Uno Chicago Grill vs Russo's New York Pizzeria Franchise Comparison

Below is an in-depth analysis and side-by-side comparison of Uno Chicago Grill vs Russo's New York Pizzeria including start-up costs and fees, business experience requirements, training & support and financing options.

Start-Up Costs and Fees

 
Uno Chicago Grill Franchise
Russo's New York Pizzeria Franchise
Investment $1,168,000 - $2,410,500$400,000 - $1,500,000
Franchise Fee $40,000$49,500
Royalty Fee 5%7%
Advertising Fee -2%
Year Founded 19431978
Year Franchised 19801998
Term Of Agreement -10 years +5
Term Of Agreement -10 years +5
Renewal Fee --


Business Experience Requirements

 
Uno Chicago Grill Franchise
Russo's New York Pizzeria Franchise
Experience
  • Industry experience
  • Restaurant/hospitality 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

     
    Uno Chicago Grill Franchise
    Russo's New York Pizzeria Franchise
      In-House/3rd PartyIn-House/3rd Party
    Franchise Fees No/No-/-
    Start-up Costs No/No-/-
    Equipment No/Yes-/-
    Inventory No/No-/-
    Receivables No/No-/-
    Payroll No/No-/-

    Training & Support

     
    Uno Chicago Grill Franchise
    Russo's New York Pizzeria Franchise
    Training -Corporate Store, Houston, TX . 8 Week GM & Key Supervisor Training and Certification.
    Support Newsletter, Meetings, Toll-free phone line, Grand opening, Internet, Security/safety procedures, Field operations/evaluations, Purchasing cooperativesCentral Data Processing: At Additional Cost

    Field Operation Evaluation: At Additional Cost

    Field Training: At Additional Cost Initial Store Opening

    Inventory Control

    Regional or National Meetings

    800 Telephone Hotline

    Marketing Co-op advertising, Ad slicks, National media, Regional advertising-
    Operations Franchisees required to buy multiple units/master licenses; 40% of all franchisees own more than one unit

    Number of employees needed to run franchised unit: 60 - 80

    Absentee ownership of franchise is NOT allowed. (65% of current franchisees are owner/operators)

    Average Number of Employees: 10 Full-time, 6 Part-time

    Passive Ownership: Allowed, But Discouraged


    Expansion Plans

     
    Uno Chicago Grill Franchise
    Russo's New York Pizzeria Franchise
    US Expansion -Yes
    Canada Expansion No-
    International Expansion YesYes

    Company Overviews

    About Uno Chicago Grill

    Ike Sewell combined old Italian recipes with meats, vegetables, spices and cheese and created the first deep dish pizza in 1943. He opened Pizzeria Uno to serve his creation to pizza lovers throughout Chicago. The new restaurant became so popular that Sewell opened Pizzeria Due on an opposite corner from his original restaurant to handle customer demand. Over 60 years later, the restaurant is now called Uno Chicago Grill and has evolved to offer a variety of grill items like steak, ribs, seafood and pastas in addition to its famous Chicago-style deep dish pizza.

    The initial investment necessary to begin operation of a Pizzeria Uno Restaurant ranges from $545,500 to $1,405,500. This includes $43,100 to $59,300 that must be paid to the franchisor.
    The initial investment necessary to begin operation of an Uno Pizzeria & Grill Restaurant ranges from $1,168,000 to $2,410,500. This includes $57,100 to $99,300 that must be paid to the franchisor.
    The franchisor offers development rights for Uno Restaurants. When you enter into a Development Agreement, you must pay the franchisor a Territory Reservation Fee equal to $5,000 times the number of Uno Restaurants you will own and operate. In addition to the Territory Reservation Fee, you must pay the franchisor an Initial Franchise Fee of $30,000 for each Pizzeria Uno Restaurant and $40,000 for each Uno Pizzeria & Grill Restaurant that you will own and operate.

    About Russo's New York Pizzeria

    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.