Entrepreneur Sells 50,000 Pizzas in 6 Weeks Securing Target Deal

Innovation in Challenging Times

When restaurants shut their doors due to the pandemic, Katie Lee focused on survival rather than reinventing the wheel. By transforming restaurant pizza into a frozen product within 24 hours and launching it directly to consumers with her existing team, she demonstrated that speed and simplicity can unlock new business opportunities.

Lee, who operated Katie’s Pizza & Pasta in St. Louis, quickly adapted her business model. "We prototyped frozen pizza in just 24 hours," Lee explains. The outcome was remarkable; through rapid pivoting, the restaurant evolved into a pizza assembly line. Staff were converted into delivery drivers, generating significant revenue each day.

Within just six weeks, they sold 50,000 pizzas, but this success also brought challenges. After they began selling pizzas in stores, a government agent contacted them stating they must comply with USDA regulations. This led to a temporary halt in sales, but Lee continued to fight.

After applying for Walmart’s Open Call and receiving a Golden Ticket for national distribution, Target also reached out with an opportunity. At the end of the meeting, Lee learned that their products would launch in all Target stores nationwide, with an initial order of 400,000 pizzas. "It was an incredibly intense moment," says Lee. In just three months, the team managed to produce nearly half a million pizzas.

Lee's life experience, lacking formal culinary training, provided her with a unique perspective on the industry. "We are a team of unconventional thinkers," she states. "Now we’re on the shelves alongside billion-dollar brands, and we never would have believed we could get here." Her passion and willingness to learn transformed obstacles into opportunities, helping her turn a local business into a successful national brand.