Me-N-Ed's Pizzerias vs Donatos Pizzeria Franchise Comparison
Below is an in-depth analysis and side-by-side comparison of Me-N-Ed's Pizzerias vs Donatos Pizzeria including start-up costs and fees, business experience requirements, training & support and financing options.
Start-Up Costs and Fees |
Investment |
$175,000 - $486,000 | $386,500 - $698,900 |
Franchise Fee |
$25,000 | $30,000 |
Royalty Fee |
5% | 5% |
Advertising Fee |
- | 5% |
Year Founded |
1958 | 1963 |
Year Franchised |
1958 | 1991 |
Term Of Agreement |
- | - |
Term Of Agreement |
- | - |
Renewal Fee |
$1.5K | - |
Business Experience Requirements |
Experience |
- | - |
Financing Options |
|
In-House/3rd Party | In-House/3rd Party |
Franchise Fees |
No/No | -/Yes |
Start-up Costs |
No/No | -/Yes |
Equipment |
No/No | -/Yes |
Inventory |
No/No | -/Yes |
Receivables |
No/No | -/Yes |
Payroll |
No/No | -/Yes |
Training & Support |
Training |
Available at headquarters, Available at franchisee's location, Opening support |
On-The-Job Training: 454 hours
Classroom Training: 4 hours
|
Support |
Newsletter, Toll-free phone line, Grand opening, Security/safety procedures, Field operations/evaluations, Purchasing cooperatives | Purchasing Co-ops
Newsletter
Meetings/Conventions
Grand Opening
Online Support
Security/Safety Procedures
Field Operations
Site Selection
Proprietary Software
Franchisee Intranet Platform
|
Marketing |
Ad slicks, Regional advertising |
Co-op Advertising
Ad Templates
National Media
Regional Advertising
Social media
SEO
Website development
Email marketing
Loyalty program/app
|
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. | - |
Expansion Plans |
US Expansion |
- | - |
Canada Expansion |
No | - |
International Expansion |
Yes | - |
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 Donatos Pizzeria
BE A PART OF A PIZZA BUSINESS THAT'S ON THE RISE.
With $1,300 in his pocket and a dream to own his own business, Jim Grote bought a small pizzeria on the south side of Columbus, Ohio and went to work to create a business that was truly unique. Although Donatos has grown and moved into almost 200 neighborhoods, our belief remains the same: "Treat people the way you want to be treated."
You are responsible for:
* Leasehold improvements
* Leasing or purchasing equipment
* Hiring and restaurant operation
Donatos provides:
* Product formulas and operational systems
* Store design guidance
* Equipment ordering guidance
* Edge-u-cation training
* Cultural orientation
* Operations manual
* Periodic evaluations
* Ongoing support
Additional information and qualifications:
Single-Store and Multi-Unit Development Agreements are available depending upon prospective Franchise Partner qualifications as well as geographical considerations.
Prospective Franchise Partner groups need to designate an Operating Partner who must live in the area to be developed and possess prior restaurant or retail management and supervision experience commensurate with the number of restaurants to be developed. An Operating Partner may also be a member of the Franchise Group.
A full Franchise Application, including a Personal Financial Statement, needs to be submitted for each member of the Franchise Partner group. If the Operating Partner is a separate individual, they will need to submit a full resume with work history and skill-set qualifications.
The total investment necessary to begin operation of a Donatos
franchised business is $386,500 to $698,900. This includes $40,500 to
$42,500 that must be paid to the franchisor or its affiliate. If this is
the second Donatos franchised business, you choose to receive
additional training services or you hire a Donatos Manager for your
franchised business, you must pay the franchisor an additional $15,000
to $40,000.
The company continues to franchise throughout the Midwest, South and
Southeast, with franchised locations serving pizza, subs, salads and
desserts.
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#181 in Franchise 500 for 2020.
#313 in Franchise 500 for 2021.