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MOD Pizza acquires 13 franchised locations in North CarolinaMOD Pizza acquires 13 franchised locations in North Carolina

These 13 MOD Pizza fast-casual restaurants were previously owned by SD Holdings, a franchisee that filed for bankruptcy in February

Joanna Fantozzi, Senior Editor

July 29, 2020

1 Min Read
MOD Pizza storefront 3
MOD Pizza acquires stores from a bankrupted franchisee.MOD Pizza

Joanna Fantozzi

Bellevue, Wash.-based fast-casual pizza chain MOD Pizza announced that they have acquired 13 franchised MOD Pizza locations in North Carolina. All 13 locations were previously owned by SD (Southern Deli) Holdings, a franchisee that had filed for bankruptcy in February. MOD has now assumed control of the 13 locations in Charlotte, Wake Forest, Raleigh, Fayetteville and Asheville.

“This investment not only protects jobs across North Carolina but is an incredibly exciting opportunity for us to expand our company-owned portfolio and reinforce our commitment to a well-performing market with plenty of growth potential,” said Scott Svenson, co-founder and CEO of MOD Pizza in a statement. “The squad in North Carolina has done a great job introducing their local communities to the unique MOD experience and our people-first culture, and we look forward to continuing to build on this momentum.”

Although the terms of the acquisition were not disclosed, MOD said that they are offering employment and job security to all 300 eligible employees from the now-company-owned restaurants.

When SD Holdings filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy earlier this year, the company also owned 73 Sonic Drive-In restaurants, three Fuzzy Taco units, and was previously one of the largest McAllister’s Deli franchisees, in addition to its MOD Pizza locations.  Inspire Brands has now taken over all of the company’s Sonic locations.

Related:MOD Pizza names Josh Guenser CFO

After the acquisition, MOD Pizza now has 406 company-owned locations and 82 franchised locations in 28 states.

Contact Joanna Fantozzi at [email protected]

Follow her on Twitter: @joannafantozzi

Read more about:

MOD PizzaSonic Drive-In

About the Author

Joanna Fantozzi

Senior Editor

Joanna Fantozzi is a Senior Editor for Nation’s Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality. She has more than seven years of experience writing about the restaurant and hospitality industry. Her editorial coverage ranges from profiles of independent restaurants around the country to breaking news and insights into some of the biggest brands in food and beverage, including Starbucks, Domino’s, and Papa John’s.  

Joanna holds a bachelor’s degree in English literature and creative writing from The College of New Jersey and a master’s degree in arts and culture journalism from the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY. Prior to joining Informa’s Restaurants and Food Group in 2018, she was a freelance food, culture, and lifestyle writer, and has previously held editorial positions at Insider (formerly known as Business Insider) and The Daily Meal. Joanna’s work can also be found in The New York Times, Forbes, Vice, The New York Daily News, and Parents Magazine. 

Her areas of expertise include restaurant industry news, restaurant operator solutions and innovations, and political/cultural issues.

Joanna Fantozzi has been a moderator and event facilitator at both Informa’s MUFSO and Restaurants Rise industry events. 

Joanna Fantozzi’s experience:

Senior Editor, Informa Restaurant & Food Group (August 2021-present)

Associate Editor, Informa Restaurant & Food Group (July 2019-August 2021)

Assistant Editor, Informa Restaurant & Food Group (Oct. 2018-July 2019)

Freelance Food & Lifestyle Reporter (Feb. 2018-Oct. 2018)

Food & Lifestyle Reporter, Insider (June 2017-Feb. 2018)

News Editor, The Daily Meal (Jan. 2014- June 2017)

Staff Reporter, Straus News (Jan. 2013-Dec. 2013)

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