Up-and-coming Italian food brand Katie's beats the odds and lands nationwide deal with Target

Independent chef Katie Lee's authentic handmade frozen pizzas available now at all stores

ST. LOUIS, Sept. 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Defying the odds, a little-known, independent chef has broken through and disrupted the intensely competitive frozen pizza category. In a world of processed, automated foods, Katie Lee and her team of award-winning chefs leading Katie's modern authentic Italian cuisine not only landed Katie's pizzas in every Target store nationwide but did it by embracing the impossible – every Katie's pizza is handmade.

The culinary feat is a personal triumph for a visionary chef and her fiercely original team to respect the authentic process of crafting hand-stretched wood-fired premium pizzas the Katie's way. No automation. This is real pizza made by real chefs. And Lee is as real as it gets.

Lee has always been an underdog. She has achieved success building and growing Katie's as an independent food and restaurant brand with fearless perseverance. Before her groundbreaking success in frozen pizza, Lee was a high school dropout and a homeless drug and alcohol addict. Now clean and sober, she is a single mother, restaurateur and wellness enthusiast. She built her brand on inspiration and a deep appreciation for the craft of authentic premium food. It takes unconventional thinking to believe nationwide success could be found through artisan, handmade techniques – but that's what sets Katie's apart as a truly unique independent up-and-comer. It's an American dream come true.

"When I was homeless, everything I owned would have fit into one of their shopping bags, now I've made it to Target's shelves with Katie's pizzas. I've come a long way, and our team is always pushing, no matter the odds," said Lee. "As a busy working mom, it's hard to find convenient, real food – so we made it ourselves. This is real food for the soul handcrafted with the best ingredients. There's nothing else like it and we're proud to stand behind that."

Katie's has been shattering expectations for restaurant-quality pizza at home by steadily gaining traction in the category through regional grocery outlets and an online delivery service. But it may never have happened without the pandemic. The fear of closing restaurants, laying off staff and losing her business inspired Lee to create a line of frozen pizzas based on her popular restaurant pizza offerings. Fueled by impossible challenges and her relentless drive for excellence, Katie's stayed in business, her entire staff stayed employed and Katie's frozen pizza business took off.

The frozen pizza offerings were a hit during the pandemic. The business quickly grew into regional and national distribution followed by permanent shelf space in select local and regional grocery chains. And now Target. In just five years, Lee and her team thoughtfully and meticulously scaled production while staying true to their commitment to authenticity, freshness and quality in every hand-stretched wood-fired Katie's pizza.

Katie's brand of handmade frozen pizzas has outperformed the strong frozen pizza category with more than 100% year over year growth since 2021. Starting with 48-hour naturally leavened dough, each chef-made pizza features a hand-stretched crust, wood fired at 800° F. Fresh house-made sauces and carefully sourced premium ingredients bring each unique recipe to life. Katie's unique clear packaging showcases the natural ingredients featured in each thoughtfully designed recipe. The four varieties featured at Target are available now and include:

Katie's Burrata Margherita Frozen Pizza
Hand-stretched wood fired dough crust, Katie's fresh house-made sauce, select sourced Burrata, high-quality extra virgin olive oil, Mozzarella, Parmesan, basil and sea salt.

Katie's Pepperoni Stracciatella Pizza
Hand-stretched wood fired dough crust, luscious cup and char pepperoni drizzled with wildflower honey on a bed of creamy Stracciatella and Fontina cheeses, finished with high quality extra virgin olive oil.

Katie's Meatball Frozen Pizza
Hand-stretched wood fired dough crust, Katie's famous hand-rolled meatballs from select ground beef, Italian sausage, fresh grated Parmesan, toasted pine nuts and breadcrumbs are complemented by select Fontina and Parmesan cheese and Katie's house made sauce.

Katie's Black Garlic Burrata Cheese Pizza
A Katie's original, starring chef made black garlic impasto. The sweet umami flavor of black garlic is perfectly complemented by select, sourced Burrata, salty Pecorino Romano and dried chives perfectly balanced on a hand-stretched wood fired dough crust.

ABOUT KATIE'S
Katie's is more than food – it's a philosophy. Every pizza, pasta bake and sauce is a testament to real ingredients, honest, artisanal techniques, and the belief that meals should nourish both the body and the soul. In a time when consumers are demanding authenticity and quality, Katie's stands as a beacon for those who ask more from their meals. We are redefining grocery aisles with artisan products that bring restaurant-quality experiences into homes across America. Inspired by Katie Lee's story and her relentless pursuit of excellence, Katie's is transforming what convenience can mean in modern food. Katie herself has been honored as St. Louis Chef of the Year for six years running, a testament to her leadership, culinary vision and relentless devotion to quality, creativity and soul. To learn more visit Katies.com and follow on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and Facebook to see the latest.

For additional information contact:

[email protected]
Patrick Barry (314) 540-3865

SOURCE Katie's