Papa John's vs Mellow Mushroom Pizza Franchise Comparison

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

Start-Up Costs and Fees
 
Papa John's Franchise
Mellow Mushroom Pizza Franchise
Investment $26,500 - $844,420$1,624,000
Franchise Fee $25,000$50,000
Royalty Fee 5%-
Advertising Fee 8%2%
Year Founded 1985-
Year Franchised 1986-
Term Of Agreement 10 years15 years +5
Term Of Agreement 10 years15 years +5
Renewal Fee --


Business Experience Requirements
 
Papa John's Franchise
Mellow Mushroom Pizza 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-

Financing Options
 
Papa John's Franchise
Mellow Mushroom Pizza Franchise
  In-House/3rd PartyIn-House/3rd Party
Franchise Fees No/NoNo/-
Start-up Costs No/NoNo/-
Equipment No/NoNo/-
Inventory No/NoNo/-
Receivables No/NoNo/-
Payroll No/NoNo/-

Training & Support
 
Papa John's Franchise
Mellow Mushroom Pizza 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.Your ownership group and senior management staff will train for three weeks at our Shroom University training facility in Douglasville, Georgia prior to opening. When your store opens our training staff will assist you for a week prior to opening, and for two weeks after the opening. Shroom University offers a comprehensive program designed to teach you about the Front of House, Back of House, and Administrative aspects of running a Mellow Mushroom. You and your managers will learn how to make food, place orders, hire and retain personnel & maintain your POS system and mine the data it collects. A special emphasis is given to teaching you proven methods of supervising your store to decrease food and labor costs and increase cash flow. Quality control systems are also shared with you at Shroom University, and you will be provided with several financial and cost management spreadsheets.
Support -Members of our operations team will visit your store(s) to ensure that our standards and practices are being upheld. These visits are also opportunities for us to continue to train your staff and help train any new employees. Our operations team will also help you implement new initiatives that are developed in conjunction with the marketing department. Our marketing team will advise you on coordinating local promotions and create collection-wide campaigns in which your store can participate. The marketing team will also provide you with designs for business cards, banners, stickers, magnets, and spec ads for use in your local market.
Marketing --
Operations --

Expansion Plans
 
Papa John's Franchise
Mellow Mushroom Pizza Franchise
US Expansion Yes-
Canada Expansion No-
International Expansion Yes-

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 Mellow Mushroom Pizza

The Mellow Mushroom experience is unique in the restaurant industry. We have been operating outside the perimeters of traditional casual dining for over 30 years. As an owner, you are submersed into a world of boundless creativity. The brand allows for great expression and individuality. My Mellow Mushroom is successful because I serve Mellow Mushroom products in a restaurant that feels like it is my own. The atmosphere entices you to take pride in being a quality operator. Simply said, I want to be in my own Mellow Mushroom. It is the kind of place I want to hang out in. The culture and community are second only to the quality of food; and this is what sets us apart from other restaurants. There is no other Mellow like my Mellow. Congratulations! You are on your way to owning your slice of the pie! Owning and operating a Mellow Mushroom is an exciting, life-altering journey.

The total investment necessary to begin operation of a Mellow Mushroom restaurant franchise ranges from $1,624,000 to $2,391,000 if you lease shell premises for the Restaurant, from $1,624,000 to $2,591,000 if you lease premises for the Restaurant that must be retrofit, and from $2,824,000 to $4,498,000 if you buy the real estate upon which you will construct a new building for the Restaurant. This includes between $78,000 and $88,500 that must be paid to the franchisor or affiliate. If you want development rights, you must pay us a development fee equal to $50,000 (the initial franchise fee for the first Restaurant) plus a $25,000 deposit for each additional Restaurant’s initial franchise fee.
The total investment necessary to begin operation if you acquire development rights is $1,649,000 to $4,523,000 (depending on your real estate decision). This includes $78,000 to $113,500 that must be paid to the franchisor or affiliate.