Leading Family-Style Pizza Chain Earns Top Distinction for Franchise Financial Strength and System Performance for the Second Year

Mountain Mike’s Pizza, a leading family-style pizza chain for nearly 50 years, and home of the legendary crispy, curly pepperoni®, massive 20-inch Mountain-sized pizzas and dough made fresh daily, has been named the 2026 TopScore FUND Award winner in the Food category by FRANdata. Mountain Mike’s earned the highest score among all food franchise systems evaluated this year, reinforcing the brand’s position as a top-tier franchise opportunity with strong access to capital and lender confidence. The award was announced at the Multi-Unit Franchising Conference in Las Vegas, where Mountain Mike’s Pizza President and COO, Sumi Ghosh, accepted the recognition. The most recent honor continues the brand’s growing reputation for financial and operational strength and follows its recognition as a TopScore FUND Award winner in 2024.

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Mountain Mike’s Pizza Wins FRANdata's 2026 TopScore FUND Award

“This deeply meaningful accolade proudly reflects the strength and consistency of our franchise system, as well as the intentional investments we’ve made to support franchisee success at every stage of growth,” said Jim Metevier, CEO of Mountain Mike’s Pizza. “From operational performance to financial accessibility, we’ve built a model that positions franchisees to scale with confidence, and being recognized by FRANdata twice underscores the long-term viability of our brand and the value we bring to operators and lending partners.”

FRANdata’s FUND score serves as a franchise credit risk rating, evaluating brands across 12 key factors, including unit-level performance, franchisee success rates and the strength of franchise support systems. The scoring model is widely used by lenders to assess risk, inform loan terms and guide financing decisions, making it a critical benchmark for franchise system health and stability.

“Mountain Mike’s continues to demonstrate the attributes lenders look for in a high-performing franchise system, from strong unit economics to consistent franchisee outcomes,” said Darrell Johnson, CEO of FRANdata. “The brand’s ability to combine disciplined growth with a well-supported operator base has positioned Mountain Mike’s Pizza as a standout in the food category and a reliable opportunity for franchisees and financial institutions.”

The prestigious recognition from FRANdata comes amid continued momentum for Mountain Mike’s Pizza, which has steadily expanded its footprint across key markets nationwide while maintaining a focus on operational consistency and franchisee profitability. The brand’s disciplined approach to growth, paired with strong unit-level economics, continues to drive interest from experienced multi-unit operators seeking scalable, family-style dining concepts. To learn more about new franchise opportunities, visit https://mountainmikesfranchise.com/.

For more information about the FRANdata TopScore awards, go to https://frandata.com/fund-topscore-award/.

About Mountain Mike’s Pizza

Since 1978, Mountain Mike’s Pizza, a leading family-style pizza chain known for its legendary crispy, curly pepperonis, Mountain-sized pizzas, and dough made fresh daily has been a popular choice for families, serving “Pizza the Way it Oughta Be!®” In addition to offering carryout, its own in-house delivery, and four third-party delivery options, Mountain Mike’s provides a family-friendly dine-in environment making it easy for guests to enjoy the brand’s signature experience wherever they are. Most of its nearly 330 locations feature a kids’ activity area with arcade games, dedicated party rooms and big screen TVs throughout, making Mountain Mike’s an ideal place for sports teams, family gatherings, group fundraising events and private parties alike. With a menu of signature pizzas, chicken wings, garlic knots, fresh salads, sharable desserts, and a selection of beer and wine, there’s something for everyone at Mountain Mike’s. Guests may also take advantage of streamlined ordering via the Mountain Rewards® app to earn exclusive offers and personalized rewards towards free food. This year, Mountain Mike’s was named one of America’s Favorite Restaurant Chains by Newsweek, as well as a top brand on Yelp’s Most Loved Restaurant Brands list. For a complete list of locations and the full menu, visit www.mountainmikespizza.com or follow Mountain Mike’s on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and X.

About FRANdata

FRANdata is the franchise industry's leading research and analytics firm, providing data-driven insights that power smarter decisions across the franchise ecosystem. For more than 30 years, FRANdata has served franchisors, lenders, investors, and suppliers with authoritative market intelligence, franchise performance benchmarking, and proven risk analysis tools. At the heart of FRANdata's financing solutions is the FUND score—a franchise-specific credit scoring system embraced by banks collectively representing over a trillion dollars in assets—which evaluates franchise brands on stability, transparency, and franchisee performance. The annual FRANdata TOP$CORE FUND Award, presented each year at the Multi-Unit Franchising Conference, recognizes the food and non-food franchise brands that lead the industry in lender friendliness and operational excellence, helping franchisees access lower capital costs and stronger financing terms. Learn more at www.frandata.com.

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Mountain Mike’s earned the highest score among all food franchise systems evaluated this year, reinforcing the brand’s position as a top-tier franchise opportunity with strong access to capital and lender confidence.