Me-N-Ed's Pizzerias vs Villa Italian Kitchen Franchise Comparison

Below is an in-depth analysis and side-by-side comparison of Me-N-Ed's Pizzerias vs Villa Italian Kitchen including start-up costs and fees, business experience requirements, training & support and financing options.

Start-Up Costs and Fees

 
Me-N-Ed's Pizzerias Franchise
Villa Italian Kitchen Franchise
Investment $175,000 - $486,000$302,950 - $1,016,000
Franchise Fee $25,000$25,000 - $35,000
Royalty Fee 5%6%
Advertising Fee --
Year Founded 19581964
Year Franchised 19581994
Term Of Agreement -10 years
Term Of Agreement -10 years
Renewal Fee $1.5K$7.5K


Business Experience Requirements

 
Me-N-Ed's Pizzerias Franchise
Villa Italian Kitchen Franchise
Experience -
  • Industry experience
  • General business experience
  • Marketing skills

  • Financing Options

     
    Me-N-Ed's Pizzerias Franchise
    Villa Italian Kitchen Franchise
      In-House/3rd PartyIn-House/3rd Party
    Franchise Fees No/NoNo/Yes
    Start-up Costs No/NoNo/No
    Equipment No/NoNo/Yes
    Inventory No/NoNo/Yes
    Receivables No/NoNo/No
    Payroll No/NoNo/No

    Training & Support

     
    Me-N-Ed's Pizzerias Franchise
    Villa Italian Kitchen Franchise
    Training Available at headquarters, Available at franchisee's location, Opening support On-The-Job Training: 133 hours Classroom Training: 6-12 hours Additional Training: At corporate locations
    Support Newsletter, Toll-free phone line, Grand opening, Security/safety procedures, Field operations/evaluations, Purchasing cooperativesNewsletter Meetings/Conventions Grand Opening Online Support Security/Safety Procedures Field Operations
    Marketing Ad slicks, Regional advertising Social media SEO Website development Email marketing
    Operations 40% of all franchisees own more than one unit

    Number of employees needed to run franchised unit: 10 - 25

    Absentee ownership of franchise is allowed.

    Number of employees needed to run franchised unit: 10

    Absentee ownership allowed. (90% of current franchisees are owner/operators)


    Expansion Plans

     
    Me-N-Ed's Pizzerias Franchise
    Villa Italian Kitchen Franchise
    US Expansion --
    Canada Expansion NoNo
    International Expansion YesYes

    Company Overviews

    About Me-N-Ed's Pizzerias

    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.

    About Villa Italian Kitchen

    For close to 45 years, Villa Enterprises has been operating and developing restaurant concepts, with over 300 locations globally today. When you become a Villa Enterprises franchisee, you're not only joining an experienced restaurant company, you're teaming up with a partner who is supportive and dedicated to your success.

    Seeking new franchise units throughout the U.S., Asia, Canada, Central America, Eastern Europe, Middle East, Mexico, South America and Western Europe    

    Veteran Incentives  20% off franchise fee