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How the Red Robin and Donatos partnership came togetherHow the Red Robin and Donatos partnership came together

The casual dining chain under then-CEO Denny Marie Post pursued a different pizza brand three years ago before turning to Donatos, which was skittish after its experience with McDonald’s

Nancy Luna, Senior editor, Nation's Restaurant News

February 3, 2020

7 Min Read
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After the founder of Donatos Pizza repurchased the chain from McDonald’s in 2003, the Ohio-based pizzeria brand — known for its edge-to-edge toppings — was reluctant to partner with any big corporation.

“We were very cautious about who we got involved with,” Donatos CEO Tom Krouse told Nation’s Restaurant News in a recent phone interview.

That all changed in 2018 when the family-run pizza company was approached by Red Robin Gourmet Burgers. Led by then-CEO Denny Marie Post, the Greenwood Village, Colo.-based casual dining was searching for a food offering that would complement its burger-centric menu.

“As we looked at our overall menu, burgers are always at the heart of who we are. It always will be,” Jason Rusk, vice president of business ...

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About the Author

Nancy Luna

Senior editor, Nation's Restaurant News

Nancy Luna is a senior editor at Nation's Restaurant News and a contributing editor at Supermarket News. She covers the industry's largest and most talked about fast-food brands including McDonald's, Starbucks, Chipotle Mexican Grill, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, KFC and Subway. She is an award-winning journalist with more than 25 years reporting experience. As a veteran business reporter based in Southern California, Nancy has covered some of the country's most beloved food and retail brands including In-N-Out, Taco Bell, Trader Joe's, Aldi, Whole Foods Market, Target and Costco. Luna is a graduate of Cal State Fullerton. When she's not digging for news on her beat, you can find Nancy regaling her fans about her latest dining adventures on her Fast Food Maven social media channels. Contact [email protected]  or follow her on Twitter at https://twitter.com/fastfoodmaven

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