This Convenience Chain Might Be Coming For Domino’s And Pizza Hut

The takeout pizza world is in a state of flux right now. Last month, it was announced that Pizza Hut had been sold after nearly three decades of ownership by Yum! Brands, following hundreds of store closures earlier this year. Papa John’s, meanwhile, announced at the start of 2026 that it would also be closing a hefty chunk of its locations, and other, smaller-scale chains have been rocked by rising food prices and underperformance. 

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It’s a hard time to be running a pizza operation – but over the last few years, one convenience chain has been quietly approaching from the outside and is now emerging as a serious competitor to the biggest names around. Let’s discuss.

Don’t Underestimate Casey’s

Iowa-based convenience chain Casey’s has slowly but surely been making a name for itself in the pizza world, and while those in the know have been aware of it for a while, it looks set to gain even greater prominence going forward. Casey’s has had a stellar decade: As Restaurant Business Online reports, its footprint has grown by almost 50% in the last 10 years, and it now has approximately 2,900 locations across nearly 20 states. This now makes it (by Casey’s estimations, anyway) the fifth-largest pizza chain in the US. 

Casey’s has long occupied an interesting middle space between store and pizza place, but while it’s served the latter since the mid-1980s, it now looks set to double down on its status as a takeout pizza destination. In fact, it now looks as though it may be taking customers from Pizza Hut, with stores popping up in nearby locations to the latter chain – and given its trouble, this only looks set to continue. 

A Reasonable Slice

Part of why Casey’s has been so successful is due to its pricing. On average, it keeps its pizza costs lower than those of its competitors. It also sells its pizzas by the slice, giving it more grab-and-go traffic than the likes of Domino’s and Pizza Hut. Casey’s good fortunes also follow a larger trend towards convenience and gas station stores becoming food destinations in and of themselves: Just today, we reported on 7-Eleven’s new fast-food-style sandwiches, just some of many new and improved offers coming out of these kinds of locations.

Coming off the back of an excellent financial year, the future’s looking very bright for Casey’s — and at this rate, we may well see further expansion in the coming years. Those slices are going nowhere.