Pizza Factory vs Mellow Mushroom Pizza Franchise Comparison

Below is an in-depth analysis and side-by-side comparison of Pizza Factory vs Mellow Mushroom Pizza including start-up costs and fees, business experience requirements, training & support and financing options.

Start-Up Costs and Fees

 
Pizza Factory Franchise
Mellow Mushroom Pizza Franchise
Investment $372,000 - $562,000$1,624,000
Franchise Fee $30,000$50,000
Royalty Fee 5%-
Advertising Fee 3%2%
Year Founded 1979-
Year Franchised 1985-
Term Of Agreement 20 years15 years +5
Term Of Agreement 20 years15 years +5
Renewal Fee $5000-


Business Experience Requirements

 
Pizza Factory Franchise
Mellow Mushroom Pizza Franchise
Experience --

Financing Options

 
Pizza Factory Franchise
Mellow Mushroom Pizza Franchise
  In-House/3rd PartyIn-House/3rd Party
Franchise Fees No/NoNo/-
Start-up Costs No/NoNo/-
Equipment No/YesNo/-
Inventory No/NoNo/-
Receivables No/NoNo/-
Payroll No/NoNo/-

Training & Support

 
Pizza Factory Franchise
Mellow Mushroom Pizza Franchise
Training On-The-Job Training: 214 hours Classroom Training: 26 hours Additional Training: At training store Your ownership group and senior management staff will train for three weeks at our Shroom University training facility in Douglasville, Georgia prior to opening. When your store opens our training staff will assist you for a week prior to opening, and for two weeks after the opening. Shroom University offers a comprehensive program designed to teach you about the Front of House, Back of House, and Administrative aspects of running a Mellow Mushroom. You and your managers will learn how to make food, place orders, hire and retain personnel & maintain your POS system and mine the data it collects. A special emphasis is given to teaching you proven methods of supervising your store to decrease food and labor costs and increase cash flow. Quality control systems are also shared with you at Shroom University, and you will be provided with several financial and cost management spreadsheets.
Support Newsletter Meetings/Conventions Toll-Free Line Grand Opening Online Support Security/Safety Procedures Field Operations Site Selection Proprietary Software Franchisee Intranet Platform Members of our operations team will visit your store(s) to ensure that our standards and practices are being upheld. These visits are also opportunities for us to continue to train your staff and help train any new employees. Our operations team will also help you implement new initiatives that are developed in conjunction with the marketing department. Our marketing team will advise you on coordinating local promotions and create collection-wide campaigns in which your store can participate. The marketing team will also provide you with designs for business cards, banners, stickers, magnets, and spec ads for use in your local market.
Marketing Co-op Advertising Ad Templates National Media Regional Advertising Social media SEO Website development Email marketing Loyalty program/app -
Operations Absentee Ownership Allowed

Number of Employees Required to Run: 8 - 10

-

Expansion Plans

 
Pizza Factory Franchise
Mellow Mushroom Pizza Franchise
US Expansion --
Canada Expansion No-
International Expansion No-

Company Overviews

About Pizza Factory

Family owned and operated since its founding in 1979, Oakhurst, California-based Pizza Factory prepares pizzas, pasta, calzones and other favorites for its customers throughout the western United States and China. When Danny and Carol Wheeler opened the first restaurant near Yosemite National Park, it was called Danny's Red Devil Pizza. A name change and a few years later, the first franchise was opened with the help of Ron and Joyce Willey. Pizza Factory franchises are offered in three sizes - full, mid and express. Full and mid-sized restaurants can either stand-alone or operate within large strip and shopping centers. Express locations can operate within resorts, malls, convenience stores, gas stations and grocery stores.

Seeking new franchise units in the following states:
Arizona, California, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon and Washington

Veteran Incentives  25% off franchise fee
#268 in Franchise 500 for 2020.



About Mellow Mushroom Pizza

The Mellow Mushroom experience is unique in the restaurant industry. We have been operating outside the perimeters of traditional casual dining for over 30 years. As an owner, you are submersed into a world of boundless creativity. The brand allows for great expression and individuality. My Mellow Mushroom is successful because I serve Mellow Mushroom products in a restaurant that feels like it is my own. The atmosphere entices you to take pride in being a quality operator. Simply said, I want to be in my own Mellow Mushroom. It is the kind of place I want to hang out in. The culture and community are second only to the quality of food; and this is what sets us apart from other restaurants. There is no other Mellow like my Mellow. Congratulations! You are on your way to owning your slice of the pie! Owning and operating a Mellow Mushroom is an exciting, life-altering journey.

The total investment necessary to begin operation of a Mellow Mushroom restaurant franchise ranges from $1,624,000 to $2,391,000 if you lease shell premises for the Restaurant, from $1,624,000 to $2,591,000 if you lease premises for the Restaurant that must be retrofit, and from $2,824,000 to $4,498,000 if you buy the real estate upon which you will construct a new building for the Restaurant. This includes between $78,000 and $88,500 that must be paid to the franchisor or affiliate. If you want development rights, you must pay us a development fee equal to $50,000 (the initial franchise fee for the first Restaurant) plus a $25,000 deposit for each additional Restaurant’s initial franchise fee.
The total investment necessary to begin operation if you acquire development rights is $1,649,000 to $4,523,000 (depending on your real estate decision). This includes $78,000 to $113,500 that must be paid to the franchisor or affiliate.