Me-N-Ed's Pizzerias vs Old Chicago 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.

Opportunity Awaits

After 33 years of company growth, we are now offering a unique opportunity for a select number of entrepreneurs to take our proven brand into new markets.

Old Chicago is a leader in the casual dining pizza segment. We currently have territories available in many highly desirable markets, which presents an exceptional chance to establish our winning concept in choice locations.

WHY CHOOSE OLD CHICAGO?

Adaptable Site Requirements

Old Chicago's brand identity does not rely on a typical "box" to succeed. Our adaptive development strategy and flexible design allow stores to be constructed in many different types of sites, including prototype buildings, conversions/retro-fits, strip center end-cap locations, and non-traditional sites.

Sales Mix Advantage

With approximately 40% of historical system sales from our bar and drink business, Old Chicago's sales mix provides operators with a real opportunity to differentiate themselves from other casual dining concepts. Our high mix of bar sales is one of the main reasons why our stores experience exceptionally low Cost of Goods Sold (COGS). Our 60 company stores finished the year in 2008 with an average COGS of 25.6%.

Brand Strength & Versatility

Our brand has three decades of proven success and a loyal customer base in our existing markets. Old Chicago is a timeless concept that has that rare ability to appeal to a variety of consumers. Many casual dining concepts seem to copy each other in their menus and restaurant "feel". The Old Chicago concept is uniquely different.

Our bars have the rich, dark feel of a "freshly scrubbed joint". Our dining room areas with our new pizza bars really appeal to families and couples.

Broad Customer Appeal

Our bar area, along with our unique guest loyalty program -"The World Beer Tour" appeal to a younger, single customers. They create the high energy levels that have made our bars famous. With thirty beer varieties on tap, and another eighty varieties in bottles, we have created an exciting taste journey for our World Beer Tour members. No matter your age or occupation, there is a tremendous sense of accomplishment when your name goes on a plaque in your home store because you have completed the World Beer Tour.

The total investment necessary to begin operation of an Old Chicago Restaurant franchised business is between $1,331,500 and $1,957,000. This includes $98,250 and $135,250 that must be paid to the franchisor or its affiliates.

The total investment necessary for an Area Development Franchise includes the investment necessary to begin operations of one Restaurant, plus a development fee of $50,000, plus an initial franchise fee deposit of $20,000 multiplied by the number of Restaurants (excluding the first Restaurant) which you must open.

The estimated total investment necessary to begin operation of an Old Chicago

Area Development Franchise is between $1,401,500 (for two Restaurants) and $2,187,000 (for ten Restaurants). This includes between $168,250 and $365,250 that must be paid to the franchisor or its affiliates.

#299 in Franchise 500 for 2020.