Russo's Coal-Fired Italian Kitchen vs The Loop Pizza Grill Franchise Comparison

Below is an in-depth analysis and side-by-side comparison of Russo's Coal-Fired Italian Kitchen vs The Loop Pizza Grill including start-up costs and fees, business experience requirements, training & support and financing options.

Start-Up Costs and Fees

 
Russo's Coal-Fired Italian Kitchen Franchise
The Loop Pizza Grill Franchise
Investment $295,000 - $750,000$525,000 - $900,000
Franchise Fee $49,500$30,000
Royalty Fee 7%-
Advertising Fee 2%-
Year Founded 19921981
Year Franchised 19981990
Term Of Agreement 10 years+5-
Term Of Agreement 10 years+5-
Renewal Fee --


Business Experience Requirements

 
Russo's Coal-Fired Italian Kitchen Franchise
The Loop Pizza Grill 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

 
Russo's Coal-Fired Italian Kitchen Franchise
The Loop Pizza Grill Franchise
  In-House/3rd PartyIn-House/3rd Party
Franchise Fees -/Yes-/-
Start-up Costs -/Yes-/-
Equipment -/Yes-/-
Inventory -/Yes-/-
Receivables -/--/-
Payroll -/Yes-/-

Training & Support

 
Russo's Coal-Fired Italian Kitchen Franchise
The Loop Pizza Grill 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

 
Russo's Coal-Fired Italian Kitchen Franchise
The Loop Pizza Grill Franchise
US Expansion --
Canada Expansion --
International Expansion --

Company Overviews

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.

About The Loop Pizza Grill

The Loop Pizza Grill is a neighborhood fast-casual restaurant that offers the quality and atmosphere of a full-service dining establishment. As a pioneer of the fast-casual segment for 30 years, The Loop Pizza Grill was one of the first restaurants to offer a variety of made-to-order fresh foods in an upscale environment. The Loop serves a variety of signature pizzas, burgers, salads, sandwiches and hand-dipped milkshakes. Open for lunch and dinner, the average sales volume per restaurant is $1.2 million, with guest checks averaging $10. Based in Jacksonville, Fla., The Loop Pizza Grill was founded by Mike and Terry Schneider in 1981 as a 60-seat restaurant.
 
The franchise fee for a single LOOP franchise is $30,000. The fee is payable in two phases: $15,000 at the execution of the agreement, and $15,000 when a lease is signed or training begins.