G. Brint Ryan has acquired the remaining ownership interest in Mr Gatti's Pizza, becoming the primary owner of the 60-year-old Texas-based pizza and family entertainment franchise — and triggering the planned retirement of CEO Jim Phillips, who has led the company since 2015.
Ryan first took a co-ownership stake in December 2025. The completion of the transaction gives him full control of the franchisor, which operates or has in development more than 200 locations across Texas and the Southeastern United States. Phillips will remain in the chief executive role through a transition period; a successor has not yet been named.
Phillips' 11-Year Record
When Phillips acquired Mr Gatti's in 2015, the chain was operating in three states. By the time of his departure, it spans 12 states, a 50% increase in unit count and — over the past five years alone — nearly double the systemwide revenue. His tenure included steering the brand through the operational disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic, standardising franchise agreements, rebuilding the marketing fund and reviving the chain's original recipes under a stated food-first philosophy. The company also restored annual franchise conventions and refined store formats during the period. Mr Gatti's was ranked among the Nation's Restaurant News 100 Under 100 in both 2024 and 2025 and placed No. 8 on the Global Franchise Power List in 2024.
"Leading Mr Gatti's over the past 11 years has been one of the great privileges of my career," Phillips said. "We've built a culture centered on partnership and long-term success. I could not be more confident in Brint's leadership or more excited about the future of this incredible brand."
Ryan's Franchise Background
Ryan is the founder and chairman of Dallas-based Ryan, LLC, a tax services firm, and has been a Mr Gatti's franchisee for several years prior to investing in the franchisor. His transition from operator to owner mirrors a pattern seen across the broader franchise restaurant sector, where established multi-unit franchisees have increasingly moved upstream to acquire franchisor entities, citing alignment of incentives and brand familiarity.
"Jim has led one of the most impressive transformations in our brand's history," Ryan said. "My wife Amanda and I are honored to carry that legacy forward as we invest in the continued growth of Mr Gatti's."
Expansion Outlook
With a pipeline that reaches across the South and Southeast, Mr Gatti's is positioning itself within the competitive family-dining and pizza franchise segment, where chains are competing on entertainment formats and value positioning as much as menu. The brand's combination of pizza, wings and shareable items under an entertainment-venue model targets a family demographic that has proven resilient even as fast-casual competitors have intensified marketing spend.
No financial terms of the ownership transfer were disclosed. A formal leadership announcement is expected at a later date.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
