Press & Media

I was driving home from La Lucha in the Heights some months ago when I saw Crust Pizza Co. The North Shepherd Drive outpost had all the trappings of a chain: tight font, clear logo and a sleek exterior. When another Crust Pizza Co. began development right next to my house, I figured it was worth a Googlin’.

Lo and behold, the map of Houston lit up like a Christmas tree. Crust Pizza Co. has steadily grown since its debut just north of the Bayou City 13 years ago. From my talk with CEO Carl Comeaux, the Chicago-style pizza haunt seems poised to become the next big dine-in pizza franchise. And it would appear they have the numbers to back it up.

Mark Rasberry and Clint Price, childhood friends since elementary school, started the first Crust Pizza Co. in The Woodlands in 2011. Four years later, Price and Raspberry had expanded the restaurant to Alden Bridge and Creekside Park. Comeaux, a serial entrepreneur, moved to the area around the same time and, inevitably, tried Crust Pizza. He fell in love with the concept and convinced Raspberry and Price to franchise it some years later.

Crust Pizza Co. primarily serves Chicago-style thin pizza, a cracker-like dough that has been having a moment in Houston since Nonno’s in Montrose walked away with national honors in Esquire magazine in 2023. Crust also boasts a sizable offering of pastas, calzones, salads, sandwiches and desserts. And apart from the food, the restaurants are certainly inviting with booth seating, open windows, window paneling and warm lighting. Some boast outdoor patio seating and astroturf for kids to run around on.

“In the ‘90s, we ate at Pizza Hut. It was a cool vibe, and we looked forward to that,” Comeaux said. “Most of the pizza places are to-go, delivery. There’s not a nice atmosphere.”

Comeaux said the average unit volume—the annual sales of a brand averaged across all locations—is around $1.6 million. It’s certainly higher than other pizza franchises, including Papa John’s ($1.135 million) and Domino’s ($1.2 million). “What happens is that when people dine in with us, we become their to-go pizza place,” he said.

I talked to my wife’s cousin, Cyril Thomas, about some of the numbers getting thrown around. Thomas, a co-founder and event chair at the Katy Taste Fest, owns two Toasted Yolk franchises in Katy and the Cypress area. Their AUV sits at $2.2 million as of a 2022 report, but of course, Toasted Yolk is a different product with a fuller breakfast and brunch menu.

Thomas said Crust Pizza Co. has a few interesting things going for it. One, according to Crust’s franchise disclosure document or FDD, they have not closed a single restaurant since 2021. Two, according to Comeaux, the restaurant turns down 93 percent of franchise applicants. Considering the restaurant has 37 locations with 10 more opening by the end of the year, Thomas says it’s notable. 

“It’s ultimately poised to be a good franchise. They’re being picky about who gets a franchise which is a good thing,” Thomas said. “It hasn’t made big waves as of yet, but it has controlled growth.”

Comeaux said the goal for Crust Pizza Co. is to sell 50 franchise licenses and open 25 physical locations a year. The end goal is 250 stores in nine years.

“We’re very strong. We’re big on community involvement and we want to support the community that supports us,” he said. “I don’t want to be known as a franchise. I want to be known as a local pizzeria.”