Beloved 71-year-old pizza chain from Hollywood classics stages comeback after shuttering 450 stores

A chain that once dominated the pizza scene is proving it’s still the big cheese.

Shakey’s, the first franchise pizza chain in the United States, was founded in Sacramento in 1954 by Sherwood ‘Shakey’ Johnson and Ed Plummer.

The 71-year-old brand was a fixture of pop culture, serving as a backdrop for blockbuster hits like ‘Ferris Bueller’s Day Off’ and ‘Wayne’s World,’ a popular birthday spot for kids, and the home of a variety of retro arcade games.

The chain sliced its locations from 500 shops at its peak, to just 43 in the US today. 

But Shakey’s is cooking up a major comeback  The company plans to open a new flagship in Culver City, Los Angeles, designed to blend nostalgia with a modern twist.

Shakey’s president and COO Michael Grundgeiger said the flagship marks the start of a full-scale revival, with a new look set to roll out across all locations within the next two years. 

The company dedicated two years to renovating the space — a pub-style pizza parlor with textured green wallpaper, wide red booths, a distressed concrete floor, and classic Tiffany-style lamps hanging over the bar.

Still, it preserves some of the brand’s signature touches — including the familiar picnic-style tables and the iconic Shakey’s seal displayed prominently on one wall. 

The revamped look was conceived by John Tilley, son of a former franchisee and current head of the Jacmar Companies, which has owned Shakey’s since 2004. 

Tilley got his start with the brand as a teenager, making pizzas at the North Hollywood Shakey’s location. 

‘Some elements we kept, and there’s a lot of stuff that’s newer, but I wanted it to feel like it’s old. I wanted you to come here and find pop art kitsch like you would at Hard Rock Cafe when I was a kid,’ Tilley told SFGATE.

To go with the revamp, Shakey’s also got a new slogan: ‘the people’s pizza parlor’.

‘We wanted our new slogan to get back to Shakey’s roots. We didn’t have delivery for the longest time because we wanted you to be here at the restaurant and make it a second home,’ Tilley said.

‘It’s a fresh start but hearkening back to where we’ve been,’ Grundgeiger added. 

‘It means a lot of different things to a lot of people. The warmness of the wood and the color palette really gives you that parlor feeling. With John’s vision, we have a bit more of an elevated feel.’ 

‘Being a 70-plus-year-old brand, all of our locations are unique and entrenched in the community,’ Grundgeiger said to SFGATE. 

‘One of the best compliments you can hear is “We didn’t know that you’re a chain.” That’s what this whole renovation is about. We’re not just a chain, we’re your neighborhood parlor.’ 

For those aged over 30, a trip to Shakey’s will likely be nostalgic. 

There are pop culture references scattered throughout the Culver City flagship, including framed movie posters from ‘E.T.,’ ‘Desperately Seeking Susan’ and the ‘Police Academy’ films.

Tilley also found memorabilia from back in the day, such as metal Indiana Jones and Strawberry Shortcake lunch boxes, to dot around the parlor. 

Shakey’s will continue to serve what it’s known for: classic pizzas and its famous mojo potatoes.