Extreme Pizza is a privately held restaurant franchise chain specializing in conventional and California-style pizza, founded by Todd Parent[1] and Michael Pastor[2] in 1994 in San Francisco, California.[2] The chain currently includes over 30 locations in the United States, and one in Ireland. Most franchises are located in Northern California, as well as other states including Colorado, Texas, Virginia, Washington and Oregon.[3]

Parent plans to open 20+ stores in Southern California.[4]

Extreme Pizza primarily sells pizza; other menu items include calzones, sandwiches, and salads.[5] Pizza toppings include roasted walnuts, marinated artichoke hearts, and hummus,[6] with creative names such as "Holy Cow", "Peace in the Middle East", and "Pandora's Box".[6]

Most restaurants have decor of extreme sports, such as photographs of extreme athletes and benches made out of snowboards.[6][7] In keeping with its extreme sports theme, Extreme Pizza was an early sponsor of the X Games.[8] According to the Seattle Times, Extreme Pizza is "lauded within the business world for its enlightened corporate policies and savvy extreme-sports sponsorships".[9]

The restaurant chain was recognised by the San Francisco Business Times as one of the fast-growing companies in the San Francisco Bay Area for four consecutive years (2000–2003)[10] and by Inc. magazine as one of the fastest-growing in the United States for three years (2001–2003).[11][12][13] Extreme Pizza won an award of "Best Pizza in San Francisco" in 1998.[14]

Pizzas cost $6 to $25.[15] Extreme Pizza offers online ordering, take-and-bake, and delivery,[16] and some locations also offer catering.[17]