Chicago's Pizza vs Papa Murphy's Franchise Comparison

Below is an in-depth analysis and side-by-side comparison of Chicago's Pizza vs Papa Murphy's including start-up costs and fees, business experience requirements, training & support and financing options.

Start-Up Costs and Fees

 
Chicago's Pizza Franchise
Papa Murphy's Franchise
Investment $87,300 - $173,100$286,919 - $524,205
Franchise Fee $12,000$25,000
Royalty Fee 4%5%
Advertising Fee -2%
Year Founded 19791981
Year Franchised 19811982
Term Of Agreement 5 years10 years
Term Of Agreement 5 years10 years
Renewal Fee -$5K


Business Experience Requirements

 
Chicago's Pizza Franchise
Papa Murphy's Franchise
Experience
  • Industry experience
  • General business experience
  • Marketing skills
  • People skills
  • -

    Financing Options

     
    Chicago's Pizza 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

     
    Chicago's Pizza Franchise
    Papa Murphy's Franchise
    Training - On-The-Job Training: 230 hours Classroom Training: 40 hours
    Support Grand opening, 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 Co-op advertising, Ad slicksCo-op Advertising Ad Templates Regional Advertising Social media SEO Email marketing Loyalty program/app
    Operations 20% of all franchisees own more than one unit

    Number of employees needed to run franchised unit: 15

    Absentee ownership of franchise is NOT allowed. (100% of current franchisees are owner/operators)

    Number of Employees Required to Run: 10

    Absentee ownership of franchise is NOT allowed.


    Expansion Plans

     
    Chicago's Pizza Franchise
    Papa Murphy's Franchise
    US Expansion YesNo
    Canada Expansion NoNo
    International Expansion NoNo

    Company Overviews

    About Chicago's Pizza

    Robert McDonald enjoyed working in the pizza business. When he was suddenly terminated from his job with an Indiana pizza restaurant, he decided to start his own pizza chain. When Ron Epple, who had worked with McDonald as director of franchise training, heard what his old co-worker was up to, he asked to be part of it.

    In 1979, the two founded Chicago's Pizza. At lunchtime, restaurants serve pizzas by the slice or in seven-inch rounds from counters and drive-thru windows. In the evening, customers can use the drive-thru window to pick up phone orders. Most of the locations also have dining rooms where customers can enjoy Chicago's 29-inch pizza.

    The company has franchises in Indiana and Ohio. There is also a Chicago's Pizza location in Seville, Spain.

    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