Gatti's Pizza
Encyclopedia
Gatti's Pizza is a Southeastern United States
pizza
-buffet
chain. Gatti's Pizza, founded in 1964 is owned by Blue Sage Capital, a private equity investment firm. The corporate offices are in Austin, Texas
.
Lieutenant Colonel James R. Eure opened a pizza and hamburger restaurant in his hometown of Stephenville, Texas
. He and his wife moved to Austin, Texas
; and in 1969, he opened a pizza restaurant in Austin
under the name, "The Pizza Place." In order to identify themselves apart from the rest of the pizza places, Colonel Eure undertook a name contest. Colonel Eure's wife's maiden name was Gatti, which soon won out over many other proposed names and The Pizza Place was renamed Mr. Gatti's Pizza.
In 1974, Eure sold his chain of 18 Mr. Gatti's restaurants to a group of investors, but held on to a few franchises. The investors worked with Colonel Eure in helping the company grow by establishing in Texas and many other states. The chain has since changed hands a number of times.
By the 1980s, Mr. Gatti's took on a more modern look by adding a game room
and a buffet bar
into many of its restaurants.
, Lafayette, Louisiana
, Oklahoma City
, and Sugarland, Texas. They are all expected to be open by late 2011.
Southeastern United States
The Southeastern United States, colloquially referred to as the Southeast, is the eastern portion of the Southern United States. It is one of the most populous regions in the United States of America....
pizza
Pizza
Pizza is an oven-baked, flat, disc-shaped bread typically topped with a tomato sauce, cheese and various toppings.Originating in Italy, from the Neapolitan cuisine, the dish has become popular in many parts of the world. An establishment that makes and sells pizzas is called a "pizzeria"...
-buffet
Buffet
A buffet is a system of serving meals in which food is placed in a public area where the diners generally serve themselves. Buffets are offered at various places including hotels and many social events...
chain. Gatti's Pizza, founded in 1964 is owned by Blue Sage Capital, a private equity investment firm. The corporate offices are in Austin, Texas
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
.
History
In 1964, retired Air ForceUnited States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
Lieutenant Colonel James R. Eure opened a pizza and hamburger restaurant in his hometown of Stephenville, Texas
Stephenville, Texas
Stephenville is a city in and the county seat of Erath County, Texas, United States. The population was 14,921 at the 2000 census. Founded in 1856, it is home to Tarleton State University. Stephenville is among several communities that calls itself the "Cowboy Capital of the...
. He and his wife moved to Austin, Texas
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
; and in 1969, he opened a pizza restaurant in Austin
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
under the name, "The Pizza Place." In order to identify themselves apart from the rest of the pizza places, Colonel Eure undertook a name contest. Colonel Eure's wife's maiden name was Gatti, which soon won out over many other proposed names and The Pizza Place was renamed Mr. Gatti's Pizza.
In 1974, Eure sold his chain of 18 Mr. Gatti's restaurants to a group of investors, but held on to a few franchises. The investors worked with Colonel Eure in helping the company grow by establishing in Texas and many other states. The chain has since changed hands a number of times.
By the 1980s, Mr. Gatti's took on a more modern look by adding a game room
Game Room
Game Room is a gaming service for the Xbox 360 video game system, Microsoft Windows PCs, and Windows Phone 7. Launched on March 24, 2010, Game Room lets players download classic video games and compete against each other for high scores...
and a buffet bar
Buffet
A buffet is a system of serving meals in which food is placed in a public area where the diners generally serve themselves. Buffets are offered at various places including hotels and many social events...
into many of its restaurants.
Today
Gatti's Pizza currently has over 150 locations across the United States. Some Gatti's Pizza locations are branded as GattiTown and Gattiland; which are based on the Family Entertainment Concept (FEC) with a larger physical footprint and a dedicated gaming and attraction based midway. In 2004, Blue Sage Capital bought the chain. Three years later in 2007, Blue Sage renamed Mr. Gatti's to Gatti's Pizza to reflect current trends. In 2011 Blue Sage announced that the would construct four new super sized Gatti's restaurants based on their GattiTown model. The new locations will be between 45,000 and 60,000 square feet. In addition the typical features they will have bumpers cars, go karts, miniature golf, and miniature bowling. The four locations are based in El Paso, TexasEl Paso, Texas
El Paso, is a city in and the county seat of El Paso County, Texas, United States, and lies in far West Texas. In the 2010 census, the city had a population of 649,121. It is the sixth largest city in Texas and the 19th largest city in the United States...
, Lafayette, Louisiana
Lafayette, Louisiana
Lafayette is a city in and the parish seat of Lafayette Parish, Louisiana, United States, on the Vermilion River. The population was 120,623 at the 2010 census...
, Oklahoma City
Oklahoma city
Oklahoma City is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma.Oklahoma City may also refer to:*Oklahoma City metropolitan area*Downtown Oklahoma City*Uptown Oklahoma City*Oklahoma City bombing*Oklahoma City National Memorial...
, and Sugarland, Texas. They are all expected to be open by late 2011.