By Rick Hynum
Founded in East Boston in 1961, Papa Gino’s is, for many New Englanders, a name that’s virtually synonymous with pizza. Now a prospective new owner hopes to make wings a bigger part of that identity.
Craveworthy Brands has signed an agreement to acquire New England Authentic Eats LLC (NEAE), the parent company of Papa Gino’s as well as D’Angelo Grilled Sandwiches. The deal is expected to close on December 31.
After that, Craveworthy says it will introduce its Wing It On! brand at every Papa Gino’s restaurant.
Terms of the sale have not been disclosed. Craveworthy says the transaction will “add more than 160 restaurants and approximately $160 million in annual revenue to Craveworthy’s platform, expanding its portfolio to nearly 500 locations and significantly strengthening its New England presence.” However, those figures refer to the acquisition of NEAE, rather than Papa Gino’s alone: The pizza chain’s website currently lists just 78 locations across Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Connecticut, while D’Angelo’s lists 89 stores. Some restaurants serve both brands, and the announcement—which never mentions D’Angelo’s at all—does not explain how those locations are counted.
Regardless, the acquisition would mark a new chapter for Papa Gino’s, which, like many pizza chains, has seen its share of troubles in recent years. Papa Gino’s filed for bankruptcy in November 2018 and closed nearly 100 stores at that time.
The brand reportedly ended 2025 with 70 stores and sales of nearly $50 million, down 9.5% from the previous year.
Will co-branding Papa Gino’s and Wing It On! change the equation? NEAE previously brought Papa Gino’s and D’Angelo’s together under one roof in some restaurants. But Craveworthy’s plan to pair the pizza chain with a wings brand feels more ambitious, since every Papa Gino’s store will get a Wing It On! partner.
That approach also creates a path to expand Wing It On! through an established restaurant network without developing brand-new brick-and-mortar locations.
“Papa Gino’s is a New England institution. People grew up on this pizza, and we’re going to honor that,” said Gregg Majewski, CEO and founder of Craveworthy. “We protect what makes a brand special, then put our full platform behind it. With Wing It On!, we can build on that foundation and bring something new to the table.”
He added, “Pizza and wings belong together. But the menu is only the start. We win by taking care of our teams, delivering exceptional hospitality and giving operators the support to build stronger businesses. This deal gives us the opportunity to do that at a much greater scale.”
Papa Gino’s was inducted into PMQ’s Pizza Hall of Fame in late 2021. It started out as Piece o’ Pizza under founders Mike and Helen Valerio, who renamed it Papa Gino’s in 1968 and began franchising that same year. NEAE acquired the company in 2019.
