Me-N-Ed's Pizzerias vs Chuck E. Cheese's Franchise Comparison
Below is an in-depth analysis and side-by-side comparison of Me-N-Ed's Pizzerias vs Chuck E. Cheese's including start-up costs and fees, business experience requirements, training & support and financing options.
Start-Up Costs and Fees |
Investment |
$175,000 - $486,000 | $1,170,000 - $1,830,000 |
Franchise Fee |
$25,000 | $50,000 - $800,000 |
Royalty Fee |
5% | 5% |
Advertising Fee |
- | 0,75% |
Year Founded |
1958 | 1977 |
Year Franchised |
1958 | 1977 |
Term Of Agreement |
- | - |
Term Of Agreement |
- | - |
Renewal Fee |
$1.5K | - |
Business Experience Requirements |
Experience |
- | To maintain our brand’s reputation, we ask that potential franchise owners meet the following:
Must be a resident of country to be developed and have knowledge of operating businesses including local regulations, real estate, and local cultures
A passion for the brand, commitment and a drive to succeed
Strong Leadership skills
Strong business and financial acumen
Good interpersonal and administrative skills
An entrepreneurial mindset
Capital to grow:
Our minimum financial requirements are that potential franchise partners have a minumum of $800,000 in liquid assets that they can invest into each Chuck E. Cheese’s they develop
If you would like to open 1-5 stores, it would require $800,000- $ 4 million in liquid assets to be invested in Chuck E Cheese’s.
If you would like to open 6-10 stores, it would require $4- $8 million in liquid assets to invested in Chuck E. Cheese’s
If you would like to open 11 or more stores, it would require $8.8 million in liquid assets to be invested in Chuck E. Cheese’s
|
Financing Options |
|
In-House/3rd Party | In-House/3rd Party |
Franchise Fees |
No/No | -/- |
Start-up Costs |
No/No | -/- |
Equipment |
No/No | -/- |
Inventory |
No/No | -/- |
Receivables |
No/No | -/- |
Payroll |
No/No | -/- |
Training & Support |
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 cooperatives | - |
Marketing |
Ad slicks, 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. | - |
Expansion Plans |
US Expansion |
- | Yes |
Canada Expansion |
No | - |
International Expansion |
Yes | 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 Chuck E. Cheese's
Chuck E. Cheese’s was founded in 1977 and has quickly risen to the
top in family dining and entertainment. With over 600 locations around
the world, there isn’t a better family fun center franchise around.This
is an industry that has undergone a rapid evolution, and Chuck E.
Cheese’s is leading the way to serve new generations. We’re not just an
arcade franchise - we’re a forward-thinking franchise of family fun
centers that’s
consistently raising the bar for new generations. Higher quality
food for more health-conscious parents. New games that help foster
important developmental skills. And seamless online experiences that
makes event planning easier than ever for parents
and school faculty.
.All this adds up to an amazing restaurant franchise opportunity!