Mountain Mike’s Pizza Ranked America’s #7 Most Loved Brand by Yelp

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Mountain Mike’s Pizza Ranked America’s #7 Most Loved Brand by Yelp

2025-12-24 06:45 Last Updated At：06:50

IRVINE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec 23, 2025--

Mountain Mike’s Pizza, a leading family-style pizza chain for over 45 years, known for its legendary crispy, curly pepperonis, massive 20-inch Mountain-sized pizzas and dough made fresh daily, has once again been lauded by ratings powerhouse Yelp. The growing pizza brand was ranked #7 among U.S. restaurant chains and #9 overall on Yelp’s Most Loved Brands of 2025 list. The list celebrates the national brands that have cultivated loyalty and love on Yelp, and the rankings are based on customer ratings and reviews for businesses with 150 or more locations and at least 500 total reviews. The prestigious Yelp recognition underscores Mountain Mike’s strong guest satisfaction and consistent performance across verified consumer reviews, reinforcing the brand’s growing national appeal. The accolade follows the brand’s debut at #6 on Yelp’s Top 25 Pizza Chains in America list. Mountain Mike’s has grown exponentially since 2017 while staying true to its roots. Along the way, the popular chain continues to add to a surge of industry acclaim.

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"We are immensely grateful for the tremendous loyalty and passion from our guests, since exceptional hospitality and quality guide everything we do,” said Carol DeNembo, Chief Marketing Officer of Mountain Mike’s Pizza. “Being named one of Yelp’s Most Loved Brands wouldn’t be possible without the dedicated franchise partners and team members who bring Pizza the Way It Oughta Be® to life every day, and this accolade caps a year of remarkable brand recognition.“

In addition to the top-10 ranking from Yelp, Mountain Mike’s continues to receive an array of other important industry honors, including prestigious rankings and multiple accolades that highlight the brand’s steep growth trajectory and ongoing excellence. Mountain Mike’s climbed to #89 on Entrepreneur’s Franchise 500® list – the brand’s third consecutive year in the Top 100 – and rose to #4 in the highly competitive pizza category. Franchise Times honored Mountain Mike’s with a coveted Zor Award for “Top Sit-Down Pizza,” and the Franchise Innovation Awards recognized the brand’s Heart-Shaped Pizza promotion as “Best PR Campaign.” Mountain Mike’s was also named “Brand of the Year” by Pizza Marketplace as part of its Top 100 Movers & Shakers. The prominent industry outlet also ranked CEO Jim Metevier among the top executives shaping the pizza industry. Further illustrating its significant momentum, Mountain Mike’s landed at #32 on Entrepreneur’s Top Food Franchises and #136 on the Nation’s Restaurant News & Restaurant Business Top 500 list of leading U.S. restaurant chains.

With a strong presence nationwide, proven franchise model and continued investments in quality and innovation, Mountain Mike’s is well-positioned for even more growth and segment dominance. The brand began 2025 with remarkable momentum, fueled by a host of strategic market entries and the opening of its 300 th restaurant. Through Q4, Mountain Mike’s has opened eight new restaurants, several of which debuted in new territories for the brand across Texas, Washington, Wisconsin and Oklahoma. Year-to-date, Mountain Mike's opened 23 restaurants, the most in a single year for the brand. The acclaimed pizza powerhouse now operates in more than 30 markets systemwide and has 120+ locations under development across 15 states.

With more than 320 restaurants in operation across 11 states and counting, Mountain Mike’s is primed to continue expansion throughout the U.S. by extending opportunities to new franchise partners looking to diversify their portfolios with a popular family pizza concept. To learn more about new franchise opportunities in your market of interest, visit www.mountainmikesfranchise.com.

About Mountain Mike’s Pizza

Since 1978, Mountain Mike’s Pizza, a leading family-style pizza chain known for its legendary crispy, curly pepperonis, Mountain-sized pizzas, and dough made fresh daily, has been a popular choice for families, serving “Pizza the Way it Oughta Be!®” In addition to offering carryout, its own in-house delivery, and four third-party delivery options, Mountain Mike’s provides a family-friendly dine-in environment making it easy for guests to enjoy the brand’s signature experience wherever they are. Most of its 320+ locations feature a kids’ activity area with arcade games, dedicated party rooms and big screen TVs throughout, making Mountain Mike’s an ideal place for sports teams, family gatherings, group fundraising events and private parties alike. With a menu of signature pizzas, chicken wings, garlic knots, fresh salads, sharable desserts, and a selection of beer and wine, there’s something for everyone at Mountain Mike’s. Guests may also take advantage of streamlined ordering via the Mountain Rewards® app to earn exclusive offers and personalized rewards towards free food. This year, Mountain Mike’s was named one of America’s Favorite Restaurant Chains by Newsweek, as well as a top-10 brand on Yelp’s Most Loved Restaurant Brands list. For a complete list of locations and the full menu, visit www.mountainmikespizza.com or follow Mountain Mike’s on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and X.

Senegal starts Africa Cup campaign with 3-0 win over Botswana, Nigeria plods past Tanzania 2-1

TANGIER, Morocco (AP) — The contrast could hardly be greater.

Nicolas Jackson scored twice and Senegal started its Africa Cup of Nations title bid with a comfortable 3-0 win over Botswana on Tuesday, before Nigeria opened with a nervy 2-1 victory over Tanzania.

Both teams are among the favorites for the 35th edition of the tournament, but only one lived up to its billing.

Senegal substitute Cherif Ndiaye completed his team's scoring after Botswana goalkeeper Goitseone Phoko had prevented worse for the Zebras, who lined up with five at the back and were pinned back for most of the game.

“We have to keep going like this,” said Senegal coach Pape Thiaw, who nevertheless saw room for improvement. “There are no easy opening matches.”

Nigeria got a Group C win in the old “imperial city” of Fez, but the performance may cause concern.

“We are satisfied with the three points. That is the most important,” Nigeria coach Éric Chelle said.

The Super Eagles made the better start and should have scored long before Semi Ajayi finally broke the deadlock in the 36th with a header off Alex Iwobi’s cross after a short corner.

Charles M’Mombwa equalized against the run of play early in the second half, and though Ademola Lookman replied almost straight away with a fine strike, the Taifa Stars’ goal seemed to drain Nigerian confidence away.

Nigeria star Victor Osimhen, who’d earlier had a would-be goal ruled out for offside, was unhappy when he went off in the 86th.

Ibrahim Hamad missed the last chance for Tanzania, and Nigeria — the beaten finalist in the last edition — ultimately had enough experience to hold on.

Senegal, winner of the 2021 edition, could have scored more against a team ranked 138th in the world, all while the colorfully dressed Senegal fans danced to the beat of their drums.

The official team supporters had taken their positions long before kickoff and never stopped, not even as organizers blared pop tunes and advertisements in the otherwise mostly empty stadium.

Attendance in the 68,000-capacity Grand Stade de Tanger, which looks like a sugar-coated donut from the outside, was just over 18,500. Heavy rainfall likely kept neutral fans away. It kept pouring on the third day of what is shaping up to be the wettest and coldest Africa Cup to date. The tournament was initially scheduled for the summer, but it was pushed back to avoid clashing with FIFA’s new Club World Cup competition.

Jackson, who has had limited opportunities at Bayern Munich since his summer switch from Chelsea, missed a host of chances. The first came early with Phoko getting the better of their one-on-one, before Pape Gueye fired over, and Phoko made another great save to deny Sadio Mané.

Many more chances were missed before Jackson finally broke the deadlock in the 40th with a simple finish to Ismail Jakobs’ fast cross.

Botswana initially showed more attacking ambition after the break, but that yielded more counterattacking opportunities for the Teranga Lions, who quickly resumed their earlier dominance.

Jackson used both feet before sweeping in the ball in for his second goal in the 58th from Ismaïla Sarr’s cross.

Phoko remained the busiest Botswana player as Jackson’s frustrations grew. Jackson went off for Ndiaye in the 78th and the substitute wrapped up the scoring in the last minute.

Elias Achouri scored twice and Tunisia dealt Nigeria a warning with a 3-1 win over Uganda in Group C.

Ellyes Skhiri also scored for the Carthage Eagles, who were buoyed by vocal support, with Denis Omedi getting Uganda's consolation goal in stoppage time.

Nigeria faces Tunisia next on Saturday.

An early goal from Théo Bongonda was enough for Congo to beat Benin 1-0 in Group D's first game.

AP at the Africa Cup: https://apnews.com/hub/africa-cup-of-nations