International Pizza Chains We Want To Come To The US

The United States prides itself on its seemingly endless array of options when it comes to fast-food dining, and one quick look at America's urban landscapes will reveal that our dearly beloved pizza chains are at the top of this never-ending list. From the three-dotted blue and red Domino's logo, the pizza-impaling Little Caesars' mascot, or Shakey's iconic Pizza Parlor signage, metropolitan highways and smalltown main streets alike are lined with pizza chain banners as far as the eyes can see — and that does not even scratch the surface.

Like fluorescent lighthouses guiding us to our deliciously greasy guilty pleasures, we take comfort as well as national pride in the sheer number of pizza options at our disposal. In fact, America has a deep history with pizza, and was the birthing grounds for the first and oldest pizza chains in the world, making such establishments as representative of American culture as the Stars and Stripes or the Super Bowl.

As the founding fathers of pizza chains, it may come as a shock to know that despite already having too many pizza places to choose from, we don't actually have it all. From household pizza name brands we have never heard of before, to industry-leading pizza tycoons from halfway across the globe, here's a list of little slices of heaven we want to bring closer to home.

Known as Australia's gourmet pizza specialists with its famously unique pizza flavor profiles such as Peri Peri Chicken and Pesto Chicken Club, there are plenty of reasons we want Crust Pizza to bring its local love for the dish to the rest of the world. Crust has over 120 stores dotted across Australia, New Zealand, and Singapore, making its way into the upper crust of the pizza world by bringing only the most real, fresh, and green pizza options in the market.

While a greasy pizza slice may be the best hangover cure for some of us (who can say no to a meat overload and cheese-filled crust?), our friends from down under have Crust to thank for a healthier pizza dinner with its industry-leading vegan and health-conscious options. In fact, Crust was one of the first quick-service restaurant (QSR) brands in the world to offer customers gluten-free or low-carb pizza bases, which regulars can also top with vegan cheese and plant-based proteins of their choice!

As a 2022 Vegan Nourish Award finalist, Crust is changing the sustainability landscape for all pizza businesses. As its slogan goes, it truly is a crust above the rest. Maybe once Crust Pizza branches start erupting in this side of the northern hemisphere, we can make all of our nutritionists proud with its guiltless pizza offerings — without sacrificing that pizza goodness we all know and love, of course.

Did you know that the largest non-American pizza chain is based in Spain? Telepizza has been around since 1987, pioneering the first-ever food delivery service in the country. Known for its stellar customer service — bringing freshly made pizzas to Spaniards' doorsteps in an average of eight and a half minutes (we wonder how long it would take for an order to reach the US?) — Telepizza has evolved from over-the-telephone orders to accepting orders through WhatsApp.

But aside from how much the company cares about customer satisfaction, the secret behind Telepizza's success is definitely the quality of its pizzas and its "secret" dough. Made with only the best ingredients, Telepizza's unique texture and flavor can be explained by the way it kneads and stretches the dough by hand and in-store every single day after 7 days of maturation and 72 hours of fermentation. We admit that it's an oddly specific process, but hey, if it works, it works!

With Telepizza's current plans to expand its over 1,400 stores worldwide, our only wish is that it takes its innovative expansion up a notch and extends its services here too. No one wants to miss out on one of the biggest pizza chains in the world.

Norway is known to have the world's best cheeses. But what's better than Norwegian cheese? When it's combined with perfectly baked dough, a mouthwatering sauce, and your favorite pizza toppings, of course! Norway has Peppes Pizza to thank for introducing this delicious masterpiece to the entire country.

As the largest pizza chain restaurant in Scandinavia, Peppes has been creating "real American pizza" for our Nordic neighbors since 1970 after Louis Jordan, the mind behind Peppe's Pizza, brought his passion for Connecticut-style pizza all the way to his wife's home country. It just goes to show how culturally significant and influential pizza can be.

More than just revolutionizing Norway's culinary landscape, Peppes also changed the game for the pizza market when it expanded into groceries, giving customers the chance to DIY their own Peppes pizzas from the comfort of their homes with traditional Peppes ingredients. For yet another historical feat, Peppes has recently made it even easier to experience the signature American taste with its thick, chewy crusts via Peppes' frozen heat-it-yourself options!

From being the first pizza restaurant in the country to bringing pizzas to families' kitchens in minutes, we are crossing our fingers that we can find that oh-so-popular Peppes brand logo lining our streets and supermarket shelves soon.

If you're feeling adventurous, there's no better place to experiment with unique pizza flavors other than at the Pizza Company. Throughout the years, it has been releasing limited-time promotions that have made headlines for both its original — but sometimes downright outlandish — pizza concoctions.

Pizza Company regulars have been able to choose from a wide array of crazy offerings such as the Burger Pizza, which is literally a pizza with mini cheeseburgers linked to form the crust, a Crunchy Chicken Crust Pizza — which, you guessed it, features a fried chicken crust that you can coat with either a Korean or cheese sauce, and wait for it... a Durian Pizza that is heavily loaded with the notoriously stinky fruit, made for all the lovers and haters of durian!

The Company has once again proved that pizza really does open a lot of doors when it comes to innovating the world of food. Unfortunately, we'll have to travel all the way to Bangkok, Thailand to see what new masterpiece or monstrosity it has cooked up, since the Company has not expanded outside Asia and the Middle East. As for now, we'll have to make do with eating our pizzas and fried chicken as separate dishes. 

Imagine the perfect late-night pizza: a layer of savory-sweet sauce laid on a freshly baked crust, finished with yet another layer of cheese and all your favorite toppings. Now multiply those layers not just twice, but three times.

That's exactly what Debonairs Pizza promises with its iconic Triple-Decker pizza packed with three layers of cheddar, mozzarella, and cream cheeses, generous portions of ground beef, spare ribs, and ham, and all the veggies you want! And if that's not enough, get ready to call for backup with its Cram-Decker pizza, which has all the triple layers but with a crust that's heavily loaded with chicken cheese grillers (cheese-filled sausages, in American-speak).

This South Africa-based restaurant is the largest pizza chain in all of Mzansi. And as its name suggests, Debonairs is as suave and sophisticated as pizza delivery could get, because all our favorite pizzas are delivered to our doorsteps by the most dashingly dressed deliverers — complete with tuxedo vests and bow ties. Why stop feasting like kings if we can elevate our pizza takeout dinners to the fine dining experience all pizza connoisseurs deserve?

Whether or not you've heard of Portuguese Pizza, the iconic dish is standard fare at any pizzeria in São Paulo — and the most iconic of these establishments is the one and only Mister Pizza. Founded in 1981, the pizza brand made its way from being the first food service franchiser in Brazil to being one of the country's largest pizza chains with more than 50 stores nationwide.

A trip to its online menu will reveal mouthwatering options such as the famous Portuguese Pizza, which is decorated with mozzarella on top of a classic pizza sauce, some onions, tomatoes, and olives here and there, and finally, something you would least expect: slices of hard-boiled eggs. What's even crazier is that it has a multitude of sweet pizza alternatives as well, ranging from Ovaltine or Nutella pizzas, banana pizzas dusted with sugar and cinnamon, and even a wholly white chocolate pizza combined with the famous Brazilian Catupiry soft cheese.

If Mister Pizza isn't the picture-perfect standard of franchising success, with the way it influenced the fast food industry in Brazil and continues to be culturally significant by being present in every Rio de Janeiro major event — then we don't know what is.

Everyone knows that pizza = happiness. But Pizza Celentano takes it to a whole new level. We've never seen a more memorable brand identity and values than the one that the Ukraine-born franchise proudly represents. Bearing its basil leaf, mozzarella ball, and cherry tomato slice logo, Pizza Celentano is nothing but a symbol of comfort and familiarity for all of Ukraine.

Celentano prides itself on its emotionally driven brand as the first and largest pizzeria chain in the country. More than just fresh, thin-crust Italian pizza that you can top with grilled eggplants, artichoke pâté, or pesto sauce and arugula, Pizza Celentano says that it will always be around for your first pizza, your first and last day of school, your first salary, your first date, and your first job — ensuring that it holds a special place in every Ukrainian heart.

As they say, every meal with Celentano is a celebration. We hope that, someday, we can enjoy the abundant atmosphere of good food and good vibes that Pizza Celentano radiates.