Toppers Pizza, a nearly 80-unit pizza delivery franchise, has welcomed Brian Brindza to the team as Director of Menu and Culinary Development. This role, which has never been filled in-house before, was established in an effort to solidify Toppers’ unique menu and continue to drive the brand forward in an out-of-the-box way.

Chef Brindza is a passionate product innovator, who is focused on culinary product development, creative food innovation, and food marketing. Brindza has been bringing new and exciting products to market with global food manufacturing companies, leaders in CPG and top national restaurant chains both domestically and internationally for some time.

“When Toppers reached out, I was very intrigued,” he says. “I’ve really wanted to take full ownership of menu innovation for a larger operator, and that opportunity is available to me here. The brand is positioned for growth and I love the culture and people, so it’s a really exciting place to be.”

In his new role, Brindza says he looks forward to creating a culture of “culinary-driven innovation and product development.” By creating new Stage Gate menu innovation processes, the concept will be able to elevate its menu offerings and solidify its reputation as the most crave-worthy pizza in the space.

“I plan to elevate the menu by putting even more emphasis on menu research and insights to give our customers just what they want,” he added. “When we find the right unique ingredients that set us apart, we will be able to evolve beyond the standard slice of pizza.”

With plenty of professional experience internationally, Brindza notes a passion for traveling through the lenses of food and culture, and he is relentlessly watching global food trends to discover the future of cuisine.

“We are called Toppers for a reason. We want to be craveable and have on-trend, unique toppings,” Brindza says. “I’m also looking to build out our vegan and vegetarian offerings and expand our beverage portfolio.”