New franchises in Costa Mesa and Fountain Valley will serve as innovation centers for R&D, training and more

Nothing shows brand confidence like a franchise investment from an existing franchisee. At Mountain Mike’s, franchise owner Yvette Pettit is opening two more locations, featuring our new store prototype design.

Guests to the restaurant will be met with rustic wood finishes, modern lighting and mountain-climbing touches everywhere, including silhouettes of hikers on the restroom doors. The design updates the guest experience.

“The prototype centers around our signature family-friendly dine-in experience, but the new interior design also prioritizes our delivery and to-go lines of business,” says Vice President of Marketing Carol DeNembo.

DeNembo says the space was also designed to be flexible, with movable tables and a variety of seating to create semi-private space for parties.

Back on track

Pettit opened Mountain Mike’s Pizza in Costa Mesa, California, on July 20, marking the second Mountain Mike’s location for Orange County. She also owns a Mountain Mike’s franchise in Northern California.

Another location, in Fountain Valley, will serve as a test kitchen for R&D and training, thanks to its proximity to our headquarters. Mountain Mike’s moved headquarters to Orange County after co-CEOs Chris Britt and Ed St. Geme purchased a majority interest in the brand in 2017.<

In addition to the refreshed design and R&D capabilities, the 3,000-square-foot Fountain Valley site will include such guest-facing features as a private party room, a kids’ activity area with arcade games, a bar counter with seating, beer on tap and a selection of wine, a salad and pizza buffet, and big screen TVs throughout.

A third Orange County location is open in Lake Forest.

Our brand has deep roots in Northern California, where it was founded in 1978, and we are continuing to grow there while opening up opportunities in Southern California, as well as in other Western states.

“The Costa Mesa and Fountain Valley locations will serve as innovation kitchens for R&D, allowing us to continually share best practices with franchisees systemwide,” DeNembo says. “We will be able to tour franchise candidates and give them a first-hand experience of what it’s like behind the counter.”