizzas. They use King Arthur Flour. This is the oldest flour company within the United States. They make their pizzas with fresh pressed dough and the combination of this unique flour and the process is what gives Mod pizzas their unique and fresh flavor.
9. You pay the same price regardless of the toppings
There are many pizza restaurants that charge their customers extra for each additional ingredient that they add to their pizza order. This is not the case with Mod Pizza.
It doesn’t matter if you add one or five ingredients they charge you the listed price for your pizza. They’re not concerned about making back-end sales that are overpriced. They’re doing well with the huge volume of sales and they don’t skimp when it comes to ensuring customer satisfaction.
10. Mod Pizza has great music and you can party to it 2 ways
Mod Pizza is known for playing some really great music from multiple genres. If you hang out there much, you’re likely to become addicted to it. There are two ways you can get a good dose of the Mod Music experience.
The first is by booking a party with them. They enjoy having a good party and some of the Mod restaurants offer community tables that you can reserve for a party. Other Mod restaurants which are a little larger have separate areas that they are happy to book for meetings or parties.
To find out which Mod restaurant participates in these events, contact the one that is located nearest to you. The second way to enjoy the rad music of Mod is to stream it by launching their music player.
Yep, this is something that they offer and there are more than two thousand tracks available that span across multiple decades and genres. You’ll hear selections from The Ramones, The Clash and much more.
11. Mod Pizza is an award-winning restaurant
This should come as no surprise that Mod Pizza has been recognized for its outstanding service. In 2015, Fortune Magazine gave it a ranking of number seven in their twenty best places to work in the retail category.
This is quite an achievement but it stands as evidence that they are keeping their promise to place the people first. It’s evident in the way that they treat their workers and their customers.
They also receive a Community Impact Award in 2015 by Seattle Business Magazine’s Job Creation and Workplace Development award. Mod Pizza has been the recipient of numerous other awards and recognition. One thing is for certain, they are definitely a positive element in the communities they call home.
12. They made national news in 2013
Mod Pizza was a new restaurant chain in 2013 and they hadn’t been in business long before they were officially recognized for their excellent performance in the fast food industry. They were named in the prestigious “Top 50 breakout Brands,” that is conferred by Nation’s Restaurant News.
This is a national award that is coveted by all serious restauranteurs. It was then that everyone began to realize that the new chain was an up and coming restaurant to keep your eye on, and they did not disappoint.
The same year Mod Pizza opened its first restaurant outside of Washington State in Beaverton, Oregon. Within just one more year, Mod Pizza had opened a total of 31 locations throughout Colorado, Texas, Arizona, Oregon, California, and Washington.
The company was growing at an impressive rate and they attracted private investment dollars in the amount of $15 million to continue with their rapid expansion.
While this can be a dangerous move for a new company, Mod Pizza was unique and special enough that it seemed everywhere they opened a new location, they achieved remarkable success with high patronage.
They quickly built loyalty among their customers by offering something that was new, fresh, healthy and focused on what people wanted. Mod Pizza even received financial backing from executives in the Dunkin Donut chain.
13. MOD stands for something meaningful
The name MOD Pizza at a first glance may seem to have a different meaning that it actually does. While the establishment certainly is modern and in vogue, MOD actually is an acronym that stands for Made On Demand.
This is because they customize each pizza in accordance with whatever the customer wants. They’ve taken the phrase “have it your way” to the sublime, although it’s never been quoted by anybody who works on the executive team.
That would be infringement and they have no need to steal from other fast food slogans. They don’t need to borrow from anyone else because what they have to offer is so unique that it can stand on its own without any help.
14. Mod Pizza has an interesting history.
The co-founders are Scott and Ally Svenson. They are also the founders of Seattle Coffee Company which is based out of the UK. Is it any wonder that MOD Pizza has made its way to the UK? They sold their company to Starbucks coffee in 1998.
Scott remained on as President of the European Starbucks. The couple also founded another restaurant in the UK with an Italian theme. Their hometown was Bellevue, Washington and after they started up Mod Pizza, they moved back to the Pacific Northwest. The couple has four sons who went to San Diego, California to establish their own pizza parlors.
There the four developed their own unique style with house pizzas of their own creations. This is where the inspiration for MOD Pizza comes from. It seems that a flair for amazing healthy fast food runs in the family because all of them achieved a moderate degree of success.
15. The Unique Decor of Mod Pizza is Family Friendly
The intention of the founders of Mod Pizza was to create an environment where everyone would feel welcome and comfortable. They achieved it with their simple and functional setting for each location that lends itself neatly to a DIY theme which is basically the style of pizza that they offer for their customers.
The environment of Mod Pizza is one that is highly functional yet it has a homey feeling about it. Each of the locations designs the interiors to match the local vibe and it is from the regional culture that they take their inspiration for interior design and decor.
16. New fundraising was never a problem
Mod Pizza has never had a problem with raising funds to expand their business. Savvy investors knew that they were on their way from one big success to another and what they were doing was working so well that they had to expand rapidly to keep up with the increasing demand.
They were able to raise an additional $40 million in new funding capital which added up to a total of $70 million in the investment fund to launch an aggressive strategy for national growth. The PWP Growth Equity company, a private equity fund was their main backer for this endeavor. It really wasn’t much of a risk and that fact had been well-established.
17. Mod Pizza offers a Vegan option also
Healthy pizza is their thing at Mod Pizza. They also make sure to offer pizza options for vegan and vegetarians. In fact, this is one of the best casual fast food establishments to go for this type of food.
They offer ingredients that can be customized to meet the criteria for practically any type of special diets. They have a dairy-free list of ingredients that are ideal for customers who require a diet that contains no dairy products whatsoever.
If you happen to have an allergy to nuts, it won’t be a problem at MOD Pizza because there is nothing on their menu that includes either tree nuts or ground nuts. You’re safe in ordering anything off their menu.
18. MOD doesn’t sell its franchises
Mod Pizza is a privately owned company that opens new locations, but the ownership remains within the company. They are growing at a rapid pace, and they’re on the lookout for new partners to join them.
There is a stipulation that they must share the same values. MOD Pizza only works with potential partners who have a similar track record of success in the industry and they must have the potential for building upon the values which have already been established for the chain.
19. MOD Pizza is honest about potential concerns
The pizzas that are made at Mod Pizza include flour that is gluten friendly. This means that it contains gluten and they are up front in informing the public that they cannot guarantee that any of their products are gluten-free. In fact, they warn everyone that there is not a single crust option offered that is recommended for individuals who have a sensitivity to gluten.
20 MOD Pizza is concerned about the community and the environment
Not all of Mod Pizza’s locations are in areas where recycling is offered by the local municipalities. Whenever possible they do recycle, but they’ve taken it a step further. All of their utensils, cups, straws, napkins, boxes, and salad containers are one hundred percent biodegradable. They also emphasize community involvement for each Mod Pizza location.
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- Does Pizza Hut Drug Test All Its Employees?
- The Story of the Hungry Howie’s Pizza Franchise
