Me-N-Ed's Pizzerias vs Papa Murphy's Franchise Comparison

Below is an in-depth analysis and side-by-side comparison of Me-N-Ed's Pizzerias vs Papa Murphy's 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
Papa Murphy's Franchise
Investment $175,000 - $486,000$286,919 - $524,205
Franchise Fee $25,000$25,000
Royalty Fee 5%5%
Advertising Fee -2%
Year Founded 19581981
Year Franchised 19581982
Term Of Agreement -10 years
Term Of Agreement -10 years
Renewal Fee $1.5K$5K


Business Experience Requirements

 
Me-N-Ed's Pizzerias Franchise
Papa Murphy's Franchise
Experience --

Financing Options

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

Training & Support

 
Me-N-Ed's Pizzerias Franchise
Papa Murphy's Franchise
Training Available at headquarters, Available at franchisee's location, Opening support On-The-Job Training: 230 hours Classroom Training: 40 hours
Support Newsletter, Toll-free phone line, Grand opening, Security/safety procedures, Field operations/evaluations, Purchasing cooperativesPurchasing Co-ops Newsletter Meetings/Conventions Toll-Free Line Grand Opening Online Support Security/Safety Procedures Field Operations Site Selection Proprietary Software Franchisee Intranet Platform
Marketing Ad slicks, Regional advertisingCo-op Advertising Ad Templates Regional Advertising Social media SEO Email marketing Loyalty program/app
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 Required to Run: 10

Absentee ownership of franchise is NOT allowed.


Expansion Plans

 
Me-N-Ed's Pizzerias Franchise
Papa Murphy's Franchise
US Expansion -No
Canada Expansion NoNo
International Expansion YesNo

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 Papa Murphy's

Papa Murphy's Take N' Bake Pizza is the pioneer of the take and bake concept. We are the largest take and bake pizza company in the world. We offer only the freshest and highest quality ingredients with our freshly grated cheeses and our dough that is prepared in house daily. Papa Murphy's offer our products at a low price point, and we also offer our customer the opportunity to cook their pizza when they are ready to eat it. 98% of Papa Murphy's stores are franchised. It is the energy and entrepreneurial spirit of our franchisees that makes Papa Murphy's the innovative and customer centered organization that it is. Without the hard work and dedication of our franchisees we would not have been able to experience the growth and success that we have seen over the years.

Currently franchise units in Arkansas, Arizona, California, Florida, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, 24 more states, Canada and the Middle East. Please inquire about other states, also.  

Veteran Incentives  Reduced royalty fee for first three years