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Updated RecentlyMark's Pizzeria vs Cottage Inn Pizza Franchise Comparison
Below is an in-depth analysis and side-by-side comparison of Mark's Pizzeria 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 | $125,000 - $150,000 | $200,000 - $350,000 |
| Franchise Fee | $15,000 | $15,000 |
| Royalty Fee | 3% | 5% |
| Advertising Fee | - | 3% |
| Year Founded | 1982 | 1948 |
| Year Franchised | 1995 | 1986 |
| Term Of Agreement | 15 years | - |
| Term Of Agreement | 15 years | - |
| Renewal Fee | 1/3 current franchise 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. |
Financing Options |
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| In-House/3rd Party | In-House/3rd Party | |
| Franchise Fees | No/Yes | -/- |
| Start-up Costs | No/Yes | -/- |
| Equipment | No/Yes | -/- |
| Inventory | No/Yes | -/- |
| Receivables | No/No | -/- |
| Payroll | No/No | -/- |
Training & Support |
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| Training | As needed | Cottage Inn offers a world-class training program On-The-Job Training: 240 hours Classroom Training: 6 hours |
| Support | Meetings, Grand opening, Internet, Security/safety procedures, Field operations/evaluations | 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 | Co-op advertising, Ad slicks, Regional advertising | 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 |
Number of employees needed to run franchised unit: 12 Absentee ownership of franchise is allowed. (90% of current franchisees are owner/operators) | 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 | Yes |
| Canada Expansion | No | Yes |
| International Expansion | Yes | - |
Company Overviews
About Mark's Pizzeria
The concept and business of Mark's Pizzeria began in 1982 as one of both necessity and inspiration to the founder, Mr. Mark Crane. With 29 restaurants across the Greater Rochester area, we serve up the tastiest pizza, calzones, subs, and wings outside of Italy! We'd like to thank our Rochester customers for voting us as the #1 Best Pizza in Rochester SIX times! For over 35 years, we've been providing delicious, quality food and service with a smile.
Mark's Pizzeria began humbly in 1982 as a small pizza restaurant in Palmyra founded by Mark Crane. Even back then, our goals were to always put customers first and to make sure they left with a smile on their face. As we expanded to Fairport, Victor, Penfield, and other cities across Rochester, quality and service remained ingrained in our culture. We still use fresh dough that's made in-store every day, and natural ingredients you can actually taste. Whether you're ordering a hot sandwich, a loaded bomber sub, or a sheet pizza, you know that you're getting quality ingredients.
At Mark's Pizzeria, we serve great food and treat our customers like family. We're proud to know our regulars, and some of our patrons have been coming to us for decades. Kids always get a free slushy, and everybody gets a taste of our classic Grandma's fried dough with cinnamon sugar; it's our way of saying thank you to the community. Whether you're a first-time visitor or a repeat customer, we'll always provide friendly service with a smile. Stop by today to see the Mark's Pizzeria way of doing things!
On top of that, we're also excited to offer you valuable coupons, redeemable in all locations across the Greater Rochester area. With virtually any order, you instantly qualify for one of our coupons, which you can use when ordering online or when you come to one of our restaurants. Just print out the applicable coupon, or enter the coupon code at checkout! After all, what's better than good food and good company? We can't think of much else, so why not have some of our amazing pizza with your loved ones?
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.