McDonald's Owned This Ohio Pizza Chain In The '90s

En route to becoming one of the globe's largest chains, McDonald's, which operates over 41,000 locations worldwide, has trialed several notable acquisitions. From 2000 to 2007, the Golden Arches corporation owned Boston Market, a chain known for homestyle comfort food (it even inspired Costco's rotisserie chicken). Equally high-profile was its nearly decade-long investment in Chipotle Mexican Grill; the subsequent split attracted ample skepticism. Yet there was also a more obscure partnership in the early 2000s. McDonald's acquired more than 100 locations of Ohio-based pizza chain Donatos Pizza in 1999.

Although the partnership endured for only around four years, the story represents an intriguing chapter in early-2000s McDonald's history. At the time of the merger, Donatos Pizza was a more than 30-year-old, family-owned chain known for Midwestern tavern-style thin-crust pies. The company was not for sale; McDonald's executives approached Donatos with a business proposal.

The acquisition occurred as the Golden Arches sought to diversify beyond burger options, specifically in international markets. Under McDonald's investment, several Donatos Pizza locations opened in Germany, and the chain continued to scale. Despite measured growth, Donatos Pizza never contributed more than a couple of percentage points to McDonald's revenue. In 2003, the chain was sold back to founder Jim Grote, marking a curious moment in business partnership history.

Prior to the McDonald's acquisition, Donatos Pizza had already been established for decades. Opened in Columbus in 1963, the chain had been steadily growing on its own before the acquisition. Franchising had already begun in the early 1990s, supported by a devoted Columbus fan base.

Working alongside McDonald's proved turbulent for the company. There was conflict over administrative direction, with original family employees struggling to find their place within the corporation. Furthermore, reproducing the same high-quality thin-crust pies during rapid growth proved complicated. While new locations opened under Donatos' leadership, outlets also frequently closed, and the chain did not succeed in every new market.

At the time of the split, McDonald's executives decided to refocus on the company's in-house, time-tested burger menu. Simultaneously, Donatos founder Jim Grote and daughter Jane Grote Abell sought to steer the company back on track. Following the separation, growth resumed for the pizza chain; locations proliferated, and a retail division called Jane's Dough Premium Foods launched. As of 2026, Donatos Pizza continues to operate locations in 28 states. While franchising is still ongoing, the company now scales according to its own corporate structure, a move that has helped keep the brand prosperous. Rather than a corporate giant pizza-chain revival story, Donatos has followed a unique trajectory in which the business found greater success as a standalone company.