Popular pizza concept celebrates brand momentum, team excellence and customer-first culture during three-day event
Whitewater, WI (RestaurantNews.com) Toppers Pizza wrapped its 2025 National Convention last month, welcoming a passionate crowd of franchise owners, general managers, team members and executives to Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin, from June 9–11. The event focused on recognizing top performers, strengthening leadership skills and uniting team members through a shared commitment to customer satisfaction and store-level excellence.
A fan-favorite tradition at the event, the Rush Competition, once again brought the energy. Rush contestants must make one Large Handtossed Pepperoni, one Large Handtossed Toppers Classic, and one Triple Order of Topperstix. The person who does this in the fastest time – while made up to the brand’s standards – wins. This year’s winner, Paige Stafford-Vest, Area Supervisor with Pizza People LLC, smashed previous records with a lightning-fast time of 1:36.69.
Toppers Top Honors
Perfect 10 Holding LLC took home the Franchisee of the Year Award while Erik Carstens of the La Crosse, Wisc. location won Manager of the Year. This year’s President’s Award went to Brian Albrecht (recognized for his work as an Area Supervisor with PJD Investments before becoming an owner-operator with Dough Group LLC) and Christina Szejna, Area Supervisor, Pizza People LLC.
“Giving customers what they want is at the core of everything we do, and this yearly convention really speaks to that,” said Vice President of Operations Matt Martin. “While we are thrilled to hand out awards every year, this convention is about so much more than winning prizes. It serves as a yearly reminder that great food, great service and great people are the real drivers of success, and when we focus on the customer, we all win.”
The convention reinforced Toppers’ brand mission to elevate every touchpoint of the guest experience by investing in team training, consistent food quality and a dynamic brand culture. With over 70 stores across the U.S. and a growing list of franchise partners, Toppers continues to carve out its space in the fast-casual pizza segment.
Headquartered in Wisconsin, Toppers Pizza is known for its fresh, handmade and customizable pizzas delivered extremely fast, with more than a million combinations of fresh, high-quality toppings. Fans also continue to flock to the brand’s signature Topperstix, bold wing flavors and indulgent desserts.
For more information on Toppers franchising or to order online for delivery or pickup, visit Toppers.com or check out the app.
About Toppers Pizza
Founded in 1991 as an alternative to big-box pizza, Toppers is built on a bold attitude with the product to back it up. Headquartered in Whitewater, Wis., 70+ Toppers locations are on a mission to redefine what customers should expect from QSR pizza. The menu features unique flavors, bold recipes, crave-worthy Topperstix, signature wings, specialty desserts and a growing selection of offerings for a diverse lifestyle. By consistently giving customers what they want, Toppers has forged an untapped space in the pizza industry and is thriving in a digital-first, post-pandemic world. World-class technology ranking among the top QSR pizza concepts, consistent menu innovation, a powerfully focused digital media strategy and Gen Z-centric social media channels drive 75%+ of sales online for the brand. With franchisees achieving a $1,000,000+ average unit volume across the entire system, Toppers Pizza is primed for major growth and is looking for like-minded franchisees to join its system. For more information, visit Toppers.com/franchise and follow the brand on Facebook and Instagram.
Contact:
Jay Brasher
Champion
806-437-9583
jbrasher@championmgt.com
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