Jeff Hetsel Turns Cicis Pizza's 50.6 Percent Sales Growth Into Franchise Momentum

Cicis Pizza is using president Jeff Hetsel's 34-year anniversary with the company to tell a wider franchise turnaround story. The Coppell, Texas-based buffet brand says systemwide sales have grown 50.6 percent over the past five years, while the chain has modernized store operations, strengthened franchise performance and invested in digital tools. For a legacy restaurant franchise, that combination matters because nostalgia alone rarely carries a system through changing consumer expectations, delivery habits and franchisee cost pressure.

Hetsel's career makes the update more than a standard executive profile. He began as a restaurant manager, spent more than 20 years as a Cicis franchisee, later led real estate, construction and operations, and has now served as president for seven years. He also leads JMC Restaurant Distribution, which gives him a view across restaurant operations and the supply chain supporting the brand. That mix is relevant for franchise owners because many system decisions that look corporate from the outside, such as menu consistency, purchasing, buildout, training or technology, show up directly in unit economics.

The most visible change is digital. Cicis launched Cicis Rewards in late 2025, calling it the first national loyalty platform in the brand's history. The program passed 500,000 enrollments in its first month and one million members within eight months. The company also says the app reached the No. 1 Food and Drink ranking in Apple's App Store and produced a 98 percent redemption rate on its founding-member offer. For franchisees, the important point is not the ranking itself. It is whether the platform creates repeat visits, better guest data and local marketing that can be acted on by operators.

Cicis has also rolled out a unified POS system, the Cicis Listens guest feedback platform, refreshed restaurant designs, AI-powered training resources, analytics tools and integrated purchasing systems. Those are not glamorous investments, but they are the kinds of infrastructure upgrades that can make a mature franchise easier to operate. A buffet concept depends on consistency, speed, waste control, labor discipline and family-value positioning. If the technology stack gives franchisees cleaner information and better training, the brand has a stronger case for new development.

The company says it now has nearly 300 restaurants across more than 20 states and expects to open three additional restaurants by the end of 2026, with 15 more locations in development. Its model includes buffet dining, carryout, catering, delivery and game-room revenue opportunities, plus flexible restaurant formats for traditional development or conversion sites. That multi-revenue pitch is important because buffet economics can be sensitive to food cost, traffic patterns and local family spending.

For franchise-market readers, the Cicis story is a reminder that old brands can still compete if they treat operations as a living system. Hetsel's route from manager to franchisee to president gives the update credibility because it connects corporate strategy to the realities of running stores. The next test is execution. Cicis has fresh technology, stronger loyalty data and a recognizable value proposition. The brand now has to prove those tools can keep franchisees profitable while attracting new operators who see the buffet model as current, not just familiar.