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

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.

The Al's Pizza business model is based on an overall theme of quality. The fundamentals include: * Award-winning pizza * An impressive, competitive facility * The latest inventory and labor control tools * A passion for excellence Franchisees are provided with a development process that results in an impressive, high-quality facility. As a franchisee, you can depend upon the Al's Pizza team to manage the development. Costs associated with the design, architectural, and purchasing consulting fees are covered using the franchise fee and architectural fee.Al's Pizza franchisees enter into an 80 day working day training program with a custom schedule tailor made for each franchisee. Al's understands that most franchisees are transitioning from another career and need flexibility during such a complicated time. The program is a combination of training classes and training within an Al's Pizza training restaurant. Representatives from Al's Pizza will work side by side as part of your team during a new opening. Franchisee support also includes Field Consultants who work alongside franchisees, assisting with all aspects of the operations. The support sets Al's Pizza apart from many companies. Even financial information is shared and compared during monthly webinars so every franchisee can measure their own success next to the company owned restaurants. As a former franchisee himself, Bill Kratsas is committed to providing support to franchisees both operationally and financially. As the owner of an Al's Pizza franchise, your efforts are supported every step of the way. By providing you the quality guidance you need, you are able to provide your customers the quality experience they seek, and everyone benefits.

 

Founded in 1988, Al's Pizza combines old world quality, values and work ethic with new world appeal, to provide a unique dining experience for patrons, families and friends.