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Updated RecentlyBlackjack Pizza vs Russo's New York Pizzeria Franchise Comparison
Below is an in-depth analysis and side-by-side comparison of Blackjack Pizza vs Russo's New York Pizzeria including start-up costs and fees, business experience requirements, training & support and financing options.
Start-Up Costs and Fees |
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| Investment | $168,300 - $392,300 | $400,000 - $1,500,000 |
| Franchise Fee | $35,000 | $49,500 |
| Royalty Fee | 3% | 7% |
| Advertising Fee | - | 2% |
| Year Founded | 1983 | 1978 |
| Year Franchised | 1988 | 1998 |
| Term Of Agreement | 10 years | 10 years +5 |
| Term Of Agreement | 10 years | 10 years +5 |
| Renewal Fee | $1K | - |
Business Experience Requirements |
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| Experience | No Restaurant experience necessary but helpful Minimum financials are $175K to $400K in investment capital and a $600K to $1.0MM net worth. | |
Financing Options |
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| In-House/3rd Party | In-House/3rd Party | |
| Franchise Fees | No/Yes | -/- |
| Start-up Costs | No/Yes | -/- |
| Equipment | No/Yes | -/- |
| Inventory | No/Yes | -/- |
| Receivables | No/Yes | -/- |
| Payroll | No/No | -/- |
Training & Support |
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| Training | Ongoing assistance & classroom training available | Corporate Store, Houston, TX . 8 Week GM & Key Supervisor Training and Certification. |
| Support | Newsletter, Meetings, Grand opening, Internet, Security/safety procedures, Field operations/evaluations, Purchasing cooperatives | Central Data Processing: At Additional Cost
Field Operation Evaluation: At Additional Cost Field Training: At Additional Cost Initial Store Opening Inventory Control Regional or National Meetings 800 Telephone Hotline |
| Marketing | Co-op advertising, Ad slicks, Regional advertising | - |
| Operations |
25% of all franchisees own more than one unit Number of employees needed to run franchised unit: 15 - 30
Absentee ownership of franchise is NOT allowed. (100% of current franchisees are owner/operators) | Average Number of Employees: 10 Full-time, 6 Part-time Passive Ownership: Allowed, But Discouraged |
Expansion Plans |
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| US Expansion | Yes | Yes |
| Canada Expansion | No | - |
| International Expansion | No | Yes |
Company Overviews
About Blackjack Pizza
Blackjack Pizza was founded in 1983 by Vince Schmuhl. After working several years for Dominos Pizza, the founder felt that there was plenty of room for competitors in the fast growing pizza delivery business. At that time, Dominos Pizza was the only major player in the pizza delivery business in the Rocky Mountain region and he felt that customers would really appreciate an alternative to Dominos Pizza. The first Blackjack Pizza store was opened on June 29, 1983 in Federal Heights, CO. The second store opened in Greeley, CO in February of 1984. Vince continued to open new stores, mainly in the Denver Metro Area. By 1986, there were six corporate owned stores and one franchisee in operation. In 1988, Blackjack officially became a franchisor using the concept of an owner/operator franchisee at each store location. Several corporate stores were sold to franchisees, and other franchisees were added to the system through conversions of independent operators who saw the value in being part of Blackjack Pizza. We have continued to add franchise outlets to the system under a policy of slow, controlled growth. There are 45 stores in operation in four states.
About Russo's New York Pizzeria
Russo's Restaurants is a national and international franchisor of the fast casual and casual dining brands Russo's New York Pizzeria and Russo's Coal-Fired Italian Kitchen. Based in Houston, Russo's Restaurants are composed of a mix of corporate and franchised locations across Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Tennessee, Florida and Hawaii. Russo's has entered international markets as well, with locations in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates. There are an additional 20-plus units in development both in the United States and internationally. Chef Anthony Russo has created his concepts from years of applying his unique, family recipes featuring New York-style pizza along with a broad variety of handcrafted pasta creations, calzones, salads, sandwiches, soups and desserts, reflecting his commitment to his New York roots where food and family come first.