| ||||
Updated RecentlyChicago's Pizza vs Russo's Coal-Fired Italian Kitchen Franchise Comparison
Below is an in-depth analysis and side-by-side comparison of Chicago'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 |
||
| Investment | $87,300 - $173,100 | $295,000 - $750,000 |
| Franchise Fee | $12,000 | $49,500 |
| Royalty Fee | 4% | 7% |
| Advertising Fee | - | 2% |
| Year Founded | 1979 | 1992 |
| Year Franchised | 1981 | 1998 |
| Term Of Agreement | 5 years | 10 years+5 |
| Term Of Agreement | 5 years | 10 years+5 |
| Renewal Fee | - | - |
Business Experience Requirements |
||
| 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 |
||
| In-House/3rd Party | In-House/3rd Party | |
| Franchise Fees | No/No | -/Yes |
| Start-up Costs | No/No | -/Yes |
| Equipment | No/No | -/Yes |
| Inventory | No/No | -/Yes |
| Receivables | No/No | -/- |
| Payroll | No/No | -/Yes |
Training & Support |
||
| Training | - | 8 Week GM & Key Supervisor Training and Certification |
| Support | Grand opening, Field operations/evaluations, Purchasing cooperatives | - |
| Marketing | Co-op advertising, Ad slicks | - |
| 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) | On site pre and post opening training and operational support with quarterly QA Visits. |
Expansion Plans |
||
| US Expansion | Yes | - |
| Canada Expansion | No | - |
| International Expansion | No | - |
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 Russo's Coal-Fired Italian Kitchen
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.