An investment firm has purchased U.S. Pizza Co., an Arkansas franchise with eight locations, and plans to expand the 50-year-old brand “across Arkansas and beyond.”
U.S. Pizza Co. opened its first store in 1972 under owner Judy Waller. That store initially grossed only about $1,000 a week, according to the chain’s website. Today, U.S. Pizza Co. has franchised locations in Little Rock, Fayetteville, Bryant, Sherwood and Maumelle.
FoxDen Capital, a Little Rock-based firm with a strong portfolio of hospitality brands, acquired U.S. Pizza Co. and has plans for its strategic growth. A FoxDen spokesperson told KARK those plans include refreshing and updating current stores, adding seasonal menus, providing more staff support and training, and opening more stores.
FoxDen has been on a bit of a buying spree this year. In January, the firm acquired Yellow Rocket Concepts, whose holdings include ZaZa Fine Salad + Wood-Oven Pizza Co., Big Orange, Camp Taco and Lost Forty Brewing, among others. The firm also owns The Purple Cow, Leiva’s Coffee, Mug Coffee and some Dairy Queen locations in Central Arkansas.
Each U.S. Pizza Co. location will start offering Lost Forty Brewing’s beers.
“We’re thrilled to welcome U.S. Pizza into the FoxDen Capital family,” said Ken Vaughan, newly appointed president of U.S. Pizza. “This is more than a business transaction—it’s an opportunity to protect a legacy, support its people, and help this incredible brand evolve without losing the identity that made it iconic. We look forward to working closely as partners, including [with] the staff and loyal guests, as we continue to build a place where traditions thrive.”
