Brothers will always find something to bicker about. But when Wendell and Bob Swartz, the founders of Pizza King in Indiana, couldn’t come to an agreement on how to expand their booming new business, they took a highly unusual step: They split the state between them, went their separate ways and still ended up creating one—or should we say two?—of the most enduring brands in the U.S.
Despite little advertising, Pizza King has near-universal name recognition across Indiana. Generations of Hoosiers have grown up with Pizza King’s thin, square-cut pizzas, diced toppings and quirky dining rooms, many of which look and feel almost exactly as they did decades ago.
That consistency has helped Pizza King endure for 70 years. But behind the familiar name lies a business story that’s unlike any other PMQ Pizza has ever come across. Because if you’re talking about Pizza King, which Pizza King do you mean? Pizza King or Pizza King Inc.?
Off to a Bumpy Start
Pizza King began in 1956 when brothers Wendell and Bob Swartz opened the first location in Lafayette, Indiana. There they developed the elements that would become the chain’s signature style: a crisp crust, distinctive sauce, square slices and toppings that are always diced rather than sliced.
Just a year later, however, the brothers decided to part ways over differing visions for the company: They couldn’t agree on the right business model. So, according to Edward Bogan, who now co-owns Pizza King Inc. with his brother Jackson, they resolved the dispute with a simple gentlemen’s agreement. “What they did was divide the state,” Bogan explained to Indiana Public Media. “Wendell took three-quarters of the state, and then his brother ended up getting roughly a quarter of it.”
Bob Swartz claimed the eastern portion of Indiana and based his Pizza King company in Muncie. Many of those locations feature a bold yellow crown logo and a nostalgic dining-room feature where customers pick up a phone at their table to “ring the king” and place an order. Bob later expanded his concept into other states through the Sir Pizza franchise.
Meanwhile, Wendell Swartz operated the western Indiana territory through Pizza King Inc. Today, Pizza King Inc. restaurants, also called Original Pizza King, are scattered across much of Indiana, along with one location in Hoopeston, Illinois. Their logo typically features a cartoon character, like the king in a deck of cards, wearing a crown and happily munching on a pizza.
A Nontraditional Franchise
Much of Pizza King Inc.’s uniqueness stems from its unusual operating model. Instead of traditional franchising, Pizza King Inc. works through a supply-and-license agreement that gives individual operators far more freedom than most restaurant franchises.
“We can’t tell you how to run your business,” Bogan told Indiana Public Media. “The only thing you do is buy core products from us. You’re still your own boss, and you get to use all the Pizza King memorabilia, catchphrases, logos and recognition of the Pizza King name.”
Under this system, operators purchase core ingredients—including crusts, tomato paste, cheese and the chain’s signature chopped sausage and pepperoni—from a central commissary. Beyond that, owners have wide latitude in how they run their restaurants.
The model dates back to 1966, when longtime employee Don Schutz purchased the business from Wendell Swartz and began expanding the brand across the state.
Because of that flexible system, Pizza King Inc. locations can look—and their food can even taste—a little different from one town to the next.
At Amore Pizza King in Rockville, for example, owners Amy and Parke Swaim revamped the restaurant’s décor after buying it in 2011. The dining room now features Rat Pack photos, and the exterior boasts a large Italian-themed mural. The pizza, however, remains largely unchanged. “Cornmeal is one thing we do, [which] we prep the doughs on,” Parke Swaim said. “I just don’t know that there’s many out there doing it anymore.”
The Rockville location also serves items like baked spaghetti, but the pizza is still the main draw. Loyal customers who move away often make the restaurant their first stop when returning home. “We’ve had people ask us to ship them pizzas,” Amy Swaim said. “Our friends who graduate and move away—the first thing they do when they come back to town is come here.”
Elsewhere in Indiana, different menu items dominate. At the Pizza King on North St. Joseph Avenue in Evansville, stromboli accounts for roughly 70% of the location’s sales.
Quirky Dining Rooms and Local Personality
But the individuality of Pizza King restaurants extends beyond the menu. Many Pizza King Inc. locations feature miniature trains that deliver drinks directly to customers’ tables. Not so, however, in the Richmond store, where a double-decker bus runs through the dining room. Another location in Battle Ground displays a collection of vintage Coca-Cola memorabilia. In Lafayette, the décor leans heavily into local high school and college sports.
The result is a chain that feels more like a collection of unique hometown institutions than a standardized restaurant brand.
Jackson Bogan acknowledges that the differences can sometimes confuse customers traveling between towns. “I think that’s where you could have a situation where it’s like, ‘Oh, I like this Pizza King that’s 10 miles down the road,’” Bogan told WHAS. “Well, it’s because it’s a totally different product. It’s similar, but it’s not the same.”
For many Hoosiers, however, that’s exactly the appeal. Despite sharing a name, Pizza King restaurants have evolved into dozens of local variations—each with its own personality, loyal following and slice of Indiana pizza history.
