As kids, we were always begging our parents to take us somewhere, or getting excited about going to birthday parties or school field trips.
After all, children’s interests are simple: give them pizza and entertainment and they will happily stay busy for hours. When a business offers both, it often becomes a welcome break for parents, too.
Everyone has their own opinion about that place, whether it’s Chuck E. Cheese, Dave & Buster’s or Main Event. Over the years, these attractions have become top destinations for families across the country. In Texas, however, one chain has long been a source of Lone Star pride.
Mr Gatti’s Pizza was founded in Stephenville, Texas in 1964 as a small restaurant called “The Pizza Place”. Five years later it moved to Austin and was renamed Mr Gatti’s, in honor of the founder’s wife’s maiden name.
In the 1970s, the Mr Gatti’s brand expanded into a chain store and introduced self-service catering, an innovation that helped differentiate it from its competitors.
Although the Austin restaurant predates the first Chuck E. Cheese’s, which opened in San Jose, Calif., in 1977, Mr. Gatti’s didn’t really get into the fun-and-pizza trend until the 1980s. The concept quickly won over the family, and today Mr Gatti’s Pizza operates more than 200 locations across Texas and the southeastern United States.
Industry experts say this hybrid model is becoming increasingly valuable as traditional casual dining struggles to compete for consumers. A 2025 McKinsey & Company survey showed that 45% of consumers surveyed had reduced their spending at pizza restaurants.
“When there’s good entertainment and a good experience, the check-in average goes up,” Dave Dittenber, president of Downtown Restaurant Investments and CEO of BYOD, told Restaurant Dive.
Dittenber added that entertainment only works when combined with great service and quality food.
Mr Gatti’s Pizza has sold a majority stake in its business to OneRyan Global LLC, the family office of businessman and philanthropist G. Brint Ryan, according to a press release. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
OneRyan has been a Mr Gatti’s Pizza franchisee since 2022, but its involvement in the brand is steadily expanding.
In September 2025, OneRyan acquired a minority stake in the company and a month later purchased a company-owned restaurant in South Park Meadows in Austin. The transaction completes Mr Gatti’s Pizza’s transition to a fully franchised system and completes the re-franchising of all of the company’s stores.
Mr Gatti’s Pizza sells majority stake to OneRyan Global LLC.Shutterstock 
