Fast Casual Executive Summit
Carl Comeaux, CEO of Crust Pizza Co., shares a look at his career, his achievements and industry trends ahead of his appearance at Fast Casual Executive Summit 2025.
Image: Willie Lawless/ Networld Media Group
June 20, 2025 by Mandy Wolf Detwiler — Managing Editor, Networld Media Group
In anticipation of the upcoming Fast Casual Executive Summit, FastCasual.com is spotlighting panelists participating in the annual industry event.
Crust Pizza Co. CEO Carl Comeaux will share insight on “The Franchise Paradox: Growth and Empowerment in the Modern Era” session aimed examining the traditional franchise model and how it is changing by consumer demands, tech and a shift in franchisee expectations.
Going on 20 years, the Fast Casual Executive Summit has been the premier gathering for top-level restaurant executives looking to innovate, connect and elevate their brands. This year’s event is taking place October 5-7 in Austin Texas.
The summit is run by Networld Media Group, publishers of Fastcasual.com, QSRweb and Pizza Marketplace. It is one of several leading industry conferences throughout the year. Click here to register for the Fast Casual Executive Summit. The next Networld Media Group event is the Restaurant Franchising & Innovation Summit taking place March 16-18, 2026 in San Diego, California. Top restaurant leaders will spend two and a half days of networking, inspiring stories and proven strategies.
Describe your current role.
Carl Comeaux serves as the chief executive officer (CEO) of Crust Pizza Co., leading the brand’s transformation from a regional favorite into a rapidly expanding, sustainable franchise entity. Here’s a breakdown of his key roles:
- Vision & Strategy: Drive growth with a clear expansion roadmap — 30-plus units now, aiming for 250 system-wide within 9 years.
- Operations & Systems: Oversee daily operations across sales, marketing, store development, and franchisee support.
- Product & Tech Leadership: Ensure product consistency—fresh daily dough, proprietary cheese & sauce across all locations.
- Culture & Franchisee Relations: Maintain strong franchise culture through partner advisory councils, franchisee support, and community-driven values.
What was your first-ever career role and what is one important lesson you learned from it?
I have been self-employed since I was 16 years old; My first business was in fitness as a personal trainer which taught me how to work with different personalities in order to help them achieve their goals.
Carl is inspired to work in the restaurant industry because he sees it as a platform for transformation — both personal and communal. He’s passionate about:
- Creating meaningful experiences through food — pizza that connects families, teammates, and neighborhoods.
- Empowering franchisees to own their future — giving everyday people a clear path to independence through a scalable model.
- Solving operational puzzles — building smart systems that make success predictable, not accidental.
- Legacy building — helping others create generational wealth by scaling from one location to many.
For Carl, it’s not just about pizza — it’s about using the restaurant business to build purpose, partnerships, and prosperity.
What do you enjoy most about your current role?
As CEO of Crust Pizza Co., Carl enjoys being in the driver’s seat of a brand that is changing lives. What he values most:
- Vision building: Setting a clear direction and future for the brand, then watching the team rally around it.
- Franchisee wins: Hearing stories of franchisees hitting milestones, building generational wealth, and achieving freedom.
- Mentoring: Coaching emerging entrepreneurs, helping them become strong operators and leaders.
- Strategic execution: Turning big ideas into playbooks, processes, and predictable outcomes.
Carl finds joy in bridging vision with execution — and seeing the tangible results in the lives of franchisees and the communities they serve.
What’s a common misconception people have about what you do?
A common misconception people have about what Carl does is that he simply “runs a pizza company.” In reality, Carl is building a scalable franchise ecosystem — which is far more than pizza. His role involves:
- Strategic development: Planning multi-state expansions and optimizing unit economics.
- Franchisee enablement: Coaching everyday people to become confident operators and owners.
- Brand growth: Overseeing marketing, real estate, training, tech, and capital deployment.
- Culture leadership: Creating a value-driven environment that keeps the Crust mission alive in every store.
He’s not in the kitchen tossing dough — he’s in the boardroom, on site visits, in franchise interviews, and behind growth models that will turn 30 units into 250-plus.
What is one career achievement you’re most proud of?
One career achievement Carl is most proud of is transforming Crust Pizza Co. from a small local concept into a fast-growing, multi-state franchise brand — while preserving its community roots and high product standards. Specifically, he’s proud of:
- Scaling from a few stores to 30-plus open or in development, with a clear plan for 250+ across the Southeast.
- Building a franchise model that empowers everyday people — not just seasoned restaurateurs — to become successful business owners.
- Creating infrastructure that turns vision into reality: training systems, vendor networks, store playbooks and culture frameworks. It’s more than growth — it’s proving that with the right systems and values, a neighborhood pizza place can become a generational business.
Who is/was your mentor and what’s one important lesson you learned from them?
Keith Cunningham; everything starts out as a good idea till it’s not. Make sure you spend time asking yourself great questions to get great answers … ultimately thinking time!
What industry trends do you think are currently over-hyped and why?
Sell to Private equity because if you are emerging that is the worst idea.
What industry trends do you think don’t get enough attention and why?
Customer satisfaction: they are our boss … if they don’t come back then they fire everyone within the company.
What advice would you give to someone just starting out in your industry?
Make sure you have a DAWG personality which means you don’t give up…it’s hard but worth it!
If you weren’t working in your current field, what would you be doing instead?
Owning a business is all I know…I don’t know.
About Mandy Wolf Detwiler
Mandy Wolf Detwiler is the managing editor at Networld Media Group and the site editor for PizzaMarketplace.com and QSRweb.com. She has more than 20 years’ experience covering food, people and places.
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An award-winning print journalist, Mandy brings more than 20 years’ experience to Networld Media Group. She has spent nearly two decades covering the pizza industry, from independent pizzerias to multi-unit chains and every size business in between. Mandy has been featured on the Food Network and has won numerous awards for her coverage of the restaurant industry. She has an insatiable appetite for learning, and can tell you where to find the best slices in the country after spending 15 years traveling and eating pizza for a living.Â
