Ian’s Pizza Madison | Frances Street

Ownership

Ian's Pizza was founded by Ian Gurfield in 2001 and Madison, Milwaukee, and Cedar Rapids locations are locally owned and operated. While the chain has added franchises in Denver and Seattle, the core Madison locations remain independently owned.

Local Sourcing

Salad ingredients are sourced from local farms and Ian's sources fresh produce from the Dane County Farmers' Market in the summertime. The Mac n' Cheese pizza features Wisconsin mozzarella and local cheddar, and pizzas are made with local, farm-raised meats, indicating significant but not exclusive local sourcing.

Community Involvement

Ian's has donated thousands of pizzas and Free Slice Cards and sponsored hundreds of events around Dane County. Ian's hosts 'Dough-Nation' Fundraisers at Frances Street and Garver Green locations for local non-profits and student organizations, and partnered with chefs for the River Food Pantry's fundraiser.

Local Workforce

Employees rate Ian's Pizza 4.1 out of 5 stars on Glassdoor, with 74% recommending it to friends. Since 2020, the company has doubled employee ownership stakes and pays industry-leading wages. However, reviews are mixed with some complaints about management and pay.

Revenue Retention

Ian's Pizza has combined revenue of $35 Million and strong financials allow them to pay industry-leading wages and fuel their profit-sharing program. As a locally-owned business, most revenue likely stays within Wisconsin and the company, though specific profit-retention percentages are unavailable.

Local Presence

Despite some local language (Madison/WI references, farmer's market mentions, local phone numbers), the website exhibits strong corporate signals: multi-location selector across three cities, franchise-style boilerplate copy, corporate careers portal, 'executive bios' section, and templated structure suggesting chain operations rather than single-location authenticity.