Famous Famiglia vs Me-N-Ed's Pizzerias Franchise Comparison

In the summer of 1986 the Kolaj family, founders of Famous Famiglia, opened their first pizzeria in the vibrant and culturally rich Upper Westside of Manhattan. First year sales far exceeded projections and New Yorkers were enjoying pizza at its best. Famous Famiglia quickly became a leader in the New York pizza market. Over the next 12 years they opened many more locations throughout New York City growing the company into a successful New York pizza chain, winning contests and awards with their quality and service.

Franchising is a very popular business model in the United States and in many countries throughout the world. It is proven that investing in a franchise reduces exposure to risk by following a proven system. While there are no guarantees in business, our franchise program has been carefully developed and executed over the years.

Since our brand is very important to us, we decided long ago to develop a franchise system that will hopefully do two things: preserve the respected reputation of the Famous Famiglia brand and provide a business opportunity to entrepreneurs.

Famous Famiglia is currently seeking qualified franchisees in a variety of markets. While our preference is to attract experienced food & beverage operators, experience in the industry is not a requirement. We encourage motivated individuals that have a long-term vision for entrepreneurship and own their own business to consider our program.

We feel there are certain traits about an individual, or a group, that might make them an ideal Famous Famiglia franchisee candidate. These are some of the traits we are looking for:

1. You have a passion for the pizza/restaurant industry
2. You have a natural desire to serve people
3. You have the ability to motivate a team of individuals
4. You pay attention to detail and follow through on tasks
5. You are a natural team player
6. You are a good listener and understand the value of following a proven system
7. You share in a similar work ethic and promote a healthy work environment
8. You have a business plan for your Famous Famiglia business
9. You have the financial wherewithal to establish your business

We welcome entrepreneurial individuals and groups that are interested in considering multi-unit development programs. We also offer territorial exclusivity to qualifying prospects.

The pizza world has never been the same since the first Me-n-Ed oven was fired up in Sacramento, California, in 1958. Russ "Me" Johnson and Ed Sandlin didn't set out to build a pizza parlor empire - it just happened. From their modest beginnings, Russ and Ed began selling Me-n-Ed's franchises throughout California while operating their own restaurants around the San Francisco Bay area. Expanding into Fresno, Russ and Ed met Ben and Marcella Watters, who ran a boarding house and quickly became known for their frequent visits to Me-n-Ed's. As the story goes, during one particular visit, a potted plant in the restaurant caught Marcella's eye. She had to have it. When the owner refused to sell it to her, Marcella bought the entire restaurant. The plant was hers - along with the franchise rights to Me-n-Ed's. Marcella and Ben moved the restaurant from the original Fresno location to a new site on Blackstone Avenue and joined forces with Bob Cox, who worked with a local baker to perfect a recipe for Me-n-Ed's signature thin crust pizza dough, which has since become the stuff of legends. Through the mid-1960s, the Me-n-Ed's name continued to expand throughout Fresno and Orange County, along with a reputation for making some of the best pizza west of the Mississippi. In the summer of '62, Doug Price (Marcella's 15-year-old nephew) ventured to Fresno from North Battleford, Saskatchewan, to soak up the California sun and work at Me-n-Ed's. By the time Doug graduated three years later, his Aunt Marcella and Uncle Ben had moved to Orange County, where they were operating Me-n-Ed's restaurants previously owned by Bob Cox. Doug left the prairies and headed to Orange County to go to college, but his plans quickly changed, and he ended up where he really belonged - working for the family business, Me-n-Ed's. The Watters continued the Me-n-Ed's expansion into Santa Ana, Fullerton, Huntington Beach, Stanton and Long Beach. Then, in 1969, the Watters brought the Me-n-Ed's name north of the border to Burnaby, where the first Me-n-Ed's in Canada opened that summer - managed by 21-year-old co-owner Doug Price.' Before long, the Burnaby Me-n-Ed's had become a community fixture - albeit more of a pub than a restaurant. Customers would line up to listen to a honky-tonk piano and savour Me-n-Ed's now-famous pizza along with a cold beer. As other neighbourhood pubs began popping up through the years, the Me-n-Ed's atmosphere shifted to one of family, where it remains. Even now, some 50 years since Me-n-Ed's first came to Canada, you'll still find that same cozy, neighbourly feel that put us on the map - whether you're visiting a Me-n-Ed's in Burnaby, Abbotsford, Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam or Langley.