Me-N-Ed's Pizzerias vs Tony Saccos Franchise Comparison
Below is an in-depth analysis and side-by-side comparison of Me-N-Ed's Pizzerias vs Tony Saccos including start-up costs and fees, business experience requirements, training & support and financing options.
Start-Up Costs and Fees |
Investment |
$175,000 - $486,000 | $39,520 - $1,030,625 |
Franchise Fee |
$25,000 | $20,000 - $25,000 |
Royalty Fee |
5% | 5% |
Advertising Fee |
- | - |
Year Founded |
1958 | - |
Year Franchised |
1958 | - |
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 | -/- |
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 | - |
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 Tony Saccos
Unlike full service restaurants, no previous restaurant experience is required with Tony Sacco's. All of the cooking in the entire store takes place at the coal fired oven and easy-to-hire, experienced pizza makers will be employed to do this job. The result is a restaurant that can be run by an operator who does not have a food service background. Our proprietary recipes and our training program will provide all the information and hands-on experience you need to serve up a perfect dining experience time after time.
At Tony Sacco's, simplicity is behind all that we do. It is our goal to help you get up and running quickly and to stay up and running for a long time. And the best way to accomplish this is to provide you with a winning formula.
Tony Sacco's provides a franchise opportunity like no other:
Simplicity: At the heart of Tony Sacco's is our signature Coal Fired Oven that is used to cook everything that we serve. There are no fryers, grills or microwave ovens. Our Coal Fired Oven ensures that the taste of our menu items is accentuated by the rich, lightly smoky flavor that the oven produces. This unique taste is unavailable with any other cooking method. By serving pizzas, sandwiches, and salads, no high-paid kitchen personnel are required.
Low Food Costs: Controlling food costs is one of the keys in operating a successful restaurant. Many restaurants' food costs can run between 30 to 35 percent of sales. Tony Sacco's operates at a food cost of less than 25%, which can translate into higher profits for franchisees. Our menu is designed to use all ingredients to produce more than 1 menu item, thereby reducing cost and waste.
A Better Pizza: You hear claims all the time that one pizza is better than another, yet they are cooked with the same oven, with the same dough and many of the same ingredients. Thus, many people tend to think that all pizzas are the same. At Tony Sacco's the difference is in the coal. It produces a unique flavor and crispy crust that traditional pizza ovens cannot rival. In keeping with the trend of fresh, healthy food, all of our ingredients are prepared freshly from scratch. We do not use any frozen or pre-prepared ingredients in our restaurant. The coal oven, and the totally fresh ingredients, delivers a 1 - 2 punch of flavor that no other pizza can even come close to matching. The result is a premium pizza offering that separates you from others in the $30 Billion pizza industry.
The total investment necessary to begin operations of a Full Size
Restaurant is $295,250 to $1,030,625. This includes $15,000 that must be
paid to the franchisor or an affiliate. The total investment necessary
to begin operations of a DELCO Facility is $179,000 to $348,000. This
includes the $15,000 that must be paid to the franchisor or an
affiliate. The total investment to begin operations of a Satellite
ranges from $39,520 to $132,340. This includes the $15,000 initial
franchise fee paid to the franchisor or an affiliate. The total
investment necessary to begin operations of a Multi-Unit Operator ranges
from $17,625 to $64,100, plus the cost to establish the first
Franchised Facility. This includes the initial development fee of
$15,000.