By Charlie Pogacar
As 2024 draws to a close, another busy holiday season has come and (almost) gone. Here at PMQ, we are looking back at the year that was by compiling the ten most-read stories posted to our website in 2024.
We did this same thing last year and noticed a theme: Unfortunately, many of the most-clicked-on stories were of the “bad news” variety. In other words, the old journalistic truism “if it bleeds, it leads” seems to apply to the pizza industry, too. Perhaps that’s because when pizzerias are struggling or shutting down, our readers want to know why.
While that again held true in 2024, there were also some popular uplifting stories mixed in, including the tale of Joey Karvelas, a formerly incarcerated man who has gone on to open up six different pizzerias in Georgia. Stories about the leading influencers in the industry, and the top independent restaurant brands, also attracted plenty of clicks.
Related: From Prison to Pizza Influencer: The Joey Karvelas Story
Here’s a look at the list of the top 10 most-read PMQ stories of the year in its entirety.
10. Special Report: PMQ’s Independent Pizza Brands to Watch (April)
You will have heard of some of these pizza brands; others might be unfamiliar to you. The PMQ editorial team chose them based on a certain set of criteria. Consistent, innovative, on-trend and/or creative marketing was the big one. (Sorry, but if your store doesn’t have a website, that’s a major negative.)
We also took into consideration each brand’s corporate values, community involvement, growth/expansion and uniqueness of concept. (For our purposes, the quality of the food, obviously paramount to any restaurant’s success, was taken for granted.)
9. Why Do Legendary Brooklyn Pizzerias Keep Closing Down? (January)
PMQ editor in chief, Rick Hynum, noticed an alarming trend early in 2024: Legendary Brooklyn pizzerias that were shuttering their doors. At that point, those permanently closing included Johnny’s Pizza, Lenny’s Pizzeria and Sal’s Pizzeria. In May, Totonno’s Pizza announced it was for sale.
“Brooklyn, it seems, keeps losing its most famous pizza shops,” Hynum wrote in January. “But the problem isn’t necessarily a lack of customers. The owners are simply aging out of the business. They’re just plain worn out. As much as you might love it, let’s face the facts: The pizza biz will do that to you.”
8. At 75, This Pizzeria Owner Faces the Wrecking Ball After 40 Years in Business (April)
Munchies Pizza in Elk Grove Village, Illinois, resided in a shopping center that was bought by government officials looking to demolish and revitalize the building. Marie Altobello, 75, said she was offered $80,000 and five months of free rent in compensation, but felt she deserved more. Many in the community agreed.
Nonetheless, it appears Munchies Pizza did eventually go out of business in the fall—leaving behind a legacy of being a woman-owned pizza shop that served Elk Grove Village for 40 years.
7. Meet 20 Leading Pizza Influencers Who Are Making Their Mark on the Industry (October)
What is a “pizza influencer,” anyway? A pizza loving foodie with an army of followers on social media? A pizza chef or pizzeria owner with a “brand name” whose every move commands attention online or off? A food critic, podcaster or blogger who covers the pizza space? A goodwill ambassador for the industry?
It seems like a simple question, but it’s not, because there’s no single, concise answer. For the purpose of this list (which, as you’ll note, is not ranked), here’s what we decided: A pizza influencer can be any or all of the above. That covers a lot of ground, so we narrowed it down a bit by choosing 20 standout influencers, particularly those who are making a positive difference in the industry as a whole.
6. From Prison to Pizza Influencer: The Joey Karvelas Story (February)
Karvelas Pizza Co. has one of the most interesting backstories in the business. After being released from incarceration, Joey Karvelas borrowed money from a family friend and bought a pizzeria in Hogansville, Georgia, that had, at one point, been owned and operated by his father. He’s since turned the company into a successful six-store outfit thanks, at least in part, to his innovative use of social media.
In February, Karvelas joined Peel: A PMQ Pizza Podcast to discuss his story. Later in the year, Karvelas spoke at the Pizza Power Forum, and was surprised by Dave Portnoy visiting his shop in West Point, Georgia.
5. Launched in 1959, This Beloved Pizza Chain Just Declared Bankruptcy (September)
It was a rough year for pizza chains. It seemed at least once per month, a small- or mid-sized pizza chain was declaring bankruptcy. In September, Mary’s Pizza Shack announced it was going through a bankruptcy filing.
For Mary’s Pizza Shack, however, the maneuver was a practical one meant to keep ownership of the brand in the family. The family were advised that the bankruptcy process would be the safest way to do that.
4. What Happens When Dave Portnoy Shows Up at Your Pizzeria? We Asked Somebody Who Scored an 8.2 (September)
It was 11:30 a.m. on a Tuesday morning, and Sean Jefairjian was squatting in his pizzeria’s kitchen, face resting in his hands. The owner of A Slice of New York in Murrysville, Pennsylvania, had dreamt of this moment for years. But would it turn into a nightmare?
Outside of Jefairjian’s pizzeria, which opened in 2020, Barstool’s Dave Portnoy held a box of pizza. Jefairjian had long been a fan of Portnoy’s, and, having caught wind of Portnoy’s impending trip to Pittsburgh at the beginning of September, had spent the previous week campaigning for Portnoy to visit A Slice of New York. Jefairjian was well acquainted with the way Portnoy, an opinionated, if controversial figure, could influence an entire city’s feeling about a pizzeria. A good score from Portnoy can send business into overdrive for months, if not years, to come. A bad score can have the opposite effect.
“I’m like: right now, this is it,” Jefairjian said on Peel: A PMQ Pizza Podcast. “This is make or break for my entire career. It’s all of the [smack] talk, all the stuff I’ve ever said over the past four years defending my product—this is going to be the moment where either I win—or the haters win.”
3. Largest Pizza Hut Franchisee Giving Away Free Pizza (January)
This one warrants little explanation: The words “free pizza” are sure to catch anyone’s attention. In this case, Flynn Restaurant Group—not just the largest Pizza Hut franchisee in the country, but the largest franchisee group, period, in the U.S.—announced it was giving away free pizza at all of its 900-plus Pizza Hut locations.
2. Pizza Power Report 2025: How Independents Keep Learning to Win vs. The Big Chains (December)
While many of PMQ’s most-clicked stories of the year were published in the first half of 2024—and thus had more of a chance to rack up page views—the annual Pizza Power Report is a notable exception to the rule. Published in early December, PMQ’s marquee annual report has already attracted thousands of eyeballs.
This year’s report can be downloaded in full on PMQ.com. The PMQ team also recorded a webinar, featuring Huy Do of Datassential, to go over some of the key takeaways from this year’s report—and what pizzeria owners can expect from 2025. That webinar can be viewed, on-demand, here.
1. Here’s Why MOD Pizza Closed Down 26 Stores in the Past Month (April)
When MOD Pizza announced over two dozen store closures—including five in California—many were quick to conclude the announcement must be linked to California’s mandate to pay fast-food workers a minimum of $20 per hour, which went into effect April 1. PMQ dug into the story by posing the question to MOD Pizza directly: were the store closures directly linked to California’s increased minimum wage?
MOD’s representatives were quick to point out that just five of the 26 stores were even located in California. The pizza chain said the minimum wage hike was just one of myriad things that went into the store-closures calculus.
“While rising wages in California and other states certainly were a factor in the underperformance of the five locations we closed, the timing of California’s minimum wage hike taking effect and our closings in the state was coincidental,” said then-CEO Beth Scott.
Sadly, the store closures were emblematic of the difficult year the pizza industry faced. Costs were up, sales were down and something had to give. Just two months after those closures, MOD Pizza announced it was exploring a possible bankruptcy filing. The 500-plus store chain was acquired by Elite Restaurant Group in June, a move that helped it stave off bankruptcy—at least for the time being.
