Pizza Ranch
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Pizza Ranch, Inc., founded in 1981,[1][2] is a Midwestern fast casual buffet restaurant chain with more than 200 locations. It specializes in pizza and chicken.[3][4]
Pizza Ranch has over 200 locations[5] in Iowa, Colorado, Illinois, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Tennessee, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.[6][7]
Pizza Ranch is a Christian-based company.[8][9] The Pizza Ranch vision is "To glorify God by positively impacting the world we live in".[9]
Because Iowa has the first caucus for US presidential primary elections, Pizza Ranch's 67 locations in Iowa are a frequent stop for presidential candidates, particularly Republicans due to the chain's conservative bent.[10][11][12]
History
In 1981, Pizza Ranch was founded by Adrie Groeneweg and Lawrence Vander Esch.[9][13][14] The first restaurant location opened on December 21, 1981, in Hull, Iowa.[15][16]
In 1983, two years later, the second Pizza Ranch opened in Orange City, Iowa.[17]
In 2001, Vander Esch left the company after being arrested and sent to prison for sexual abuse involving fraudulently obtaining semen samples of their teen employees under the pretense of a prostate study. Vander Esch was discharged from prison in March 2006, according to the Iowa Department of Corrections. Later that year, a district court judge, citing an Iowa Supreme Court ruling in a separate case, vacated his conviction and cleared his record.
In 2005, the chain's headquarters, formerly located in Hull, Iowa, moved to Orange City, Iowa.[6][7]
In 2008, 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.[18]
In 2024, an Iowa man achieved the feat of visiting every Pizza Ranch location in existence.[19]
See also
References
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External links
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- Pages with script errors
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- Economy of the Midwestern United States
- Regional restaurant chains in the United States
- Pizza chains of the United States
- Restaurants established in 1981
- Restaurants in Iowa
- Buffet restaurants
- Fast casual restaurants
- Pizza franchises
- Hull, Iowa
- Orange City, Iowa
- 1981 establishments in Iowa
- Theme restaurants
- Iowa caucuses
- American companies established in 1981
- Iowa culture