Manny & Olga's Pizza vs Russo's Coal-Fired Italian Kitchen Franchise Comparison

Below is an in-depth analysis and side-by-side comparison of Manny & Olga's Pizza vs Russo's Coal-Fired Italian Kitchen including start-up costs and fees, business experience requirements, training & support and financing options.

Start-Up Costs and Fees

 
Manny & Olga's Pizza Franchise
Russo's Coal-Fired Italian Kitchen Franchise
Investment $125,000 - $225,000$295,000 - $750,000
Franchise Fee $25,000$49,500
Royalty Fee 5%7%
Advertising Fee -2%
Year Founded 19831992
Year Franchised 19981998
Term Of Agreement 5 years10 years+5
Term Of Agreement 5 years10 years+5
Renewal Fee $5K-


Business Experience Requirements

 
Manny & Olga's Pizza Franchise
Russo's Coal-Fired Italian Kitchen Franchise
Experience
  • General business experience
  • No Restaurant experience necessary but helpful Minimum financials are $175K to $400K in investment capital and a $600K to $1.0MM net worth

    Financing Options

     
    Manny & Olga's Pizza Franchise
    Russo's Coal-Fired Italian Kitchen Franchise
      In-House/3rd PartyIn-House/3rd Party
    Franchise Fees No/Yes-/Yes
    Start-up Costs No/Yes-/Yes
    Equipment No/Yes-/Yes
    Inventory No/Yes-/Yes
    Receivables No/Yes-/-
    Payroll No/Yes-/Yes

    Training & Support

     
    Manny & Olga's Pizza Franchise
    Russo's Coal-Fired Italian Kitchen Franchise
    Training 2 weeks after opening8 Week GM & Key Supervisor Training and Certification
    Support Toll-free phone line, Grand opening, Field operations/evaluations, Purchasing cooperatives-
    Marketing Co-op advertising, Ad slicks-
    Operations

    Number of employees needed to run franchised unit: 5

    Absentee ownership of franchise is NOT allowed. (90% of current franchisees are owner/operators)

    On site pre and post opening training and operational support with quarterly QA Visits.

    Expansion Plans

     
    Manny & Olga's Pizza Franchise
    Russo's Coal-Fired Italian Kitchen Franchise
    US Expansion --
    Canada Expansion No-
    International Expansion No-

    Company Overviews

    About Manny & Olga's Pizza

    Manny opened his first restaurant in 1974, gaining valuable experience which he expanded on through the years.

    In 1993, the restaurant was officially named Manny & Olga’s and the tradition was started. Incorporating the names of father and daughter (Manny and Olga) family values and warm hospitality are the key ingredients appreciated and respected by customers even today.

    Delicious food, fair prices and quality service is what you can expect with every visit to Manny & Olga’s.

    About Russo's Coal-Fired Italian Kitchen

    Using the family recipe for hand-tossed dough, the sauce made from fresh-crushed California tomatoes, and imported Italian cheese blends, Anthony became the sole owner and chef of his first restaurant Russo’s Pizza in the early 80’s. "It was 800 square feet. I had a pizza oven, a dough mixer and two tables. That's it. I could only sit eight people.” A few years later, he created Anthony’s Pizzeria, located in Clear Lake, Texas, and soon moved to Houston.

    For almost a decade, Anthony refined his menu using classic Italian family recipes and zeroed in on the perfect New York-style pizza. In 1992, Russo’s New York Pizzeria opened in downtown Houston, Texas and proved to be a success.

     
    Russo's Restaurants is a national and international franchisor of the fast casual and casual dining brands Russo's New York Pizzeria and Russo's Coal-Fired Italian Kitchen. Based in Houston, Russo's Restaurants are composed of a mix of corporate and franchised locations across Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Tennessee, Florida and Hawaii. Russo's has entered international markets as well, with locations in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates. There are an additional 20-plus units in development both in the United States and internationally. Chef Anthony Russo has created his concepts from years of applying his unique, family recipes featuring New York-style pizza along with a broad variety of handcrafted pasta creations, calzones, salads, sandwiches, soups and desserts, reflecting his commitment to his New York roots where food and family come first.