In a move that will better position both companies for expansion, two metro-Detroit based fast food franchises have joined forces. Papa Romano’s Pizza, headquartered in Commerce Township, Michigan, has merged its operations with Mr. Pita restaurants, a 35-unit Sterling Heights, Michigan-based chain.
Casey Askar, chairman and CEO of Papa Romano’s, has assumed the role of chairman and CEO of Mr. Pita. Frank Lombardo, president and founder of Mr. Pita, has been named president of Papa Romano’s while continuing to serve as president of Mr. Pita, overseeing day-to-day operations of both chains.
A veteran of the pizza industry, Askar quietly purchased the 50-plus store Papa Romano’s chain from former owner and founder Ronald Hancock in February. Since acquiring the chain, he has renovated and updated the stores, opened three new locations, including a new prototype in Ann Arbor and purchased seven formerly franchised Papa Romano’s locations that now operate as company-owned stores. He also relocated the company’s corporate headquarters from Farmington Hills, Michigan to Commerce Township.
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