 | |
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Restaurants |
| Founded | Ann Arbor, Michigan in 1948 |
| Headquarters | Ann Arbor, Michigan |
Number of locations | 80+ |
Area served | United States (Michigan, Ohio, Indiana) |
| Products |
|
| Website | cottageinn |
Cottage Inn Pizza is a privately owned and operated American pizza franchise delivery company, headquartered in Ann Arbor, Michigan. [1] The first Cottage Inn restaurant opened in 1948. [2] There are over 80 stores in operation in Michigan, Ohio, and Indiana. [3] [4] [5]
The original Cottage Inn restaurant opened at 512 East William St. in 1948, near the University of Michigan campus. [6] [7] It was a coffee business that eventually included pizza. It was the first establishment to serve pizza in Ann Arbor. The building was purchased by the Michos family in 1961, and was listed for sale in 2023, as the owner decided to retire. [7]
Three modifications were made to the restaurant in 1975, 1980, and 1993. A second story was added to the restaurant to provide services for banquet rooms. Its proximity to the University of Michigan led to its popularity.
By 1978, Cottage Inn had established Cottage Inn Carryout & Delivery Inc., devoted to delivery services. The first Cottage Inn store under this new company was founded at Packard and Hill streets in Ann Arbor. In June 1986, the first franchise opened in Ypsilanti. In 2003, the new corporate headquarters and distribution center opened in Ann Arbor. [8] In 2017, Cottage Inn opened a franchise location in China. [4]
The first franchise was granted in 1986. [2] Early in 2014, Cottage Inn revealed a proposal to use a franchising business model to grow nationally. [9] As of 2022 [update] , they had 44 company-owned stores and nine independently franchised locations, [2] and annual sales totaled US $66 million. [10] In 2023, they were named in Entrepreneur magazine's "Franchise 500 List". [2] The company credits their training in social media and digital marketing for growth. [1]
During the summer of 2023, Cottage Inn was acquired by an unnamed private equity entity owned by Christina Narra, with funding being provided by Jimmy Asmar, owner of Premier Hospitality Group and Asmar Construction. In February 2024, this new ownership would oversee the first out of state expansion in years, with a new franchise opening in South Bend, Indiana a few blocks away from the University of Notre Dame. [11] This acquisition would not be announced until around December 2024. [12] As a part of the purchase, the menu has been reduced to increase individual sales revenue, including the removal of The Cuban Pizza, the famous Apple Piezza desert, among other items. A few addition new items have been added to the menu including an upcoming new crust option, the New York Style crust; the Brookie, a combination of a chocolate chip cookie with brownie batter; as well as a renewed upcoming deep dish. Since the purchase, the company has risen to nearly 80 stores, with a soon planned expansion to cover the territories south to Florida and west to Texas. [13]
In 2012, Cottage Inn partnered with the Michigan International Speedway to become the official pizza vendor on NASCAR weekends. [14] The Cottage Inn's original plan of 24-hour delivery service was scaled back due to logistical and staffing issues. [15] Cottage Inn also serves as a pizza vendor for other events held at the Michigan International Speedway, including the Faster Horses Festival. [16]
They take part in annual community service projects, including the Thanksgiving dinner giveaway.[ citation needed ]
They sell Italian and Greek food. [7] Their Cuban pizza, part of the pickle pizza trend, placed in the gourmet pizza category at the 2015 North American Pizza Show. [17]
