"The 2010s were rife with new pizza concepts, like Blaze and MOD, and each were anointed the future of the industry at some point. In fact, fast casual pizza was so considered the next big thing in that even big name celebs were getting involved in the restaurants, with basketball stars LeBron James and Dwayne Wade owning portions of Blaze and 800° Woodfired Kitchen respectively."
"Pie Five's success peaked in 2017, but unfortunately that was also around the peak for fast casual pizza. At the time fast casual pizza was rapidly growing in sales, even while the industry as a whole was contracting, and pizza was the single largest sector in the fast casual space. The build-your-own pie concept, and the speed of cooking made pizza a natural fit for the fast casual model, and of course everybody in America loves pizza."
Pie Five pioneered fast-casual make-your-own pizzas, offering fresh, made-to-order pies ready in five minutes after launching in 2011 under Pizza Inn. The chain expanded quickly, reaching about 100 locations within five years and peaking in 2017. Fast-casual pizza growth coincided with a contracting overall industry, attracting competitors like Blaze and MOD and celebrity investors. The fast-casual pizza trend cooled in the 2020s, reducing sales momentum and placing early players under pressure. Pie Five faces severe decline and potential disappearance as market conditions and competition eroded the initial advantages of rapid expansion.
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