Are Hunt Brothers Pizzas Exclusively Found in Gas Stations?

If you’ve ever driven down a long stretch of country road, you’ve seen it — that iconic glowing sign advertising Hunt Brothers Pizza. No, it isn’t a local pizzeria, nor is it a large-scale pizza chain in the vein of other fast food pizza spots such as Domino’s or Pizza Hut. It is something altogether different and, in some ways, much bigger than either of those pizza giants. It is an inlet of sorts, most often found in gas stations.

Now, one may assume that Hunt Brothers Pizza is a gas station-only chain. However, this isn’t the case. Though gas stations are popular locations for the brand, you can also find its products in convenience stores and corner markets.

You won’t, however, find any free-standing Hunt Brothers Pizza restaurants. Even though it is a restaurant chain, it only exists as a licensed-out kiosk, wherein participating gas stations and retail locations pay a set amount for the stand and equipment, then purchase pizzas and toppings from the company as needed. The chain provides a great way for store owners to make extra profit while also giving shoppers and travelers a reliable slice, chunk, or whole pizza pie on the go. And while gas station nachos don’t exactly have a pristine reputation, Hunt Brothers Pizza has more than held its own in terms of flavor. Since its initial opening in the 1990s, the chain has become an institution in many households.

You might be surprised to learn that Hunt Brothers Pizza is the largest pizza chain in the United States. After all, it maintains a relatively low-key presence in the pizza scene compared to Domino’s and Pizza Hut, which have dominated the market for decades, cementing themselves in the public consciousness with endless advertisements promising speedy delivery. So knowing that the chain has almost 10,500 U.S. locations as of April 2025 — compared to 7,059 Domino’s and 6,379 Pizza Hut locations — might be a bit of a head-scratcher for the uninitiated (per ScrapeHero).

So how has this chain become so sneakily successful, you ask? For starters, Hunt Brothers Pizza has found a market in both rural areas and on roadsides off major freeways.

For many people in rural areas especially — where many food chains have only a sparse presence — Hunt Brothers Pizza isn’t just an option, it’s often the only option for pizza. The chain offers a relatively inexpensive product with very little overhead cost to shop owners, making it the perfect fill-in for areas in need of fast food. Not only that, but many customers attest to the pizza’s great taste, so repeat customers are the norm. This helps create more foot traffic in retail locations, making it a great addition for shop owners looking to bring in more business.

It may seem surprising that Hunt Brothers Pizza has such a hold on the U.S. pizza market given its nontraditional format. However, it might be precisely because of this unique business model that the chain has found success — not despite it.

Hunt Brothers Pizza was founded in the 1990s by four brothers — Don, Lonnie, Jim, and Charlie Hunt — who grew up in the restaurant industry and joined forces to create a new kind of pizza business. Their concept was ingenious: Instead of building out physical restaurants or franchising to local owners, they opted to take a much smaller approach.

Hunt Brothers Pizza doesn’t hire workers to make its pies. Instead, the company partners with various shops — both chains and independents, from gas stations to convenience stores — which purchase a starter kit of sorts, including an oven, a stand, and Hunt Brothers Pizza-branded signage for a set amount of money. Then, separately, storefronts purchase frozen pies, toppings, and supplies from the chain at their own pace. There is no franchise fee or binding contract. This means storefronts can buy supplies as needed, and the cost to maintain a Hunt Brothers Pizza setup is far outweighed by potential profits.

It is certainly a unique format for a pizzeria to take, but thus far, it has more than proven its merits. And next time you’re taking a road trip — or just a drive through the country — you might want to grab a slice and see for yourself.