Hunt Brothers Pizza is celebrating 30 years in business this month.

The company was founded by Hunt brothers Don, Charlie, Jim and Lonnie. With more than 8,000 locations in 30 states, Hunt Brothers Pizza is the nation’s largest brand of made-to-order pizza in the convenience store industry.

Hunt Brothers Pizza CEO Scott Hunt, alongside the entire second generation of the Hunt family — Bryan Meng, Britt Hunt, Erin Hunt, Adam Hunt and Frank — attribute the success of the program to the company’s longstanding mission of “being a blessing” to c-stores and their communities and “keeping it simple” when it comes to their offerings and how their program operates. These pursuits, paired with strong family values and guiding principles, have led to the company’s continued growth and lasting customer relationships.

“We are proud to have grown Hunt Brothers Pizza into the consistent, simple and easily manageable program it is today, one that helps our c-store partners become more valuable, and in turn, more profitable,” said Scott Hunt.

Hunt also pointed to the company’s longtime partners’ success as a major source of pride.

“When the four brothers started this business, they wanted to do things differently, creating a whole new concept of c-store branded programs to help rural markets that were essentially food deserts at the time,” said Hunt Brothers Pizza COO Bryan Meng. “In their mission to help others, Hunt Brothers Pizza ended up primarily in rural convenience stores, which have remained the bulk of our business and led to our success 30 years later.”

From right to left: Hunt Brothers Don, Charlie, Lonnie, Jim

According to Hunt, the business has maintained consistent growth since the start by “keeping it simple.”

“Something we’ve learned over the years is that the key to our c-store partners’ success is keeping our program and offerings simple,” he said. “While we have adapted to meet evolving industry needs, our flavor profile and approach to partnerships have remained the same. We are cognizant of the labor and capacity of our customers, so we have built a lasting program and consistent menu to ensure we set them up for a manageable and profitable partnership.”

As a 15-year Hunt Brothers customer, Sandersville, Ga.-based Jet Food Stores’ Director of Food Operations Matthew Turner can attest to the program’s positive impact on its business.

“Hunt Brothers Pizza has been key to making our locations successful in offering quality foodservice in towns that do not have much available,” he said. “They have a great reputation in our region and are incredibly loyal and fair to their operators so that growth is achieved in a way that helps all locations grow rather than become overly competitive.”

Turner added that one of his favorite aspects of the program is the support he receives from Hunt Brothers’ account managers.

“They have really become a part of our c-store family,” he said. “Hunt Brothers Pizza is also incredibly committed to their communities, most recently assisting us in giving free pizza away as a thank you to those who served tirelessly during the pandemic. Their involvement in all aspects of the business is really key to long-term success and continued growth of our stores.”

Hunt Brothers Pizza gives all partners the ability to operate with existing labor and in stores of all sizes, providing dedicated account managers and nationwide marketing programs. the program offers original and thin crust in a whole, 12-inch pizza and a Hunk A Pizza (one-fourth of a pizza) and has become known for its “all toppings, no extra charge” offering. In addition to traditional pizzas, Hunt Brothers offers bone-in and boneless wings as well as quarterly limited-time offers (LTOs).

While its primary offerings have remained the same, Hunt Brothers Pizza recently underwent a complete product packaging transformation. Its partners have been particularly excited about the revamp as it helps to tell the story of the growth and evolution of the brand.

Looking back at the growth of Hunt Brothers Pizza, Hunt and Meng agree that it can be attributed to the fact that their mission to help partners be successful with simplicity and family values at the company’s core has never changed.

“If (partners) are successful,” Meng said, “we are successful.”