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

Below is an in-depth analysis and side-by-side comparison of Russo's Coal-Fired Italian Kitchen vs Aurelio's Is Pizza 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
Aurelio's Is Pizza Franchise
Investment $295,000 - $750,000$864,000 - $1,198,000
Franchise Fee $49,500$49,000
Royalty Fee 7%6%
Advertising Fee 2%2%
Year Founded 19921959
Year Franchised 19981975
Term Of Agreement 10 years+5-
Term Of Agreement 10 years+5-
Renewal Fee --


Business Experience Requirements
 
Russo's Coal-Fired Italian Kitchen Franchise
Aurelio's Is Pizza 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
Aurelio's Is Pizza 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
Aurelio's Is Pizza 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
Aurelio's Is Pizza Franchise
US Expansion -Yes
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 Aurelio's Is Pizza

All of our franchise owners are essential members of our overall Aurelio's Is Pizza "family". Together we strive for the consistency that brings patrons back to enjoy what Joe Aurelio started back in 1959... quality, quantity, value and more. Joe Aurelio's commitment to his customers' satisfaction has proven to be the catalyst for our growth and success. Finding individuals who are motivated and interested in continuing our strong traditions and values is not a simple task. By staying focused and committed to our mission of providing the very best service and quality, we plan to continue to expand our franchise members. We are currently seeking franchisees for development opportunities in Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Nevada, Colorado and Florida. However, we are continually assessing expansion opportunities into new markets.