Giovanni's Pizza

Giovanni's Pizza is an American pizza franchise whose restaurants are concentrated in the Kyova Tri-State region spanning Kentucky, Ohio, and West Virginia. The business was established in 1964 in Wheelersburg, Ohio, by Jim and Nancy Lemaster. According to the brand's documented origin story, Jim Lemaster sold his 1930 Ford Model A to raise the $300 needed to purchase the first pizza oven. This early investment launched the restaurant that became Giovanni's Pizza. The company expanded through a combination of company operation, family involvement, and franchising. In 1967, Jim Lemaster sold the original Wheelersburg restaurant to his brother Gerald and opened a second location in nearby Ashland, Kentucky. Three years later, that Ashland restaurant was sold to Jim's brother-in-law. The transfer helped establish a pattern in which individual operators could own and run Giovanni's restaurants while remaining connected to the broader brand. This franchising approach supported regional growth without turning Giovanni's into a nationally distributed chain. Giovanni's is based in Ashland and has more than 100 locations across six states, with its strongest presence in the Ohio-Kentucky-West Virginia area. The chain's menu extends beyond pizza and includes submarine sandwiches, chicken wings, pasta, calzones, and appetizers marketed as "teasers." Depending on the location, customers can order for takeout, delivery, or dine-in service. Many restaurants also offer buffet options, giving the chain a service model that combines conventional pizzeria ordering with casual family dining. The brand's identity is therefore primarily regional rather than national or international. Its history is closely associated with southeastern Ohio, eastern Kentucky, and neighboring West Virginia, and its expansion has relied on franchise relationships and local restaurant operators. Publicly available reference material provides limited detail about corporate ownership, senior leadership, financial performance, advertising campaigns, and individual store-level developments. Giovanni's Pizza is best characterized as an active regional pizza franchise with a broad menu and a long operating history in the central Appalachian market.

Giovanni's Pizza began in 1964 in Wheelersburg, Ohio, when Jim and Nancy Lemaster established the first restaurant. The company's origin account emphasizes the modest scale of the initial investment: Jim Lemaster sold a 1930 Ford Model A to obtain the $300 required for the restaurant's first pizza oven. This start gave the brand a local foundation in southern Ohio rather than a national corporate launch. The business developed through family participation and a succession of individually operated restaurants. In 1967, Jim Lemaster sold the Wheelersburg restaurant to his brother Gerald and opened another restaurant in Ashland, Kentucky. The Ashland location was sold three years later to Jim's brother-in-law. These transactions formed part of a franchising strategy through which Lemaster expanded the Giovanni's name by transferring operating responsibility to related and local owners. The model allowed the restaurant concept to spread while preserving a strong connection to the communities in which individual stores operated. Over time, Giovanni's Pizza became a regional franchise centered on the Kyova Tri-State region of Ohio, Kentucky, and West Virginia. The chain is based in Ashland, Kentucky, and has grown to more than 100 stores in six states. Its footprint remains concentrated in the central Appalachian area rather than being evenly distributed across the United States. The menu has broadened beyond its original pizza focus. Giovanni's restaurants serve pizza alongside submarine sandwiches, wings, pasta, calzones, and a range of appetizers referred to by the brand as "teasers." Customers may use takeout, delivery, or dine-in channels, while many locations also provide buffet service. This combination gives individual restaurants flexibility to operate as neighborhood pizzerias, delivery outlets, or casual family restaurants. Public reference material does not provide a detailed account of later ownership changes, corporate management, financial results, national marketing programs, or major controversies. The documented history instead highlights the company's 1964 founding, its early family-based expansion, and the regional franchising system that made Giovanni's Pizza a multi-state chain.

1. 1970Ashland restaurant transferred to a family franchisee

   Three years after opening, the Ashland restaurant was sold to Jim Lemaster's brother-in-law, illustrating the family and franchise transfer model used in the brand's early expansion.

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2. 1967Expansion to Ashland, Kentucky

   Jim Lemaster sold the original restaurant to his brother Gerald and opened a second Giovanni's Pizza restaurant in nearby Ashland, Kentucky.

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3. 1964First Giovanni's Pizza restaurant established

   Jim and Nancy Lemaster established the first Giovanni's Pizza restaurant in Wheelersburg, Ohio.

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A regional, family-oriented pizza franchise offering dine-in, takeout, delivery, and, at many locations, buffet service.

• PizzaPizza1964

  Pizza is the core offering associated with Giovanni's Pizza and anchors the chain's restaurant identity. It is sold through the brand's regional restaurant network and is available through dine-in, takeout, and delivery service, depending on the location.

• SubsSandwiches

  Giovanni's offers submarine sandwiches as a menu category alongside pizza. Subs broaden the chain's appeal beyond traditional pizza orders and fit the brand's takeout and delivery-oriented restaurant format.

• WingsChicken

  Chicken wings are part of Giovanni's broader casual dining menu. They provide a shareable food option that complements pizza and other items commonly ordered for group meals or delivery.

• PastaItalian-American dishes

  Pasta is included among the chain's non-pizza entrees. Its presence reflects Giovanni's effort to offer a wider Italian-American restaurant menu rather than operating solely as a pizza takeaway.

• CalzonesItalian-American dishes

  Calzones are another Italian-American menu line served by Giovanni's Pizza. They extend the brand's baked-dough offering while providing an alternative format to a conventional pizza.

• TeasersAppetizers

  The chain uses the name "teasers" for several appetizers. These items function as starters or shareable sides within Giovanni's dine-in, takeout, and delivery menu structure.

• Buffet serviceRestaurant service

  Many Giovanni's locations offer buffet options in addition to standard ordering. Buffet availability varies by restaurant and supports the chain's family-oriented dine-in positioning.

1. Giovanni's Pizza