Telepizza is a Spanish multinational pizza restaurant chain. As of 2017 it is the largest pizza chain not originating in North America by number of stores.[1]
Telepizza was founded as "Pizza Phone" in 1987[2] by Leopoldo Fernández Pujals, a Cuban-born American businessman, in Madrid's El Pilar neighbourhood. By 1995 it had 200 locations in Spain with a 52% market share.[2]
The company had factories in the Spanish cities of Guadalajara, Barcelona, Móstoles, and Alcobendas, but those were later sold and all production was moved to a factory in Daganzo de Arriba, Madrid. The pizza base is distributed from the factories to the different stores.
Leopoldo Fernández was forced to pawn his house, take out loans, and even endure a October 1995 "board coup" orchestrated by his brother Eduardo and other minority shareholders, which led to his removal as chairman.[3]