Pizza Empire Founder: What It Really Takes to Build a Successful Restaurant Brand - Thom Elliot

Thriving Minds with Alberto Zandi · Mar 26, 2026 · 1h 42m

This week Alberto sat down with Thom Elliot, co-founder of Pizza Pilgrims, one of the UK’s most recognisable and successful pizza brands.

Thom shares the real story behind building Pizza Pilgrims from a single van into a national business with over 800 employees, and what it actually costs to scale in hospitality. From long hours and financial pressure to the emotional toll of leadership, this conversation goes far beyond the highlight reel.

They explore the early days of the business, the realities of growth, why hospitality is often romanticised from the outside, and how pressure…