Pizza Pit

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Revision as of 18:26, 23 October 2026 by Jacques (talk | contribs) (Add the 1999 advertisement and store list from the newspaper research recorded in the database)

Pizza Pit is a pizza delivery chain founded in Madison in 1969[1]. A newspaper in 2009 called it "Madison's first locally owned pizza chain"[2]. At its largest, in the late 1990s, it had nine or ten company-owned stores in Madison and about 30 franchised stores in Wisconsin and Iowa[3][4]. The company that ran the Madison stores went bankrupt in 1999 and its stores were sold in January 2000[5]. The name is still in use.

History

Beginnings

According to the company, Pizza Pit began on the University of Wisconsin campus in 1969 because Madison had no pizza delivery service[6]. Help-wanted advertisements in September 1969 told applicants to apply at 608 University Ave.[7]. By April 1971 there were four stores, which the advertisements labelled by the part of town each delivered to[8].

Terry Voice was president of the company by 1983[9] and remained so until 2000. A 1999 column credited him with starting the business and "creating a delivery market where there was none"[10].

Franchising

In April 1983 the parent company, Pizza Pit Ltd., formed Pizza Pit Investment Enterprises Inc. to sell franchises and train staff, with offices at 402 S. Gammon Pl. Pizza Pit then had nine delivery stores and restaurants in the Madison area[1], and planned to open 15 franchised and five company-owned stores that year in Minnesota, Iowa and Wisconsin[9]. Two months later it had 12 stores in Iowa and Wisconsin, the newest two in Green Bay[11].

A new headquarters building at 4253 Argosy Ct. was in use by June 1989[12]. It also held the commissary, which at one time supplied more than two dozen stores[4]. In the mid-1990s Pizza Pit tried sharing space with convenience stores and bowling centers[13]; one such store was inside the Lodi Bowl in 1996[14]. Voice said later that the company had hoped to grow to 100 stores[13].

Bankruptcy and sale, 1999–2000

Pizza Pit Ltd. filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on July 30, 1999[4]. It listed debts of $855,065 and assets of $451,000. It then had nine company-owned stores in Madison with 170 employees and sales of $5.2 million a year. The 30 franchised stores belonged to the separate franchise company and were not part of the filing[13].

Over the next months the company closed its stores in Monona, East Towne and Middleton, and moved from Argosy Court to a smaller building at 5429 Monona Dr. It filed a reorganization plan on January 12, 2000[4]. A week later its cash, receivables and inventory fell to $137,000, below the $150,000 the bankruptcy agreement required. M&I Bank, its main creditor, would not waive the requirement, and the seven remaining company stores closed at the end of the day on Wednesday, January 19, 2000[15][16].

M&I Bank sold the seven stores to a group of investors headed by Carter Smith of McFarland, who with partners already owned five Pizza Pit franchises, and Jim Meyer of Madison, co-founder of Pizza Extreme. The stores reopened in stages between January 29 and February 14, 2000. Voice was no longer involved. The franchised stores, then numbering 26, had stayed open throughout[5].

After 2000

By March 2000 one of the seven stores, at 5706 Raymond Rd., was being advertised as a new Pizza Extreme[17]. In 2009, when Pizza Pit marked its 40th anniversary, the Raymond Road restaurant was "both a Pizza Pit and a Pizza Extreme"[2]. Newspapers in 2016 and 2022 refer to a single business called "Pizza Pit/Pizza Extreme"[18][19].

The city's licence lists of 2005 to 2007 carried a Pizza Pit at 21 Atlas Ct., held by CCG Enterprises with Robin Goldberg as agent[20][21], and a 2008 auction advertisement gave the company's address as 13 Atlas Ct.[22]

The franchise system continues under the Pizza Pit name. In 2024 its president, Robby Bisbee, said it had opened stores in Cambridge and Milton that year[6]. In 2026 its website described "15 independently owned stores"[23] and listed one store in Madison[24].

Pizza Pit was the State Journal readers' choice for best pizza in 2024, 2025 and 2026, and for best chicken wings in 2026[25][26][27][28]. Its September 2024 listing gave four stores: 13 Atlas Ct. and 6628 Odana Rd. in Madison, and Sun Prairie and Stoughton[29]. The Odana Road store closed by August 2025, when Kebabe Mediterranean Cuisine opened "in a former Pizza Pit location" there[30].

When and how the franchise system and the Pizza Pit/Pizza Extreme stores came to be separate businesses has not been established from the sources read so far.

Pizza

  • The company's slogan in 1999 was "free, fast and hot"[3]. A March 1999 advertisement promised "Madison's Most Award Winning Pizza! Free, fast & hot delivery from 21 convenient area locations"[31].
  • A 16-inch sausage pizza cost $3.30 in 1971[32].
  • In 2024 the most requested pizza was the Deluxe Combo (pepperoni, sausage, mushrooms, onions and green peppers). The menu also had "Pit Stix", chicken wings, gyros, toasted sandwiches and fish dinners[6].
  • The Stoughton store's menu in 2026 had a "Sausage Mushroom Melt"[33].

Trivia

  • The Pizza Pit television jingle — "whose pizza fleet still delivers free, fast and steaming hot? Yeah, it's the Pit's. Pizza Pit." — was written by the Madison advertising man Dick Zillman in the snowy winter of 1978–79, with a model train set and children's voices[34].
  • Several Madison pizza businesses trace back to Pizza Pit. Jim Meyer and Bill Stein worked for Pizza Pit before they founded Pizza Extreme in 1991[35], and the founders of Glass Nickel Pizza met while working at Pizza Extreme[36].
  • Stoughton's mayor, Tim Swadley, and his wife owned the Stoughton Pizza Pit until 2022[37].
  • Terry Voice began in the pizza business in 1964 with the company that became Domino's[4].
  • Mark Warren joined Pizza Pit as a driver in 1970, was director of training in 1983, and in 2000 became vice president of operations for the new owners[1][5].
  • The telephone number in the 1969 help-wanted advertisements, 257-5825, was still the company's contact number in January 2000[5].
  • The October 1999 restaurant guide listed seven Madison stores — Campus Area (1614 Monroe St.), Far East (4527 Cottage Grove Rd.), North (1417 Northport Dr.), South Central (1401 Emil St.), Southwest (5706 Raymond Rd.), West (6668 Odana Rd.) and Near East (1860 E. Washington Ave.) — some opening at 11 a.m. and some at 4 p.m.[38]
  • In 1999 Voice said market research put Pizza Pit second in the Madison market, behind Pizza Hut[3].
  • The store at 1401 Emil St. was a Pizza Pit for about 41 years, the longest of any address found so far.
  • A business called "Tony's Pizza Pit" was the subject of a state labor order upheld in court in February 1969[39]. Whether it was connected with the Pizza Pit chain is not known.

Locations

The franchise system's website listed these stores in September 2026[24]:

  • 13 Atlas Ct. (listed as "Madison – East & Far East"). The same address was "Alley Oops" in a 1998 list of pizzerias[40], and the Dream Lanes bowling alley in 2011, when its leagues got "a large Pizza Pit pizza each week"[41].
  • 1060 W. Main St., Stoughton ("Now Serving, Carryout or Delivery" in May 2012[42]).
  • Outside Madison: Cambridge, Lake Mills, Milton, Oregon, Stoughton and Sun Prairie in Wisconsin, and Ames, Iowa.

For 1614 Monroe St., see Pizza Extreme.

Former Locations

  • 608 University Ave. (by September 1969[7]; one of the four stores of April 1971). A 1985 dining guide lists 616 University Ave. with the same telephone number[43].
  • 1349 Williamson St. (by April 1971[8]).
  • 3862 Johns St., "across from C&P Plaza" (by March 1971[32]).
  • 1401 Emil St. (by March 1971 to 2012).
  • East Towne Mall (new in February 1982[44]; closed between July 1999 and January 2000[4]).
  • 2803 University Ave. (new in July 1984[45]).
  • 4126 Monona Dr. (open by February 1987[46]).
  • 4525 Cottage Grove Rd., also given as 4527 (new in February 1987[46]; open in March 2000).
  • 1860 E. Washington Ave., also given as 1869 (by January 2000; open in March 2000).
  • 1614 Monroe St. (by January 2000; open in March 2000).
  • 6668 Odana Rd. (by January 2000; open in March 2000).
  • 6628 Odana Rd. (listed in September 2024[29]; closed by August 2025[30]). Possibly the same store as 6668 Odana Rd.
  • 1417 Northport Dr. (by January 2000).
  • 5706 Raymond Rd. (by January 2000; a Pizza Extreme by March 2000).
  • Badger Bowl, 506 E. Badger Rd. (2000[47]).
  • Middleton (open in 1984[45]; closed 1999).
  • 1200 Highway 151, Mount Horeb (closed before July 2010, when a Pizza Extreme opened in the store[48]).

The seven stores open in January 2000 are listed in the reports of their closing and reopening[16][5]; the five open in March 2000 are from a help-wanted advertisement[17].

Offices

  • 2154 Atwood Ave. (home offices, 1984[45]).
  • 402 S. Gammon Pl. (franchise company and training school, 1983[1]).
  • 4253 Argosy Ct. (headquarters and commissary, 1989 to 1999).
  • 5429 Monona Dr. (from late 1999[4]).

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 (1983, April 1). Market Memo: Pizza Pit Ltd. forms Pizza Pit Investment Enterprises. The Capital Times. p. 10. Newspapers.com image 521375378.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Troller, S. (2009, September 27). "Extreme foresight for local pizza chain." Wisconsin State Journal. p. 52. Newspapers.com image 407707812.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Richgels, J. (1999, August 6). "Pizza Pit owner: We'll keep rolling." The Capital Times. p. 2. Newspapers.com image 522655647.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 Richgels, J. (2000, January 14). "Pizza Pit pursues recipe for survival." The Capital Times. p. 26. Newspapers.com image 522005689.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 Gribble, R. A. (2000, January 29). "3 Pizza Pit stores to reopen." Wisconsin State Journal. p. 39. Newspapers.com image 400919775.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Lynch, A. (2024, October 14). "Pizza Pit nabs four Madison.com People's Choice awards." madison.com. Sponsored content.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 (1969, September 8). Pizza Pit help-wanted advertisements. Wisconsin State Journal. p. 23–24. Seen in search results only; the page has not been read.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 (1971, April 12). Pizza Pit advertisement, "Free delivery! Yes, all four Pizza Pits in Madison". Wisconsin State Journal. p. 4. Newspapers.com image 405149832.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 (1983, April 12). Market Memo: Pizza Pit franchise subsidiary and 1983 expansion plans. The Capital Times. p. 8. Newspapers.com image 521380140.
  10. ↑ Kalk, S. (1999, August 26). Sal's listed for sale; Glass Nickel expands to west side. Wisconsin State Journal. p. 61. Newspapers.com images 402056959, 522664495.
  11. ↑ (1983, June 12). Business people: managers named for two new Pizza Pit stores in Green Bay. Wisconsin State Journal. p. 61. Newspapers.com image 404645680.
  12. ↑ (1989, June 4). Help-wanted advertisement, Pizza Pit corporate headquarters, 4253 Argosy Court. Wisconsin State Journal. p. 33. Newspapers.com image 404579230.
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 Newman, J. (1999, August 6). "Pizza Pit files for Chapter 11 but will keep on rolling." Wisconsin State Journal. p. 1. Newspapers.com image 404009652.
  14. ↑ (1996, August 25). Lodi Bowl & Sports Bar advertisement, "New! Pizza Pit!". Wisconsin State Journal. p. 219. Newspapers.com image 405467233.
  15. ↑ Richgels, J. (2000, January 21). "Pizza Pit can't deliver to M&I Bank." The Capital Times. p. 1, 4. Newspapers.com images 522129214, 522129225.
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 Gribble, R. A. (2000, January 22). "Pizza Pit closes six stores." Wisconsin State Journal. p. 39. Newspapers.com image 400896178.
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 (2000, March 26). Pizza Extreme and Pizza Pit help-wanted advertisements. Wisconsin State Journal. p. 95. Newspapers.com image 407212072.
  18. ↑ Christians, L. (2016, September 17). "This spring, gas station gem Athens Gyros in Westport to become Athens Grill." madison.com.
  19. ↑ Kalk Derby, S. (2022, October 22). "Part of Knoche's meat business will live on, 'We were retired for one day'." madison.com.
  20. ↑ (2005, May 23). City of Madison licence renewal list, May 2005 (continued): Casa Bianca, Pizza Pit, Pizzeria Uno, Glass Nickel, Pizza Di Roma, Urban Pizza Cafe. The Capital Times. p. 5. Newspapers.com image 525987738.
  21. ↑ (2007, May 28). City of Madison licence renewal list, May 2007: Rocky Rococo (8 stores), Cafe Porta Alba, Casa Bianca, Pizza Pit, Urban Pizza Cafe, Pizza Di Roma, Pizza Hut, Unos, Roman Candle. The Capital Times. p. 4. Newspapers.com image 529156052.
  22. ↑ (2008, April 18). madison.com auction ad: Pizza Pit "pizza a week for a year", Pizza Pit, 13 Atlas Court, 221-3596, www.pizzapit.com. The Capital Times. p. 33. Newspapers.com image 522423954.
  23. ↑ Pizza Pit, "About Us". pizzapit.biz. Retrieved September 28, 2026.
  24. ↑ 24.0 24.1 Pizza Pit home page and location list. pizzapit.biz. Retrieved September 28, 2026.
  25. ↑ (2024, September 9). "People's Choice 2024: Best Pizza." madison.com.
  26. ↑ (2025, September 14). "People's Choice 2025: Best Pizza." madison.com.
  27. ↑ (2026, September 12). "People's Choice 2026: Best Pizza." madison.com.
  28. ↑ (2026, September 12). "People's Choice 2026: Best Chicken Wings." madison.com.
  29. ↑ 29.0 29.1 (2024, September 8). "Pizza Pit: Best Pizza (People's Choice business listing)." madison.com. Sponsored content.
  30. ↑ 30.0 30.1 (2025, October 1). Fall openings roundup: Kebabe Mediterranean Cuisine, Odana Road. The Capital Times. p. O25. Newspapers.com image 1257750088.
  31. ↑ (1999, March 19). Pizza Pit: 'Madison's Most Award Winning Pizza! Free, fast & hot delivery from 21 convenient area locations'; coupon for a 14-inch large classic pizza with two toppings, expires March 31, 1999. Same page: Pizzeria Uno 'Uno…. Wisconsin State Journal. p. 19. Newspapers.com images 404513328, 522233590.
  32. ↑ 32.0 32.1 (1971, April 19). "Buy one! Get one free." Wisconsin State Journal. p. 8. Newspapers.com image 402428924.
  33. ↑ Pizza Pit Stoughton menu. pizzapit.biz. Retrieved September 28, 2026.
  34. ↑ (2008, February 12). "The Talk" on ad man Dick Zillman, who created the Pizza Pit TV jingle spot in the winter of 1978–79. The Capital Times. p. 2. Newspapers.com image 522535511.
  35. ↑ Rath, J. (1991, October 26). "'Extreme' tastes familiar." The Capital Times. p. 28. Newspapers.com image 520380615.
  36. ↑ (1997, November 8). Cheap Eats news: Glass Nickel Pizza Company opens. The Capital Times. p. 41. Newspapers.com image 522191880.
  37. ↑ Rodriguez, A. (2025, June 18). Stoughton growth story naming Mayor Tim Swadley. The Capital Times. p. O24. Newspapers.com image 1213793924.
  38. ↑ (1999, October 28). "Rhythm Restaurant Guide 1999–2000: Pizzerias (2)." The Capital Times. p. 114. Newspapers.com image 522190918.
  39. ↑ (1969, February 5). "WERC Order Against Pizza Place Upheld." The Capital Times. p. 33. Newspapers.com image 518766330.
  40. ↑ (1998, October 29). "Pizzerias." The Capital Times. p. 113. Newspapers.com image 522544146.
  41. ↑ (2011, January 13). Dream Lanes (13 Atlas Ct.) league advertisement: a large Pizza Pit pizza each week. The Capital Times. p. 3. Newspapers.com image 522557374.
  42. ↑ (2012, May 17). Pizza Pit Stoughton advertisement: 1060 West Main St., 873-7737. The Capital Times. p. 26. Newspapers.com image 522585767.
  43. ↑ (1985, October 6). Dining guide listing Pizza Oven and Pizza Pit. Wisconsin State Journal. p. 138. Newspapers.com image 401397486.
  44. ↑ (1982, February 27). Help-wanted advertisements for the new Pizza Pit in East Towne Mall. Wisconsin State Journal. p. 25–26. Seen in search results only; the page has not been read.
  45. ↑ 45.0 45.1 45.2 (1984, July 30). People in business: Pizza Pit staff changes and new store at 2803 University Avenue. Wisconsin State Journal. p. 4. Newspapers.com image 402540364.
  46. ↑ 46.0 46.1 (1987, February 25). Business people: manager named for new Pizza Pit at 4527 Cottage Grove Road. Wisconsin State Journal. p. 26. Newspapers.com image 405050514.
  47. ↑ (2000, March 28). Badger Bowl help-wanted advertisement, Pizza Pit assistant managers. Wisconsin State Journal. p. 33. Seen in search results only; the page has not been read.
  48. ↑ (2010, July 15). Table Talk: Mount Horeb now has a Pizza Extreme, at 1200 Highway 151 in a former Pizza Pit; the chain's other stores listed. The Capital Times. p. 7. Newspapers.com image 522548861.
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