Facing market saturation, Canada’s biggest pizza chain targets Mexico for expansion

With 700 restaurants in Canada, Pizza Pizza chief executive sensed it was time to start exploring new markets

A pedestrian walks past a mural advertising pizza in Toronto. Pizza Pizza, Canada’s biggest pizza chain, is expanding to Mexico. PHOTO BY PETER J. THOMPSON/NATIONAL POST

Back in 2021, when management at Pizza Pizza Ltd. considered the future of the company, it would have been tempting to continue on the same trajectory, adding ever more restaurants in familiar Canadian markets. The strategy had worked well in the past, so well, in fact, that it earned the company the title of Canada’s largest pizza franchise.

But chief executive Paul Goddard sensed it was time for Pizza Pizza to start exploring new markets — namely, Mexico.