Prosecutors have filed felony charges against 23 people, including the founder of pizza delivery chain Pizza Fan, following an investigation into an alleged tax evasion operation that authorities estimate cost the Greek state more than €35 million.
Police believe the scheme concealed over €150 million in sales between 2016 and 2026, using specially developed software to process customer orders without issuing receipts.
The charges, announced on October 23, include alleged participation in or leadership of a criminal organisation, tax evasion involving unpaid VAT and inaccurate income tax declarations, complicity and aggravated money laundering. The defendants face different charges according to their alleged roles.
How software allegedly concealed millions in sales
According to Hellenic Police, the alleged scheme operated through Pizza Fan’s central order management system in Halandri, a northern suburb of Athens. Customer orders were transmitted to individual restaurants, where employees normally selected a payment method and issued a receipt. For certain transactions identified by a specially developed algorithm, however, an additional option allowed staff to classify the order as complimentary.
Investigators allege that the food was delivered and payment collected without a corresponding fiscal receipt being generated. The transactions remained visible in the central system, allegedly enabling those managing the operation to monitor actual sales and calculate revenue withheld from tax declarations.
Greek media reported that approximately one in four cash-paid orders could be classified as complimentary under the system. Police estimate that unpaid VAT since 2022 amounted to at least €25 million, while the broader investigation covering 2016–2026 places the total loss to the state above €35 million.
€1.29 million in cash seized as assets face freezing measures
Coordinated searches of homes, offices and restaurants in Attica and Thessaloniki resulted in the arrest of 23 people, including company executives, accountants and IT personnel. Police seized approximately €1.29 million in cash, including more than €1.1 million reportedly discovered in a concealed compartment at the founder’s residence.
Authorities also confiscated 52 computer units, six luxury cars, three motorcycles, 92 luxury watches and pieces of jewellery, along with electronic storage devices and financial records.
The investigation has triggered asset-freezing procedures, while 108 tax audit reports covering 2023–2026 have been forwarded to Greece’s Independent Authority for Public Revenue for further assessment.
Pizza Fan disputes the interpretation of promotional orders
In a public statement, Pizza Fan suggested that the investigation may involve confusion over promotional products provided free of charge to customers. The company said it regularly conducts promotional campaigns involving complimentary food and that these transactions may have affected calculations of its revenue and that of its franchise stores.
Pizza Fan also said it was cooperating with judicial and tax authorities, as it has not accepted the authorities’ allegations as established facts, and the criminal proceedings remain ongoing.
More than 2,500 jobs affected by network disruption
The company said its restaurants employ more than 2,500 people, with annual wage payments exceeding €36 million and employer insurance contributions exceeding €9 million. Pizza Fan stated that its immediate priority was protecting employees and franchise partners while working towards a full reopening of its network.
The Panhellenic Federation of Food and Tourism Workers has also requested emergency employment protection measures for affected staff. The defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
