Me-N-Ed's Pizzerias vs Vocelli Pizza Franchise Comparison

Below is an in-depth analysis and side-by-side comparison of Me-N-Ed's Pizzerias vs Vocelli Pizza including start-up costs and fees, business experience requirements, training & support and financing options.

Start-Up Costs and Fees
 
Me-N-Ed's Pizzerias Franchise
Vocelli Pizza Franchise
Investment $175,000 - $486,000$156,000 - $330,900
Franchise Fee $25,000$30,000
Royalty Fee 5%5%
Advertising Fee -1%
Year Founded 19581988
Year Franchised 19581989
Term Of Agreement -10 years
Term Of Agreement -10 years
Renewal Fee $1.5K20% of then current fee


Business Experience Requirements
 
Me-N-Ed's Pizzerias Franchise
Vocelli Pizza Franchise
Experience -We receive many calls from customers inquiring about our franchise opportunity! Most of our franchisees that are now with us first tasted the superior quality of our pizza and wanted to know how to get involved in the business. Yes, we request you submit a Franchise Application to show the minimum capital requirements of $250,000 net-worth and $100,000 in liquidity ...but our main focus is that you have a great attitude, be very customer service oriented, have some prior background in the food industry and be very community-minded. In order to qualify for a Vocelli Pizza Franchise, you will need: • Minimum $100,000 Liquidity - Cash, Stocks, Bonds, Insurance, Equity Credit Lines etc. • 1 yr. Food Experience or Operating Partner with the experience • A good FICO Score and credit history • A great attitude with passion

Financing Options
 
Me-N-Ed's Pizzerias Franchise
Vocelli Pizza Franchise
  In-House/3rd PartyIn-House/3rd Party
Franchise Fees No/NoNo/No
Start-up Costs No/NoNo/Yes
Equipment No/NoNo/Yes
Inventory No/NoNo/Yes
Receivables No/NoNo/No
Payroll No/NoNo/No

Training & Support
 
Me-N-Ed's Pizzerias Franchise
Vocelli Pizza Franchise
Training Available at headquarters, Available at franchisee's location, Opening support-
Support Newsletter, Toll-free phone line, Grand opening, Security/safety procedures, Field operations/evaluations, Purchasing cooperativesNewsletter, Meetings, Toll-free phone line, Grand opening, Internet, Security/safety procedures, Field operations/evaluations, Purchasing cooperatives
Marketing Ad slicks, Regional advertisingCo-op advertising, Ad slicks, National media, Regional advertising
Operations 40% of all franchisees own more than one unit

Number of employees needed to run franchised unit: 10 - 25

Absentee ownership of franchise is allowed.

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Expansion Plans
 
Me-N-Ed's Pizzerias Franchise
Vocelli Pizza Franchise
US Expansion -Yes
Canada Expansion NoNo
International Expansion YesNo

Company Overviews

About Me-N-Ed's Pizzerias

The pizza world has never been the same since the first Me-n-Ed oven was fired up in Sacramento, California, in 1958. Russ "Me" Johnson and Ed Sandlin didn't set out to build a pizza parlor empire - it just happened. From their modest beginnings, Russ and Ed began selling Me-n-Ed's franchises throughout California while operating their own restaurants around the San Francisco Bay area. Expanding into Fresno, Russ and Ed met Ben and Marcella Watters, who ran a boarding house and quickly became known for their frequent visits to Me-n-Ed's. As the story goes, during one particular visit, a potted plant in the restaurant caught Marcella's eye. She had to have it. When the owner refused to sell it to her, Marcella bought the entire restaurant. The plant was hers - along with the franchise rights to Me-n-Ed's. Marcella and Ben moved the restaurant from the original Fresno location to a new site on Blackstone Avenue and joined forces with Bob Cox, who worked with a local baker to perfect a recipe for Me-n-Ed's signature thin crust pizza dough, which has since become the stuff of legends. Through the mid-1960s, the Me-n-Ed's name continued to expand throughout Fresno and Orange County, along with a reputation for making some of the best pizza west of the Mississippi. In the summer of '62, Doug Price (Marcella's 15-year-old nephew) ventured to Fresno from North Battleford, Saskatchewan, to soak up the California sun and work at Me-n-Ed's. By the time Doug graduated three years later, his Aunt Marcella and Uncle Ben had moved to Orange County, where they were operating Me-n-Ed's restaurants previously owned by Bob Cox. Doug left the prairies and headed to Orange County to go to college, but his plans quickly changed, and he ended up where he really belonged - working for the family business, Me-n-Ed's. The Watters continued the Me-n-Ed's expansion into Santa Ana, Fullerton, Huntington Beach, Stanton and Long Beach. Then, in 1969, the Watters brought the Me-n-Ed's name north of the border to Burnaby, where the first Me-n-Ed's in Canada opened that summer - managed by 21-year-old co-owner Doug Price.' Before long, the Burnaby Me-n-Ed's had become a community fixture - albeit more of a pub than a restaurant. Customers would line up to listen to a honky-tonk piano and savour Me-n-Ed's now-famous pizza along with a cold beer. As other neighbourhood pubs began popping up through the years, the Me-n-Ed's atmosphere shifted to one of family, where it remains. Even now, some 50 years since Me-n-Ed's first came to Canada, you'll still find that same cozy, neighbourly feel that put us on the map - whether you're visiting a Me-n-Ed's in Burnaby, Abbotsford, Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam or Langley.

About Vocelli Pizza

Since 1988, Vocelli Pizza is a franchise company that has withstood the test of time serving high quality artisan pizzas and classic Italian dishes. With over 100 stores serving our award-winning pizza, people have come to know us as the "standard". Our stores are neighborhood shops that use the finest ingredients to prepare favorite family recipes. We aren't just another pizza chain; we're part of the community.

Our franchise system has had over 30 years proving itself in the highly competitive $40 billion per year U.S. pizza segment. Varol Ablak, the chairman & founder, felt that our artisan products could be delivered to your door in 30 minutes without sacrificing quality. As a result, Vocelli has been consistently ranked in the top 30, 40 or 50 of all the top chains in the U.S.

Much of Vocelli's success comes from a commitment to a high quality product. Our recipes are designed with color, texture and taste in mind. We utilize fresh ingredients instead of frozen and choose hand-crafted over off-the-shelf products. The result is a consistently better customer experience that keeps people coming back for more. This certainly affords our customers the comfort that when they order, they get the same superior quality product all the time. Great dough made from a proprietary blend of flour, sauce made from a blend of tomatoes that are fresh packed within 6 hours of picking from the vine and a never-frozen 100% real cheese are mainstays that support the stringent requirements we maintain throughout menu development.

Today, Vocelli Pizza has approximately 2,000 employees and over 100 stores open and in development. Varol has built a winning support team at the Franchise Support Center and a team of successful franchisees. "For us to succeed, the franchisees must succeed" says Varol.
Varol began his entrepreneurial dream with a wish for something better. Today, he offers franchisees a chance to make their own business dreams come true by sharing his proven recipe for success.

We receive many calls from customers inquiring about our franchise opportunity! Most of our franchisees first tasted the superior quality of our pizza and wanted to know how to get involved in the business. Yes, we request you submit a franchise application to show the minimum capital requirements of $250,000 net worth and $100,000 in liquidity, but our main focus is that you have a great attitude, are very customer service oriented, have some prior background in the food industry or have an operating partner who does, and be very community-minded.


We offer a 10% discount on the initial franchise fee to qualified military veterans.