Sacramento-based Pizza Guys said it’s “riding the wave of success” with two virtual brands—Calzone Life and Pizza Piatta—located inside many of its kitchens.

Calzone Life has seen significant growth since its launch in April 2021 and is now operating in 54 Pizza Guys locations. Meanwhile, Pizza Piatta, launched in February 2023, is available in two locations in Sacramento, according to the company.

With increasing demand for takeout and delivery options over the past few years, the virtual brands are meant to help Pizza Guys build new customer bases for existing and future franchisees, while also providing a platform for new menu items.

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“Virtual brands are top of mind for all restaurant executives,” said Kamiar Nejad, vice president of innovation for Pizza Guys and co-founder of Calzone Life and Pizza Piatta. “We know the demand is out there, and we are already seeing tremendous success with our Calzone Life brand. We want to continue to stay ahead of trends and give our guests what they want.”

Pizza Piatta offers made-to-order “modern Italian” flatbread pizzas that can be picked up or delivered, along with stuffed cheesy breads, salads, desserts and drinks from lunch until late night. Calzone Life brings calzones, baked and stuffed with various fillings that can commemorate anyone’s culture, to customers’ doorsteps.

“While pizza has and always will be the center of attention for Pizza Guys, we’ve decided to introduce a few new tasty options for our pizza lovers,” Shahpour Nejad, founder of Pizza Guys, said. “We have seen that virtual brands are important as people have demanded takeout and delivery options, and that continues. We want to implement these new brands to bring depth into our offerings and find new customer bases.”