Hungry Howie's Pizza vs Russo's Coal-Fired Italian Kitchen Franchise Comparison

Below is an in-depth analysis and side-by-side comparison of Hungry Howie's Pizza vs Russo's Coal-Fired Italian Kitchen including start-up costs and fees, business experience requirements, training & support and financing options.

Start-Up Costs and Fees

 
Hungry Howie's Pizza Franchise
Russo's Coal-Fired Italian Kitchen Franchise
Investment $290,600 - $538,400$295,000 - $750,000
Franchise Fee $25,000$49,500
Royalty Fee 5.5%7%
Advertising Fee 7%2%
Year Founded 19731992
Year Franchised 19821998
Term Of Agreement 10 years10 years+5
Term Of Agreement 10 years10 years+5
Renewal Fee --


Business Experience Requirements

 
Hungry Howie's Pizza Franchise
Russo's Coal-Fired Italian Kitchen Franchise
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

 
Hungry Howie's Pizza Franchise
Russo's Coal-Fired Italian Kitchen Franchise
  In-House/3rd PartyIn-House/3rd Party
Franchise Fees No/Yes-/Yes
Start-up Costs No/Yes-/Yes
Equipment No/Yes-/Yes
Inventory No/Yes-/Yes
Receivables No/Yes-/-
Payroll No/Yes-/Yes

Training & Support

 
Hungry Howie's Pizza Franchise
Russo's Coal-Fired Italian Kitchen Franchise
Training On-The-Job Training: 138 hours Classroom Training: 44 hours Additional Training: Regional seminars 8 Week GM & Key Supervisor Training and Certification
Support Purchasing Co-ops Newsletter Meetings/Conventions Grand Opening Online Support Security/Safety Procedures Field Operations Site Selection Proprietary Software Franchisee Intranet Platform -
Marketing Co-op Advertising Ad Templates National Media Regional Advertising Social media SEO Website development Email marketing Loyalty program/app -
Operations 80% of all franchisees own more than one unit

Number of employees needed to run franchised unit: 10

Absentee ownership of franchise is NOT allowed. (100% of current franchisees are owner/operators)

On site pre and post opening training and operational support with quarterly QA Visits.

Expansion Plans

 
Hungry Howie's Pizza Franchise
Russo's Coal-Fired Italian Kitchen Franchise
US Expansion Yes-
Canada Expansion No-
International Expansion No-

Company Overviews

About Hungry Howie's Pizza

Own a Piece of the Pie
At Hungry Howie's we serve customers great flavored crust pizza at an amazing value. With almost 40 years of experience, Hungry Howie's is consistently ranked as one of the Top 10 Pizza Franchises in the nation. There are many franchise opportunities to choose from, especially in the Pizza category. That's why it's so important to have a distinct point of difference in today's competitive market place. Hungry Howie's has the edge that makes us one of the fastest-growing pizza chains in the country.

Our Edge
Look no further than our famous crust to see why Hungry Howie's Pizza has an edge over its competition. Mouth watering seasonings baked into the edge of the pizza, make the last bite as good as the first. Others have tried to copy it, but Hungry Howie's is the home of the Original Flavored Crust.

Opportunity Knocks
Hungry Howie's has built a strong infrastructure and is positioned for our rapid growth campaign. Many great areas are available for single or multiple unit development. Right now, multistore operators can buy territories. This is something you can't find with other brands.
As you explore other investment opportunities you will appreciate Hungry Howie's commitment to our concept, products and franchisees. We provide a great opportunity to participate in a growing franchise system that offers significant investment value. We're busy making plans for the future!
Hungry Howie's does not currently offer international development. Please note interested parties should have at least $100K to invest.
Veteran Incentives  50% off franchise fee
"Top
#21 in Gator's Top franchises.
#233 in Franchise 500 for 2020.

About Russo's Coal-Fired Italian Kitchen

Using the family recipe for hand-tossed dough, the sauce made from fresh-crushed California tomatoes, and imported Italian cheese blends, Anthony became the sole owner and chef of his first restaurant Russo’s Pizza in the early 80’s. "It was 800 square feet. I had a pizza oven, a dough mixer and two tables. That's it. I could only sit eight people.” A few years later, he created Anthony’s Pizzeria, located in Clear Lake, Texas, and soon moved to Houston.

For almost a decade, Anthony refined his menu using classic Italian family recipes and zeroed in on the perfect New York-style pizza. In 1992, Russo’s New York Pizzeria opened in downtown Houston, Texas and proved to be a success.

 
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.