Football legend Mike Ditka is best known as the longtime coach of the Chicago Bears, but younger NFL fans may soon know him for more for Italian beef and pizza.
Two Chicago restaurants this week announced that Mike Ditka will now be their spokesperson. Ditka will be the face of Al’s Beef and Nancy’s Pizza in the Second City and beyond. Both reseaurants are owned by Chicago Franchise Systems.
“Al’s Beef and Nancy’s Pizza are Chicago legends in a city so close to my heart after being here for many years, and I couldn’t be more excited to support their growth and expansion,” said Ditka. “There is nothing quite like Al’s original authentic dipped Italian Beef sandwich or the original stuffed pizza filled with cheese and every topping imaginable from Nancy’s. Are you hungry yet?”
As the new spokesperson, Ditka will be integrated heavily into marketing for the restaurants. This includes PR campaigns, branding, and store-level advertising.
Along with the announcement of Ditka as spokesperson, Al’s Beef and Nacy’s Pizza have also announced plans to expand their operations well beyond Chicago. The restaurants will both soon increase their franchise expansions and revamp their existing locations. Chicago Franchise Systems is now searching for potential expansion locations across the U.S.
Al’s Beef, which began in Chicago in 1938, currently has 17 locations in the U.S. including restaurants in California and Nevada. New franchise locations are already planned for Dallas and Chicago. Expansion locations for Nancy’s Pizza have also been announced for Texas, California, and Georgia.
“We are thrilled to bring Mike Ditka into the Al’s Beef and Nancy’s Pizza family as he truly embodies Chicago where our brands were born,” said Dave Howey, president of Chicago Franchise Systems. “This partnership marks the beginning of some very exciting changes and initiatives that we’ll be rolling out over the coming months to support the continued growth of Al’s Beef and Nancy’s Pizza.”
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