Pizza Ranch Explained

Pizza Ranch, Inc.
Type:Private
Founders:Adrie Groeneweg
Lawrence Vander Esch
Num Locations:216
Industry:Restaurants
Products:Pizza, chicken
Revenue: million[1]
Foundation:, in Hull, Iowa, U.S.
Location:Orange City, Iowa, U.S.

Pizza Ranch, Inc., founded in 1981,[2] [3] is a Midwestern fast casual buffet restaurant chain with more than 200 locations. It specializes in pizza and chicken.[4] [5]

Pizza Ranch was founded by Adrie Groeneweg[6] and Lawrence Vander Esch. Vander Esch left the company in 2001 after being arrested and sent to prison for sexual abuse involving fraudulently obtaining semen samples of his teen employees under the pretense of a prostate study.[7] [8] The first restaurant opened December 21, 1981, in Hull, Iowa.[9] [10] The second Pizza Ranch opened in Orange City, Iowa in 1983.[11]

Pizza Ranch has over 200 locations[12] in Iowa, Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Tennessee, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. The chain's headquarters, formerly located in Hull, Iowa, moved to Orange City, Iowa in 2005.[13] [14]

Pizza Ranch is a Christian-based company.[15] The Pizza Ranch vision is "To glorify God by positively impacting the world we live in [through pizza]."[6]

Because Iowa has the first caucus for US presidential primary elections, Pizza Ranch's more than 70 locations in Iowa are a frequent stop for presidential candidates, particularly Republicans due to the chain's conservative bent.[16] [17] [18] The 'Pizza Ranch strategy' was first noted in Mike Huckabee's campaign at the 2008 Republican caucuses; Huckabee went on to win the caucuses despite being a longshot candidate.[19]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Pizza Ranch Inc Revenue and Financial . Hoovers . February 9, 2016.
  2. Web site: Dreeszen. Dave. Pizza Ranch to add Sioux City location. Sioux City Journal. May 1, 2014. September 12, 2012.
  3. Web site: Askew. John. Meanwhile at the Pizza Ranch…. Iowa State Daily. May 1, 2014. September 17, 2007. September 25, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180925025912/http://www.iowastatedaily.com/article_426f5f75-55f2-5396-b0aa-09ef620162ef.html. dead.
  4. Web site: Kennedy. Wally. Range Line to be home of still more pizza. Joplin Globe. May 1, 2014. November 23, 2013.
  5. Web site: Korbelink . Jeff . February 27, 2014 . Pizza Ranch offers pizza and chicken . May 1, 2014 . Lincoln Journal Star.
  6. Web site: Semuels. Alana. Easy as pie: Iowa's campaign trail runs through Pizza Ranch. Los Angeles Times. May 1, 2014. December 26, 2011.
  7. News: Lynch . James Q. . Pizza Ranch is new territory for Bush campaign adviser . July 31, 2023 . Cedar Rapids Gazette . March 8, 2015 . Lawrence Vander Esch from Sioux County spent time in prison on charges that he sexually abused male employees. ... In addition, the charges against Vander Esch, who was released from prison in 2006, have been vacated by a district court judge citing an Iowa Supreme Court ruling. Vander Esch, Kochel pointed out, is no longer with the chain of 180 restaurants across the Midwest..
  8. News: Why Romney didn't dine at a 'Ranch'. Dave . Dreeszen . January 8, 2012 . Sioux City Journal. May 1, 2014.
  9. News: Viccaro. Eric. In part, Madsen owns local Pizza Ranch spot. July 5, 2014. Sioux County Index Reporter. New Century Press. May 26, 2010. July 14, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140714131755/http://www.ncppub.com/pages/?p=226. dead.
  10. Web site: Turner. Terry. Pizza Ranch opens in Sergeant Bluff. Sioux City Journal. May 1, 2014. March 4, 2004.
  11. Book: Doug. Tim. Schlak. Greta . Grond. Sarah. Kaltenbach. Anderson. Orange City: Images of America. 2014. Arcadia Publishing. 9781467111584.
  12. News: Eggmeier . Pam . January 22, 2017 . Pizza Ranch set to open Monday in Sterling . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20170213090211/http://www.prairieadvocate.com/2017/01/22/pizza-ranch-set-to-open-monday-in-sterling/akaxh53/ . February 13, 2017 . February 12, 2017 . The Prairie Advocate.
  13. Web site: Gearino. Dan. Pizza Ranch gets state loan for move. Sioux City Journal. May 1, 2014. November 18, 2005.
  14. Web site: Oechslin. Russ. Pizza Ranch grows into eight states. Sioux City Journal. May 1, 2014. April 27, 2008.
  15. Web site: Dreeszen . Dave . January 7, 2012 . Pizza Ranch again blazes trail to White House . May 1, 2014 . Sioux City Journal.
  16. Web site: Trump picks up the tab and the Pizza Ranch endorsement . 2023-03-02 . www.cbsnews.com . January 16, 2016 . en-US.
  17. Web site: Pizza Ranch: Fueling Campaigns On Cheese And Chicken. Masters. Clay. NPR. Many of the Republican presidential candidates have a hefty goal in Iowa ahead of its first-in-nation caucuses: make a campaign stop in all of the state's 99 counties. Along the way, presidential hopefuls are turning to the Iowa-based restaurant chain Pizza Ranch, whose ubiquity and inexpensive cuisine have made it a staple of the caucus campaign trail.. August 11, 2015. June 5, 2022.
  18. News: Hafner . Josh . To scarf up Iowa votes, candidates' first stop is pizza . But candidates of all political stripes visit Pizza Ranches: Democrat Hillary Clinton was the first to set foot in one ahead of 2008, according to Des Moines Register data. Democrats Joe Biden, John Edwards, Chris Dodd and Bill Richardson also appeared at Pizza Ranches for their '08 campaigns. . June 5, 2022 . . May 4, 2015.
  19. Web site: Adam Wren . The Iowa Pizza Chain That Explains How Our Politics Became So Dysfunctional . . 14 January 2024 . 13 January 2024.

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