Russo's Coal-Fired Italian Kitchen vs Famoso Neapolitan Pizzeria Franchise Comparison

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

Start-Up Costs and Fees

 
Russo's Coal-Fired Italian Kitchen Franchise
Famoso Neapolitan Pizzeria Franchise
Investment $295,000 - $750,000$503,000 - $609,000
Franchise Fee $49,500$30,000
Royalty Fee 7%6%
Advertising Fee 2%2%
Year Founded 19922007
Year Franchised 19982009
Term Of Agreement 10 years+5-
Term Of Agreement 10 years+5-
Renewal Fee --


Business Experience Requirements

 
Russo's Coal-Fired Italian Kitchen Franchise
Famoso Neapolitan Pizzeria Franchise
Experience No Restaurant experience necessary but helpful Minimum financials are $175K to $400K in investment capital and a $600K to $1.0MM net worthFamoso actively seeks individuals who have the potential to be great partners. Our franchisees should have personal financial qualifications, individual motivation, a track record for success, and a passion for the service industry.

Financing Options

 
Russo's Coal-Fired Italian Kitchen Franchise
Famoso Neapolitan Pizzeria Franchise
  In-House/3rd PartyIn-House/3rd Party
Franchise Fees -/Yes-/-
Start-up Costs -/Yes-/-
Equipment -/Yes-/-
Inventory -/Yes-/-
Receivables -/--/-
Payroll -/Yes-/-

Training & Support

 
Russo's Coal-Fired Italian Kitchen Franchise
Famoso Neapolitan Pizzeria Franchise
Training 8 Week GM & Key Supervisor Training and CertificationThe first week we take you to Naples, Italy for an opportunity to visit real Neapolitan pizzerias, taste authentic pizza, visit some of our ingredient suppliers, and learn about Neapolitan culture. We then put you and your management team (3 people) through 5-7 weeks of one-on-one training in one of our locations.
Support -Location, location, location! Famoso works exclusively with our commercial real estate teams to secure top quality sites across the country. Our real estate teams know the Famoso brand well, and know what demographics, neighborhoods, and trade areas fit our brand. They represent us with pride and dignity when dealing with landlords; which strengthens our relationships and reputation. This works to our franchisees benefit, which is evident in our solid base of existing locations. We make ourselves available for questions and requests. We also focus on maintaining consistency in our branding, food, and service between stores. We base Famoso's success on our reputation, and we work hard to ensure all Famoso's are upholding this reputation. Famoso has negotiated contracts with suppliers to ensure that each pizzeria receives the same products at competitive pricing. Furthermore, the systems and tools used by Famoso ensure accurate inventory levels, freshly and properly prepared ingredients, and consistent recipes.
Marketing -Famoso develops and executes strategies that will make our pizzerias busier. Franchisees' ability to execute in-store strategies also has a significant impact on the level of success of each franchise.
Operations On site pre and post opening training and operational support with quarterly QA Visits.-

Expansion Plans

 
Russo's Coal-Fired Italian Kitchen Franchise
Famoso Neapolitan Pizzeria Franchise
US Expansion -No
Canada Expansion -Yes
International Expansion --

Company Overviews

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.

About Famoso Neapolitan Pizzeria

Famoso Neapolitan Pizzeria was founded on the passion for authentic, fire-roasted pizzas from Naples, Italy. Naples is the birthplace of pizza, where eating a margherita pizza is a daily ritual and where culinary traditions in pizza making have gone unchanged for 200 years. Whether you eat it on the streets of Naples, or inside Famoso Neapolitan Pizzeria, experiencing authentic Neapolitan pizza is an unforgettable experience. Our concept is a licensed fast casual pizzeria that offers authentic Neapolitan pizzas, fresh salads, espresso and gelato/desserts in a counter-ordering format with added service. Our room boasts atmosphere and style allowing for a comfortable meal whether it's a quick lunch or a wine-filled evening. What makes our pizzas unique to North America is our passionate adherence to the strict standards of the Associazone Verace Pizza Napoletana, a Naples-based organization dedicated to preserving the standards of authentic pizza. We import our flour and tomatoes from Naples, and every pizza is topped with fior-di-latte(fresh whole milk mozzarella). After being cooked in our 900 degree fire oven for 90 seconds, the final product becomes a thin-crust pizza that cannot be compared to any pizza available on the market today. It is light, both soft and crispy and because of the low levels of gluten in the flour, allows you to digest and feel great. Some of our pizzas combine the dough and cooking technique of Naples with some non-Italian flavours, which appeals to a broad spectrum of customers. Igniting the passion - Our franchisee trips to Naples Famoso is not just another pizza place. Our identity is so tied to authenticity, that it's difficult to open multiple locations with multiple franchisees without dedicating some time to experiencing authenticity first hand. That is why we take all of our franchisees to Naples, Italy for a week to eat real Napoletana pizza in 120 -year old pizzerias and experience the vibrant culture of Naples. Italians are very passionate and proud of their culinary history, and it's important for North Americans to adopt this passion - especially if we're representing their food to the world. Our visits to local farmers, local pizzeria owners, and some of our actual suppliers, give us knowledge and appreciation for the art of Neapolitan pizza.