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Below is an in-depth analysis and side-by-side comparison of Mazzio's vs Cottage Inn Pizza including start-up costs and fees, business experience requirements, training & support and financing options.
Start-Up Costs and Fees |
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Investment | $409,000 - $1,292,000 | $200,000 - $350,000 |
Franchise Fee | $20,000 | $15,000 |
Royalty Fee | 5% | 5% |
Advertising Fee | - | 3% |
Year Founded | - | 1948 |
Year Franchised | - | 1986 |
Term Of Agreement | 15 years +5+5... | - |
Term Of Agreement | 15 years +5+5... | - |
Renewal Fee | - | - |
Business Experience Requirements |
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Experience | 1. You must have substantial familiarity with the market proposed for development. 2. You must possess a sound reputation, integrity, and similar business values as Mazzio's. | A minimum net worth of $100,000 A minimum of $60,000 in liquid assets or financing or a combination thereof Five Star Customer Service for staff and customers alike Product Quality — using only approved ingredients and the amounts set forth by the Cottage Inn Standard Operating Procedures Professional Image — uniforms should be clean and pressed, and employees should be well-groomed at all times. The Right Personality As a member of the food service industry, our franchisees must have the right personality, too. We look for clean-cut professionals who will take pride in being a Cottage Inn franchisee. We also look for candidates who are strong leaders, can motivate a staff, and treat customers with the utmost care and respect. In the food service industry, it’s important that your store pass the white glove test every day. Safety is always a concern when it comes to proper food handling. To be a successful Cottage Inn franchisee you must also understand profit and loss statements. You need to input tools to measure your expenses on an on-going basis. We lay out what has been successful for Cottage Inn throughout our corporate stores and we want to make sure each franchisee who joins the Cottage Inn family follows the same equation to success. |
Financing Options |
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In-House/3rd Party | In-House/3rd Party | |
Franchise Fees | -/- | -/- |
Start-up Costs | -/- | -/- |
Equipment | -/- | -/- |
Inventory | -/- | -/- |
Receivables | -/- | -/- |
Payroll | -/- | -/- |
Training & Support |
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Training | * Confidential Manuals - Operations, Training and "Countdown to Opening" * Comprehensive 8-week Training Program for Restaurant Management Team - Combining "In-Restaurant" and Classroom Training * 2-week Training Program for Owners * Pre-opening "On-Site" Training Support and Post-opening Assistance * Regional Training Seminars for Franchise Owners and Restaurant Managers Covering Critical Operational Topics | Cottage Inn offers a world-class training program On-The-Job Training: 240 hours Classroom Training: 6 hours |
Support | Marketing and Operational Assistance All materials and assistance for company restaurants are also available to all franchisees � marketing programs, P.O.S. (point of sale), marketing pieces, market analysis, operational assistance, reports, manuals, charts and training seminars. Consultants You will be provided ongoing supervision and support from an experienced Franchise Business Consultant. Periodic visits and inspections are included and your consultant is available to help you with ongoing questions, etc. Marketing Contribution One percent (1%) from both company and franchised restaurants goes into an advertising production fund for the development of high-quality marketing materials � media, print, etc. Research and Development Mazzio's is devoted to on-going research and development. Executive Staff Our franchisees have direct access to all areas including Marketing, Operations, Training, Information Services, Finance, Legal and Franchising. Support Staff Our corporate culture encourages open two-way communication with company personnel. Site Selection * Demographic Analysis * Field Visit(s) and Final Site Approval * Prototype Drawings and Floor Plans * Equipment, Sign Package and Decor Specifications Purchasing * Centralized, Collective Buying Power * Long-time and Reliable Suppliers for Restaurant Equipment and Supplies * In-house Purchasing Department Information Service * A P.O.S. (Point of Sale) System with a Custom-Designed Software Program * A Custom-Designed Back-of-the-House Computerized Restaurant Management System * Help Desk Support "On Call" Seven Days a Week Research and Development * Elaborate Research and Development Facilities * Extensive Research and Development Conducted "In-House" at the Corporate Office * Franchisee Participation in Research and Development - Specifically Product Evaluation | On-going support to keep your store running successfully and smoothly. We want you to succeed, which is why we offer our support and advice gained from years of experience in the pizza industry. We’ve been in the business since 1948 and operate 40 locations in two states, so it’s safe to say we know how to run a business. Purchasing Co-ops Newsletter Meetings/Conventions Toll-Free Line Grand Opening Online Support Security/Safety Procedures Field Operations Site Selection Proprietary Software Franchisee Intranet Platform |
Marketing | * Marketing and Advertising Programs Designed to Build Traffic, Develop a Strong Sales Base and Increase Market Share * "Turn Key" Grand Opening Program * Local Marketing Assistance * Annual Marketing Plan Developed with Input from Existing Mazzio's Franchisees * Extensive Library of Print, Radio, Television and Grass Roots Marketing Programs | We collaborate with a digital marketing agency to help make Cottage Inn the top-ranked pizza company in relevant markets across Michigan, Ohio and Indiana. Cottage Inn employs an in-house creative team and offsite agency to produce a myriad of digital marketing vehicles, including e-blasts, mobile CRM, social media (Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, FourSquare, Instagram). We also leverage traditional print solutions such as bulk mail menus, EDDM (every day direct mail) cards, magnets, box toppers and door hangers. We also invest in branding the Cottage Inn name, making us more desirable across all relevant markets. Cottage Inn is the Preferred Pizza Provider at MIS (Michigan International Speedway) where we serve over 100,000 guests at NASCAR events and the Country Music Festival. Cottage Inn engages franchisees in strategic marketing meetings to receive their input on marketing campaigns and new product development. We also help franchisees market their specific stores via community fairs, business expos, entertainment venues and more. We are family first at Cottage Inn, having been owned by the same family for over 65 years! How we market each of our franchises: Dynamic corporate website with pages dedicated to each franchise location Convenient online ordering A loyalty program to attract and retain customers Mobile marketing to engage with the on-the-go world E-marketing to offer the best deals to our dedicated customers Traditional print marketing menus, direct mail, door hangers, box toppers, magnets and specialty pieces Social media to engage our most dedicated consumers. Branding by way of special event sponsorships |
Operations | - | Cottage Inn maintains control of its product and distribution by operating a 22,000 square foot commissary in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Fresh products are delivered weekly and our warehouse staff is always on call in case of emergency. Cottage Inn produces fresh dough daily. For locations more than 200 miles away from Ann Arbor, we encourage and assist franchisees with setting up their own dough production. This assures a fresh, high-quality product and will help you secure a customer for life. Absentee Ownership Allowed Number of Employees Required to Run: 15 |
Expansion Plans |
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US Expansion | - | Yes |
Canada Expansion | - | Yes |
International Expansion | - | - |
Mazzio's Italian Eatery offers a clearly superior product line with an exterior and interior design package that is second to none. Mazzio's Italian Eatery offers its customers the convenience of dine-in, carryout (drive-thru windows) and delivery.
Mazzio's is able to provide today's demanding consumer with quality, variety and high perceived value in an inviting atmosphere. Mazzio's "wins" customers with its "Deliver Supreme Experiences" service attitude.
Consumers look for fast service, convenience, variety, value and quality - all of which are part of the Mazzio's Italian Eatery package.
In an industry known for the "revolving door" at top management levels, the experience, continuity and depth of the Mazzio's management team constitutes one of our biggest strategic assets. Our management team has worked together for many years, leading the Company to become a dominant force in the food service industry and building long-term relationships with employees, customers, suppliers and franchisees.
Aggressive growth for the future is the goal of the Mazzio's management team, while consistently striving to stay on the cutting edge of the industry.
At Cottage Inn we believe that if you're going to craft a pizza, it should be to a
certain degree of perfection and that you should never skimp on the
quality of your ingredients. It's these two simple statements that drive
our process for constructing truly gourmet pizzas.