Growing up, there was always that one place we begged our parents to take us to, or were excited to visit for a birthday party or school trip.
After all, kids’ fixations are simple: give them pizza and entertainment and they’ll happily stay busy for hours. When a business offers both, it often becomes a welcome break for parents as well.
Everyone has their own version of that place, whether it’s Chuck E. Cheese, Dave & Buster’s, or Main Event. Over the years, these places have become favorite destinations for families across the country. In Texas, however, one chain has long separated itself as a source of Lone Star pride.
Mr Gatti’s Pizza started in 1964 as a small restaurant called “The Pizza Place” in Stephenville, Texas. Five years later, it moved to Austin and was renamed Mr. Gatti’s, after the maiden name of the founder’s wife.
In the 1970s, the Mr. Gatti brand expanded into a chain and introduced buffet-style dining, an innovation that helped set it apart from its competitors.
Although the Austin restaurant preceded the first Chuck E. Cheese location (which opened in San Jose, California in 1977), Mr. Gatti’s didn’t really jump on the entertainment-plus-pizza bandwagon until the 1980s. The concept quickly won over families, and today Mr. Gatti’s Pizza operates more than 200 locations in Texas and the southeastern United States.
Industry experts say this hybrid model has become increasingly valuable as traditional casual dining struggles to compete for consumers. According to a 2025 McKinsey & Company survey, 45% of consumers surveyed have reduced their spending at pizza restaurants.
“When there’s good entertainment and good experiences, check averages go up,” Dave Dittenber, president of Downtown Restaurant Investments and CEO of BYOD, told Restaurant Dive.
Dittenber added that entertainment only works when paired with strong service and quality food.
Mr Gatti’s Pizza has sold a majority stake in his business to OneRyan Global LLC, the family office of businessman and philanthropist G. Brint Ryan, according to a press release. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
OneRyan has been a franchisee of Mr Gatti’s Pizza since 2022, but his involvement with the brand has steadily expanded.
In September 2025, OneRyan acquired a minority stake in the company and a month later acquired a corporate-owned restaurant at South Park Meadows in Austin. The transaction completed Mr. Gatti’s Pizza’s transition to a fully franchised system and completed the re-franchising of all company-owned locations.
As part of the agreement, G. Brint Ryan will serve as Chairman and Amanda S. Ryan will serve as Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors. CEO Jim Phillips and CFO KC Mann will remain in their roles, along with the rest of the senior management team.
Mr. Gatti’s Pizza’s corporate headquarters will continue to be based in Fort Worth, where the company moved following its acquisition by Sovrano LLC in 2015.
“Our deep appreciation for Mr. Gatti’s brand, combined with our first-hand experience operating locations in multiple markets, made this acquisition a natural and exciting opportunity,” said OneRyan CEO Amanda S. Ryan.
“Mr Gatti’s has built a leading platform in the dining and family entertainment category, supported by an exceptional network of franchisees. We look forward to helping the brand continue to grow and prosper.”
Phillips described Ryan as an “exceptional leader with tremendous respect for Mr. Gatti’s legacy.”
“He brings a compelling vision for the future of the brand, along with the expertise to help us reach our full potential,” added Phillips. “We are excited to have his leadership as both owner-operator and president as we enter our next phase of growth.”
Mr Gatti’s Pizza is selling its majority stake to OneRyan Global LLC.Shutterstock” loading=”lazy” height=”540″ width=”960″ class=”yf-lglytj loader”/>
Mr Gatti’s Pizza is selling its majority stake to OneRyan Global LLC.Shutterstock ·Shutterstock
Although Mr Gatti’s Pizza is not a nationwide chain, its popularity in the southern US has allowed it to continue to grow. The company reported a 4% increase in system-wide sales for fiscal 2024, according to PR Newswire.
By the end of that year, the chain had 234 locations open and under development, awarding 39 new franchise deals in 2024 alone.
The expansion shows no signs of slowing down. In July 2024, Mr Gatti’s Pizza entered into a partnership agreement with Walmart ( WMT ) to open 92 new locations in Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana and Kentucky by mid-2026.
These Walmart-based locations are smaller than traditional independent stores and do not include arcade games, but still offer the full menu. This format was designed to capture high-traffic retail customers without the expense of arcades.
However, the road was not always smooth.
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Mr. Gatti’s Pizza’s former parent company, Sovrano LLC, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in January 2019 after racking up $32 million in secured debt and listing debts between $10 million and $50 million, according to court records.
At the time, a company spokesman told the Austin American-Statesman that the bankruptcy filing was intended to address banking and operational issues, stressing that they were not due to brand performance and would not affect store-level operations. The filing applied only to one corporate-owned location and did not affect franchise support.
Many companies choose to franchise to accelerate expansion and establish their brand in multiple markets. A franchisee invests in the right to operate a business under a recognized name, reducing the risk associated with starting from scratch.
As franchisees gain experience and confidence in a brand’s long-term potential, they often seek greater ownership to maximize profits.
According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, about 17 percent of new restaurants close in their first year, making franchising an attractive, low-risk alternative for both operators and brand owners.
However, the model has drawbacks. Since day-to-day operations are managed by individual owners, maintaining consistent quality can be a challenge. Poor oversight or mismanagement by even a few franchisees can damage a brand’s reputation.
“Labor experts say franchised chains have higher rates of violations than corporate-run chains because they are less invested in maintaining a brand’s reputation,” labor expert Lauren Kaori Gurley and investigative reporter Emmanuel Martinez wrote for The Washington Post. “They are also under pressure to keep labor costs low to offset high operating costs, particularly franchise fees.”
For OneRyan, waiting a few years before acquiring a controlling interest allowed the company to better understand these risks, assess the brand’s long-term potential and position itself for sustainable growth before fully committing.
“What excites me most about franchising today is the next generation of emerging brands—founders who are intent on growth and who are committed to building sustainable systems,” Patrick Sanchez, vice president of brand recruiter for Franchise FastLane, told FranchiseWire.
“Franchising, when done right, creates opportunities far beyond unit growth. It builds communities, empowers entrepreneurs and changes lives. Success isn’t about growing fast, it’s about growing well.”
Related: 30-year-old pasta chain announces 35 restaurant closures in 2026
This story was originally published by TheStreet on January 25, 2026, where it first appeared in the Restaurants section. Add TheStreet as a favorite source by clicking here.
