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Updated RecentlyCottage Inn Pizza vs The Pizza Press Franchise Comparison
Below is an in-depth analysis and side-by-side comparison of Cottage Inn Pizza vs The Pizza Press including start-up costs and fees, business experience requirements, training & support and financing options.
Start-Up Costs and Fees |
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| Investment | $200,000 - $350,000 | $455,350 - $791,500 |
| Franchise Fee | $15,000 | $35,000 |
| Royalty Fee | 5% | 6% |
| Advertising Fee | 3% | 1% |
| Year Founded | 1948 | 2012 |
| Year Franchised | 1986 | 2014 |
| Term Of Agreement | - | 10 years |
| Term Of Agreement | - | 10 years |
| Renewal Fee | - | - |
Business Experience Requirements |
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| Experience | 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. | We require that you or your operating partner directly operate your Pizza Press restaurant. If you have not previously owned or managed a restaurant, we may require that you designate an operating partner who is an owner of at least 10% of the franchisee. The operating partner must live in the area near your Pizza Press restaurant and work full-time in the franchised business. |
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 | Cottage Inn offers a world-class training program On-The-Job Training: 240 hours Classroom Training: 6 hours | Initial training will last for up to seven days and take place at our headquarters in Anaheim, California or another location we designate. We will also provide on-site training for you and your staff for up to 5 days before the opening of your Pizza Press restaurant On-The-Job Training: 60 hours Classroom Training: 16 hours |
| Support | 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 | Access to the The Pizza Press brand, our unique recipes, operating policies and procedures, uniforms, design/development/construction of your store, vendors, and in-depth and continued training and support. In addition, we also provide them with a website, social media and marketing program, online ordering system, gift card program, and more. Purchasing Co-ops Newsletter Meetings/Conventions Grand Opening Online Support Security/Safety Procedures Field Operations Site Selection |
| Marketing | 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 | Advertising through television, radio and print media such as magazine, billboards, flyers or mailers and newspapers. Ad Templates Regional Advertising Social media SEO Website development Email marketing Loyalty program/app |
| 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 | If you prefer to not be involved, you absolutely must appoint an Operating Director (that owns at least 10% equity) to oversee the day-to-day operations of the restaurant/s Number of Employees Required to Run: 25 - 30 |
Expansion Plans |
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| US Expansion | Yes | Yes |
| Canada Expansion | Yes | - |
| International Expansion | - | Yes |
Company Overviews
About Cottage Inn Pizza
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.
Veteran Incentives 10% off franchise fee
About The Pizza Press
The Pizza Press is taking our fresh and fun "Publish Your Own Pizza" concept to other parts of the United States. Our franchise program is a natural outgrowth of our commitment to encouraging small business owners and fostering positive relationships with everyone we meet. Together with our franchisees, we will continue to build on the respected brand of The Pizza Press and bring newsworthy pizza to your hometown.
The Pizza Press is seeking single and multi-unit (5+) development partners to bring Newsworthy Pizza to the rest of world. In order to be considered, our franchise team members will meet the following criteria:
- You must commit to spending 100% of your time in the day to day operation of your restaurant(s).
- Alternatively, you may designate an Operating Principal to fill this role. (This person should have at least 10% equity in the franchise or equivalent profit sharing).
- Although experience as a multi-unit owner or operator in QSR, fast-casual or restaurant dining is preferred, it is not necessary.
- You or your Operating Principal should have familiarity with the trade area that you plan to develop.
- You, your Operating Principal and all of your partners must demonstrate the enthusiasm, drive and passion required to operate a
The Pizza Press restaurant to our high standards.
- Including all your partners, you should have a minimum liquidity of $120K (i.e. cash reserves) per restaurant to be developed.
We offer a program for Veterans of the United States Military.