An emphasis on off-premises and delivery channels is an increasingly evident theme behind this summer’s tech stack revamp by Hungry Howie’s Pizza, a Michigan-based chain with nearly 500 locations.
Less than two months after Hungry Howie’s announced a partnership with DoorDash to refresh its digital presence, the brand became the latest and largest national pizza chain to partner with artificial-intelligence-powered delivery platform Cartwheel September 1, joining the likes of Giordano’s and Lou Malnati’s.
Hungry Howie’s is actively adopting Cartwheel’s Hybrid Delivery software with a phased rollout slated to conclude by the second quarter of 2027. The selection suggests continued delivery services from in-house drivers, which the brand has done since its first location opened in 1973, but the move indicates a formal acceptance of outsourcing overflow orders when necessary.
In an emailed statement to Food On Demand, Cartwheel co-founder and CEO Alex Vasilkin said Hungry Howie’s leadership was clear about its intent to continue investing in its in-house delivery services and direct guest relationships, but also wanted to capitalize on the additional reach and flexibility of third-party platforms.
“In our conversations with the Hungry Howie’s team, one thing that came through clearly was how much they continue to value and invest in their in-house delivery capabilities and direct relationship with guests,” Vasilkin said over email. …“The strategy is really about bringing both approaches together, which, at nearly 500 stores, makes scalable orchestration across both models especially important.”
Hungry Howie’s systemwide phased rollout of the Hybrid Delivery technology follows a pilot program with Cartwheel, in which Vasilkin said the ability to work seamlessly with other partners throughout a broader tech stack modernization proved a critical factor.
The pizza chain’s partnership with DoorDash, launched in July, showcased efforts across both first- and third-party digital ordering channels. The collaboration sought to reconstruct Hungry Howie’s website and native mobile app, welcome a reworked loyalty program, and aid in consolidating the overall tech stack to support enduring growth across digital channels.
Since May, Hungry Howie’s has used Toast for its point-of-sale terminals, multi-location management, kitchen display systems and payment processing. As a Toast partner, Cartwheel integrates directly with the restaurant technology platform, providing a unified and connected system experience.
“Beyond the immediate rollout, what makes this partnership especially exciting is that Hungry Howie’s is building the kind of multi-model delivery ecosystem that can evolve as new fulfillment options become available,” Vasilkin said. “The same AI-powered infrastructure that orchestrates in-house and third-party delivery today can eventually support autonomous vehicles, drones, sidewalk robots and other emerging delivery models.”
Hungry Howie’s summer of tech stack enhancements comes amid a slump in overall unit numbers. With just under 500 locations, the brand’s total location count tumbled slightly since reaching 542 units in 2024, according to Franchise Times Top 400 data.
