Mountain Mike’s Pizza has promoted Ryan Lulow to the role of Chief Financial Officer (CFO), strengthening its executive leadership team as the nearly 50-year-old pizza franchise continues its rapid growth across the United States.
Lulow succeeds to the top finance role after serving as the brand’s Controller since 2020 and later as Vice President of Finance beginning in 2021.
The appointment comes at a pivotal stage for Mountain Mike’s Pizza, which operates nearly 330 locations across 11 U.S. states and has been expanding aggressively through franchise development and new market entries.
As CFO, Lulow will oversee all financial functions, including strategic planning, budgeting, forecasting and capital allocation. The company said his mandate will focus on enhancing franchisee profitability while supporting sustainable, systemwide growth through data-driven decision-making and operational alignment.
Over the next year, Lulow is expected to lead several initiatives aimed at strengthening restaurant-level economics, including refining promotional and loyalty programs, identifying supply-chain savings opportunities without compromising product quality, and supporting regional expansion with a strong emphasis on site selection and return-on-investment discipline.
“I’m honoured to grow alongside the well-respected Mountain Mike’s Pizza brand, and I’m excited by the opportunities ahead as Chief Financial Officer to invest in promotional, operational and unit progression that support franchisee wins,” Lulow said.
He added that Mountain Mike’s commitment to product quality, franchisee success and guest satisfaction remains central to the brand’s identity. Lulow also emphasized the importance of financial transparency and disciplined growth, noting that franchisees should have clear visibility into profitability drivers and the tools needed to optimize performance.
According to the company, Lulow has played a significant role in strengthening Mountain Mike’s financial infrastructure during his tenure. As Vice President of Finance, he helped enhance reporting and forecasting capabilities, improve visibility into unit-level performance metrics, and identify opportunities to expand restaurant margins. He also worked closely with franchise development teams to ensure expansion efforts aligned with long-term brand health and franchisee returns.
Prior to joining Mountain Mike’s, Lulow held finance leadership roles including Corporate Controller at Patriot Environmental Services and spent several years in progressive finance positions at Hyundai Capital. He also worked as a consultant before joining the pizza chain.
Jim Metevier, Chief Executive Officer of Mountain Mike’s Pizza, credited Lulow with helping drive the company’s nationwide growth strategy. “Since joining Mountain Mike’s, Ryan has been instrumental to our nationwide growth, optimizing profitability across supply chains, operations, marketing and beyond,” Metevier said.
“As Mountain Mike’s continues to surpass growth objectives, Ryan’s business acumen and ambition will help to maintain our financial momentum by identifying cost-saving opportunities, enhancing operations and cultivating interest among potential franchisees.”
The CFO promotion follows other strategic leadership investments by Mountain Mike’s, including the appointment of industry veteran Sumi Ghosh as President and Chief Operating Officer in late 2025, underscoring the brand’s focus on scaling operations and franchise support capabilities.
Founded in 1978, Mountain Mike’s Pizza is known for its signature crispy curly pepperoni pizzas, fresh-daily dough, chicken wings, garlic knots, salads and shareable desserts. The family-oriented concept features arcade game areas, party rooms and large-screen televisions across many of its restaurants. Today, the brand operates nearly 330 locations and continues to pursue expansion opportunities across the United States.
