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

Below is an in-depth analysis and side-by-side comparison of Russo's Coal-Fired Italian Kitchen vs Gabriel Pizza 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
Gabriel Pizza Franchise
Investment $295,000 - $750,000$200,000 - $800,000
Franchise Fee $49,500$25,000
Royalty Fee 7%-
Advertising Fee 2%-
Year Founded 19921977
Year Franchised 19982002
Term Of Agreement 10 years+5-
Term Of Agreement 10 years+5-
Renewal Fee --


Business Experience Requirements
 
Russo's Coal-Fired Italian Kitchen Franchise
Gabriel Pizza 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
 
Russo's Coal-Fired Italian Kitchen Franchise
Gabriel Pizza 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
Gabriel Pizza Franchise
Training 8 Week GM & Key Supervisor Training and Certification6 weeks
Support --
Marketing --
Operations On site pre and post opening training and operational support with quarterly QA Visits.-

Expansion Plans
 
Russo's Coal-Fired Italian Kitchen Franchise
Gabriel Pizza Franchise
US Expansion --
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 Gabriel Pizza

Founder & CEO Michael Hanna immigrated from Lebanon in 1968.   In the mid-70s, Mike set aside enough funds to have his parents George and Shafika, along with his five brothers, George, John, Nick, Eli, and Joe, to join him in Ottawa. Gabriel Pizza offers a proven method of building successful and profitable franchises in the pizza industry. Gabriel Pizza has been a category leader in the National Capital Region of Canada since 1977. We boast a successful line of award winning products, service and a quality brand to stand behind it all. The Gabriel Pizza order desk and centralized ordering system (310-7777) offers superior service, efficiency, error reduction, and sales forecasting. Most importantly, we offer you a quality brand and a corporate team with the knowledge and know-how to help in your success. Our Recipe for Success 1) Service, product quality and innovation will always outweigh low prices. 2) Public opinion and customer loyalty are the ultimate form of advertising. 3) The franchisee is only as strong as his/her support system. 4) Be a leader. Support the community that supports you. 5) Never cut corners when it comes to quality and service. These 5 points are fundamental to the way we operate and have been the foundation for our success over the past five decades.