Russo's Coal-Fired Italian Kitchen vs LaRosa's Pizzeria Franchise Comparison
Below is an in-depth analysis and side-by-side comparison of Russo's Coal-Fired Italian Kitchen vs LaRosa's Pizzeria including start-up costs and fees, business experience requirements, training & support and financing options.
Start-Up Costs and Fees |
Investment |
$295,000 - $750,000 | $725,500 - $1,885,000 |
Franchise Fee |
$49,500 | $35,000 |
Royalty Fee |
7% | 4% |
Advertising Fee |
2% | 4% |
Year Founded |
1992 | 1954 |
Year Franchised |
1998 | 1967 |
Term Of Agreement |
10 years+5 | - |
Term Of Agreement |
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 |
-/Yes | -/- |
Start-up Costs |
-/Yes | -/- |
Equipment |
-/Yes | -/- |
Inventory |
-/Yes | -/- |
Receivables |
-/- | -/- |
Payroll |
-/Yes | -/- |
Training & Support |
Training |
8 Week GM & Key Supervisor Training and Certification |
On-The-Job Training: 280-320 hours
Classroom Training: 40-80 hours
|
Support |
- | Newsletter
Meetings/Conventions
Toll-Free Line
Grand Opening
Online Support
Security/Safety Procedures
Field Operations
Site Selection
Proprietary Software
Franchisee Intranet Platform
|
Marketing |
- | Ad Templates
Regional Advertising
Social media
SEO
Website development
Email marketing
Loyalty program/app
|
Operations |
On site pre and post opening training and operational support with quarterly QA Visits. | - |
Expansion Plans |
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 LaRosa's Pizzeria
Buddy LaRosa was inspired to open his first pizzeria after
the pizzas he made for a church fundraiser using his Aunt Dena's recipe
turned out to be a hit. With $400 and a couple of partners, he opened
Papa Gino's in Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1954. After his partners left the
business a few years in, he changed the name of the pizzeria to
LaRosa's. In 1967, he began franchising.
Seeking new franchisees in Indiana, Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia