Ellio's Pizza is an American brand of frozen pizza owned and distributed since 2020 by G.A. Productions LLC of Lodi NJ. Ellio's was previously owned by Dr. Oetker, a German corporation and earlier by McCain Foods, a Canadian corporation, which sold it to Dr. Oetker in 2014.
In 1963, Ellio's Pizza was founded in the Long Island, New York town of Great Neck by Elias Betzios, George Liolis, and Manny Tzelios.[1] Four years later, Ellio's introduced its signature "9 slice" pizza in a box comprising 3 rectangular pizzas, each divisible crosswise into three slices.[1]
In 1988, McCain Foods acquired the Ellio's brand and continued pizza production in Lodi, NJ. In 2006, Ellio's added a microwaveable pizza to its product line, adopting the more common round pizza form. In 2009, the product line expanded further, with the introduction of italian sausage and "Pepperoni Supreme" pizza.[1]
In 2015, McCain Foods announced the sale of its North American pizza business, including the Ellio's brand and production facility, to Dr. Oetker.[2] The brand has continued to expand its variety. As of 2015, Ellio's is available in 8 different crust and topping configurations.[3]
When McCain foods acquired Ellio's in 1988, the frozen pizza brand was outselling all competitors in the New York City, Boston, and Philadelphia markets.[4] In 2007, despite a distribution limited to the Northeastern U.S., Ellio's was the 9th best selling brand in the country, with sales totaling $34,880,060.[5] According to Ellio's, their pizza remains the top selling frozen pizza in the Northeast.[1]
