Pizza Ranch vs Russo's Coal-Fired Italian Kitchen Franchise Comparison
Below is an in-depth analysis and side-by-side comparison of Pizza Ranch 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 |
Investment |
$769,200 - $3,459,498 | $295,000 - $750,000 |
Franchise Fee |
$30,000 | $49,500 |
Royalty Fee |
4% | 7% |
Advertising Fee |
2.25% | 2% |
Year Founded |
1981 | 1992 |
Year Franchised |
1984 | 1998 |
Term Of Agreement |
10 years | 10 years+5 |
Term Of Agreement |
10 years | 10 years+5 |
Renewal Fee |
$2500 | - |
Business Experience Requirements |
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 |
|
In-House/3rd Party | In-House/3rd Party |
Franchise Fees |
No/No | -/Yes |
Start-up Costs |
No/No | -/Yes |
Equipment |
No/No | -/Yes |
Inventory |
No/No | -/Yes |
Receivables |
No/No | -/- |
Payroll |
No/No | -/Yes |
Training & Support |
Training |
4-week manager training program. General managers/operators split their time between classroom training at our Restaurant Support Center in Orange City, IA and hands-on training at one of our training stores. In addition, a Pizza Ranch Store Opening Team provides pre-opening in-store training for your staff and will work with your team during and after the restaurant opening. | 8 Week GM & Key Supervisor Training and Certification |
Support |
- | - |
Marketing |
- | - |
Operations |
- | On site pre and post opening training and operational support with quarterly QA Visits. |
Expansion Plans |
US Expansion |
- | - |
Canada Expansion |
No | - |
International Expansion |
No | - |
Company Overviews
About Pizza Ranch
The Midwest is home to Pizza Ranch and we're proud of it. Every day, we provide an extraordinary opportunity for Pizza Ranch team members to contribute to the lives and communities we serve.
Successful Pizza Ranch owners may be a bit different from traditional franchising investors. In addition to operating a winning business concept, a Pizza Ranch operator/manager is connected personally to the community. It is part of who we are. Owning your own Pizza Ranch is about contributing to the local school system. It is about providing positive first-time work experience to area youth. It is about pitching in and helping with a fund raising drive. It is about the basics - trust, commitment, passion and a good old smile for everyone who comes in the door.
If a winning pizza restaurant franchise concept sounds good to you, you may find a welcome home at Pizza Ranch. You can own a business by buying a franchise with an outstanding track record.
Our expansion into new markets around the greater Midwest is opening up exciting new franchise opportunities. Becoming an owner/operator of a Pizza Ranch allows you to partner with an established brand, already strong with over 140 restaurants in 9 states.
* Start-up investment levels vary depending on the store profile; free-standing, ground-up building, retrofited structure, purchase of an existing store. Minimum liquid cash assets and financial net worth requirements are adjusted accordingly.
* Although not required, it is strongly recommended that the restaurant operator have an equity stake of the business/real estate.
The total investment necessary to begin operation of a Pizza Ranch®
franchise is from $769,200 to $1,840,750 if you lease or remodel your
Restaurant and $1,794,500 to $2,624,500 if you build a new Restaurant.
The total investment necessary to begin operation of a Pizza Ranch®
franchise is from $1,257,198 to $2,542,748 if you lease or remodel your
Restaurant equipped with a FunZone and $2,352,498 to $3,459,498 if you
build a new Restaurant equipped with a FunZone. This includes $44,500
that must be paid to the franchisor or their affiliate.
#170 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.