Vocelli Pizza
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Restaurant |
| Founded | 1988 in Mt. Lebanon, Pennsylvania, United States |
| Founder | Ablak family |
| Headquarters | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania , United States |
Area served | Alabama, Maryland, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia |
| Products | Pizza |
Vocelli Pizza (originally known as Pizza Outlet) is a U.S.-based pizzeria headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. By 2022, the franchise maintained outlets in Alabama, Maryland, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia. In 2007, the industry publication Pizza Today listed Vocelli Pizza among the Top 100 pizza franchises, highlighting $55 million in sales from 2006.
Pizza Outlet
The Ablak family established Pizza Outlet in 1988 in Mt. Lebanon, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Pittsburgh. Throughout the 1990s, the brand experienced swift growth throughout the Pittsburgh Tri-State area. Their advertising tagline was initially "Delivering Great Taste to Your Door," which was briefly changed to "The Taste that SCREAMS Fresh!" before returning to the original slogan. Pizza Outlet gained popularity as an economical choice particularly favored by University of Pittsburgh students.
During this era, wrestler Kurt Angle appeared in a commercial featuring animated pizza toppings wrestling on a pizza he had ordered. Later, The Rock mentioned this advertisement on WWE Raw is War when visiting Angle’s hometown after Angle rose to prominence in WWE.
Change to Vocelli
Following rapid expansion during the 1990s, the chain entered select markets in the Southern United States but faced initial challenges. Instead of withdrawing, Pizza Outlet rebranded its 73 southern locations as Vocelli Pizza in 2002, embracing an Italian motif and launching new marketing efforts at a cost near one million dollars. Previously, Pizza Outlet stores lacked a cohesive interior design. Although the menu remained consistent, sales increased significantly after the rebranding. This positive outcome prompted the company to convert all remaining Pizza Outlet establishments into Vocelli Pizza by 2003. The updated name was perceived as more refined compared to the generic-sounding Pizza Outlet.
Currently, Vocelli continues its growth trajectory and is recognized as one of the fastest-expanding pizza chains in the United States. By 2012, the brand operated approximately 100 locations.