Glass Nickel Pizza Company
| File:GNPC Logo.jpg | |
| Company type | Privately held company |
|---|---|
| Industry | Restaurant |
| Founded | 1997 |
| Founder | Brian Glassel, Tim Nicholson |
| Headquarters | , USA |
Number of locations | 9 restaurants (2020) |
Area served | Wisconsin |
| Products | Pizza |
| Website | www |
Glass Nickel Pizza Co. (GNPC) is a medium-scale Italian dining establishment based in Madison, Wisconsin, featuring nine outlets throughout Wisconsin that offer delivery, takeout, and dine-in services.
History
Established in 1997 by Brian Glassel and Tim Nicholson on Madison’s east side, GNPC expanded its footprint with a second venue on the west side in 1999, launched by Timothy Archer and Neil Spath. The brand continued to broaden its reach by opening additional locations in Fitchburg, downtown Sun Prairie, and Oshkosh.
The franchising arm, GN Independents, propelled growth outside Madison by opening franchises in Green Bay and Brookfield. Following the 2018 gas explosion that destroyed the Sun Prairie site, the company swiftly recovered by inaugurating a new store at a different location within months. Subsequent expansion included a March 2020 opening in Rib Mountain/Wausau and a permanent Sun Prairie outlet established in March 2022.
Menu
The menu encompasses a variety of options such as pasta dishes, pizzas, calzones, salads, appetizers, sandwiches, soups, desserts, and drinks. Customers can choose from hand-tossed, thin crust, super thin crust, or thick crust pizzas available in sizes from 10" to 16". The most popular specialty pizza is the "Fetalicious," featuring spinach, red onions, tomatoes, mushrooms, and feta cheese. Other distinctive selections include "The Ranch," which uses ranch dressing as its base instead of traditional sauce, and "The Thai Pie," which incorporates a peanut sauce foundation. Toppings range from classic choices to more unconventional ones like salami, corn, blue cheese, and cilantro. The deli sandwiches highlight premium Boar's Head meats sourced from the East Coast.
Environmentalism
Glass Nickel Pizza is acknowledged for its commitment to environmental sustainability within the restaurant delivery sector. The company utilizes diesel vehicles converted to operate on waste vegetable oil (WVO) gathered from fryer grease processed onsite. This oil is filtered and stored internally to fuel the delivery fleet through an external diesel pump accessible to drivers and neighbors alike. These WVO-powered vehicles achieve fuel efficiency between 45-50 miles per gallon and support carbon-neutral emissions by recycling plant-based oils such as canola and soy.
Additionally, hybrid vehicles are part of the delivery fleet; new franchise owners are required to operate at least one alternative fuel vehicle—whether WVO-powered, hybrid, or electric—by their third year of operation. Energy conservation initiatives include plans to switch interior lighting to LED fixtures and install pizza ovens that automatically turn off during idle periods to reduce natural gas usage. At present, only the Fitchburg and Atwood locations employ these energy-efficient ovens. The company is also investigating options for installing solar panels on restaurant rooftops to further advance its sustainability objectives.
Awards
- Voted Madison's Preferred Pizza by Isthmus Magazine's "Annual Manual" for nine straight years (1999–2007)
- Recognized as Best of Madison by Madison Magazine for seven consecutive years (2001–2007)
- Featured among the Top 100 Independent Pizzerias by Pizza Today Magazine, achieving #13 rank in its third consecutive year on the list