Papa John's vs East of Chicago Pizza Company Franchise Comparison

Below is an in-depth analysis and side-by-side comparison of Papa John's vs East of Chicago Pizza Company including start-up costs and fees, business experience requirements, training & support and financing options.

Start-Up Costs and Fees
 
Papa John's Franchise
East of Chicago Pizza Company Franchise
Investment $26,500 - $844,420$162,000 - $463,000
Franchise Fee $25,000$20,000
Royalty Fee 5%5%
Advertising Fee 8%-
Year Founded 19851990
Year Franchised 19861991
Term Of Agreement 10 years10 years
Term Of Agreement 10 years10 years
Renewal Fee -To be determined


Business Experience Requirements
 
Papa John's Franchise
East of Chicago Pizza Company Franchise
Experience The prospective franchisee should have at least one partner with a successful business management background and one partner who qualifies as the Principal Operator. For single-unit development, an individual can apply to be both owner and Principal Operator. The Principal Operator must have prior general management experience relative to the number of units to be developed and must own or have the right to acquire at least 5% equity in the business within 12 months of hire date. A fully completed Request for Consideration Form and current resume must be submitted for each member of the proposed franchise group or the owner operator, including the proposed Principal Operator. Also, Papa John's will request supporting documentation from each proposed owner
  • Company uses Birkman Profile & Corporate Interview Series
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    Financing Options
     
    Papa John's Franchise
    East of Chicago Pizza Company Franchise
      In-House/3rd PartyIn-House/3rd Party
    Franchise Fees No/NoNo/Yes
    Start-up Costs No/NoNo/Yes
    Equipment No/NoYes/Yes
    Inventory No/NoNo/Yes
    Receivables No/NoNo/Yes
    Payroll No/NoNo/No

    Training & Support
     
    Papa John's Franchise
    East of Chicago Pizza Company Franchise
    Training We provide initial training for the operator of 6-8 weeks. In addition, we continue to provide ongoing training for your operator and team.On-The-Job Training: 2 weeks Classroom Training: 4 weeks
    Support -Co-op Advertising Ad Templates National Media Regional Advertising
    Marketing -Co-op Advertising Ad Templates National Media Regional Advertising
    Operations - 26% of all franchisees own more than one unit

    Number of employees needed to run franchised unit: 20

    Absentee ownership of franchise is allowed. (100% of current franchisees are owner/operators)

    Number of Employees Required to Run: 20

    Expansion Plans
     
    Papa John's Franchise
    East of Chicago Pizza Company Franchise
    US Expansion YesYes
    Canada Expansion NoNo
    International Expansion YesNo

    Company Overviews

    About Papa John's

    We didn’t start our business in a boardroom. We started it in a broom closet. Back in 1984, our Founder, John Schnatter (that’s Papa John to you) sold his beloved muscle car to buy pizza‐making equipment. Armed with only an oven and a love for making quality pizza, John opened the very first Papa John’s in the crowded broom closet of his father’s tavern. Over the years, this passion for making better pizza informed every decision and pizza we made...because the last thing we wanted to be was a pizza company. So instead of chopping vegetables with machines, we chop them by hand every day. Instead of investing in gimmicks, we invest in fresh ingredients. And we pile them high on our fresh, never-frozen original dough. Today, we’ve surrounded ourselves with like-minded people with a passion for making better pizza, including franchisees, suppliers, athletes, pizza makers, and farmers we’ve known for over 30 years. Like our friend Dino in California - "he grows the best tomatoes. In the end, John’s desire to create a better pizza built more than a pizza company...he built a pizza family.

    At Papa John's we have a simple formula for success: Focus on one thing and try to do it better than anyone else. By keeping the Papa John's menu simple, we are able to focus on the quality of our product by using only superior-quality ingredients. Our commitment to quality can be seen in all of our ingredients, from our fresh (never frozen) water-purified traditional dough, to our vine-ripened fresh-packed tomato sauce (which goes from the vine to the can in an average of six hours), to our cheese made with 100% mozzarella and many other premium ingredients.

    The total investment necessary to begin operation of a standard Papa John’s franchise is $130,120 to $844,420. This includes up to $73,920 that must be paid to the franchisor or its affiliate.
    The total investment necessary to begin operation of a non-traditional Papa John’s franchise is $26,500 to $388,920. This includes up to $56,420 that must be paid to the franchisor or its affiliate.

    Seeking new franchise units Worldwide.

    Better Ingredients, Better Pizza.

    "Top  ""    "Entrepreneur
    #64 in Canada's Top franchises.

    "franchiserankingscom"
    #55 on Franchise Rankings.com
    #146 in Franchise 500 for 2020.
    #127 in Franchise 500 for 2021.






    About East of Chicago Pizza Company

    When founder L. Scott Granneman was thinking of a name for his second pizza restaurant in Willard, Ohio, he remembered one of his customers telling him he made 'the best pizza east of Chicago.' The comment stuck with Granneman, and now East of Chicago Pizza has more than 120 locations stretching as far east as Virginia.
    East of Chicago locations offer favorite toppings such as pepperoni and mushrooms as well as a menu of specialty pizzas like Taco (which is covered with lettuce, tomato, black olives, sour cream, cheddar cheese, beef and salsa) and dessert pizzas (Dutch Crunch apple pizza or Peanut Butter & Jelly).