Shakey's Pizza vs Russo's Coal-Fired Italian Kitchen Franchise Comparison

Below is an in-depth analysis and side-by-side comparison of Shakey'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
 
Shakey's Pizza Franchise
Russo's Coal-Fired Italian Kitchen Franchise
Investment $624,000 - $2,204,500$295,000 - $750,000
Franchise Fee $35,000$49,500
Royalty Fee 5%7%
Advertising Fee 5%2%
Year Founded 19541992
Year Franchised 19581998
Term Of Agreement -10 years+5
Term Of Agreement -10 years+5
Renewal Fee --


Business Experience Requirements
 
Shakey's Pizza Franchise
Russo's Coal-Fired Italian Kitchen Franchise
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
 
Shakey's Pizza Franchise
Russo's Coal-Fired Italian Kitchen Franchise
  In-House/3rd PartyIn-House/3rd Party
Franchise Fees No/No-/Yes
Start-up Costs No/Yes-/Yes
Equipment No/Yes-/Yes
Inventory No/Yes-/Yes
Receivables No/No-/-
Payroll No/No-/Yes

Training & Support
 
Shakey's Pizza Franchise
Russo's Coal-Fired Italian Kitchen Franchise
Training -8 Week GM & Key Supervisor Training and Certification
Support --
Marketing --
Operations -On site pre and post opening training and operational support with quarterly QA Visits.

Expansion Plans
 
Shakey's Pizza Franchise
Russo's Coal-Fired Italian Kitchen Franchise
US Expansion Yes-
Canada Expansion No-
International Expansion Yes-

Company Overviews

About Shakey's Pizza

When you join the Shakey's family, you'll get a franchise support team with over 100 combined years of restaurant and franchise management experience. Throughout the franchise relationship, the Shakey's team provides ongoing guidance, assistance and hands-on support. As a Shakey's franchisee, you are part of a family that enjoys the kind of long-standing brand equity that only comes with the Shakey's name. An American icon since 1954, Shakey's has always prided itself on providing premium products and excellent service in a family-centric environment. We are proud to have second and third generation franchise partners among our family - partners who are passionate about the brand and the new growth strategy. There is no better time to become part of the Shakey's family. Exciting growth strategies, new franchise markets, and a niche concept that no other pizza concept can offer, makes this the ideal time to join the Shakey's Family.
-  $30 Billion per year industry*
-  An American icon since 1954
-  More than $400 Million has been spent on Advertising and marketing support
-  Strong brand equity
-  98% brand awareness
-  Tradition of quality products at affordable prices
-  Tradition of good family value
-  Area Development Opportunities
-  Family, Food and Entertainment for all ages

-  The gathering place where everyone has fun!

As the original Pizza restaurant franchise with over 60 years of brand history, Shakey's Pizza has more than 60 restaurants in the U.S., Canada and Mexico and more than 200 locations internationally. With a passionate, worldwide fan base, Shakey's Pizza offers seasoned operators an opportunity to join a fast casual pioneer that promises exceptional food, operational simplicity and a proven system backed by experienced franchising experts, to deliver a one-of-a kind guest experience..

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.