New and veteran franchisees debut locations in South Carolina, Indiana, Michigan, Arizona and Texas
MADISON HEIGHTS, Mich., Oct. 19, 2026 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Hungry Howie's, the originator of Flavored Crust® pizza and one of the largest pizza brands in the country, is continuing its national expansion with seven new restaurant openings, adding locations in Goose Creek, South Carolina; Crawfordsville, Indiana; Dearborn Heights, Michigan; Traverse City, Michigan; Tucson, Arizona; and San Antonio, Texas, along with a location inside Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor.
These openings reflect the range of operators building their futures with Hungry Howie's, from first-time owners to seasoned multi-unit franchisees and multi-partner groups expanding what they've already created with the brand. Each new restaurant is built on Hungry Howie's simple delivery and carryout model, Flavored Crust® innovation, more than 50 years of pizza expertise and a franchise system geared for expansion.
Openings Include:
- Goose Creek, South Carolina – A new restaurant extending Hungry Howie's footprint in the Southeast, opened by first-time Hungry Howie's franchisees Hardik and Sejal Pandya. The husband-and-wife team is experienced in multi-unit operations and also owns Subway and The UPS Store locations.
- Crawfordsville, Indiana – A new location continuing the brand's growth across the Midwest, opened by franchisees Jinesh Patel, Amit Patel and Parth Patel. The opening marks Jinesh Patel's second Hungry Howie's restaurant in Indiana.
- Dearborn Heights, Michigan – Opened by new Hungry Howie's franchisee Dani Jajou, a personal injury attorney and multi-business owner bringing an entrepreneurial background to his first restaurant venture.
- Traverse City, Michigan – The latest location in Traverse City from veteran multi-unit franchisee Kory Hershock, alongside his father, Kevin Hershock, and partners Jason Freese and Kylee Bird. Hershock grew up in the family business before taking on ownership and building his footprint across Michigan and Indiana. At just 24, Bird is the youngest Hungry Howie's franchisee in the market.
- Tucson, Arizona – Opened by Gregg Gilfillan, Pete Simms and Bill Sladek, along with Sladek's sons Zach and Josh, who signed a three-unit agreement for the market. Gilfillan, Simms and Bill Sladek own 13 Dairy Queen locations, and Hungry Howie's is their first move into pizza.
- San Antonio, Texas – Franchisee Muhammad Khan is growing his Hungry Howie's portfolio with a second San Antonio location. Khan also owns a 7-Eleven in the market.
- Ann Arbor, Michigan – A location inside Michigan Stadium, bringing Flavored Crust® pizza to University of Michigan football fans at one of college football's most iconic venues.
"These seven openings are proof of something we're seeing across the system – Hungry Howie's works for every kind of operator, whether you're signing your first franchise agreement or you're an experienced multi-unit owner," said Steve Clough, Vice President of Franchise Development for Hungry Howie's. "We still have prime territory open across the Southeast, Southwest, Midwest and beyond, and with a modernized digital platform on the way and a menu that never stops pushing flavor forward, there's real momentum behind our brand right now. The opportunity in front of the right operators has never been bigger, and we're ready to build the next chapter of Hungry Howie's alongside them."
Hungry Howie's continues to differentiate itself through menu innovation and an evolving guest experience. The brand has kept its lineup fresh with limited-time offerings like the one-day return of the iconic Coney Pizza and Flavored Crusts including Tajín®, Spicy Sesame, Everything Bagel and Garlic Ranch, while also growing its permanent menu with additions like Detroit-Style Pizza.
That innovation now extends into the guest experience. Through a newly announced partnership with DoorDash, Hungry Howie's is rebuilding its website and mobile app, introducing a reimagined loyalty program and helping consolidate the brand's technology stack to support long-term growth. The rollout is underway, with all Hungry Howie's locations expected to transition by Q2 2027.
For more information on franchising with Hungry Howie's, visit franchising.hungryhowies.com.
To learn more about Hungry Howie's, visit hungryhowies.com and follow the brand on Facebook, X, Instagram or TikTok.
About Hungry Howie's
Known for inventing Flavored Crust® pizza, Hungry Howie's has been around for more than 50 years and provides customers of all ages high-quality products at a great value. Currently, the brand is approaching 500 stores in 19 states across the United States and their customers are big fans of flavor. The menu aims to satisfy all – with dough made fresh daily in-house at all locations, offering original round, deep dish, thin crust, and gluten-free options, coupled with the array of options for just crust, including 8 free Flavored Crust® options – Butter, Asiago Cheese, Cajun, Butter Cheese, Sesame, Garlic Herb, Ranch, and Italian Herb. No one can live on pizza alone, so Hungry Howie's offers a great selection of calzone-style oven-baked subs, Howie Bread®, fresh salads, Howie Wings®, Howie Rolls®, desserts & Pepsi® products.
For franchising opportunities, visit franchising.hungryhowies.com.
To learn more about Hungry Howie's, visit hungryhowies.com and follow the brand on Facebook, X, Instagram or TikTok.
Media Contact
Matt Ritter, Hungry Howie's, 1 954-647-3383, [email protected], https://franchising.hungryhowies.com
SOURCE Hungry Howie's
Share this article