Russo's Coal-Fired Italian Kitchen vs Orion Food Systems Franchise Comparison

Below is an in-depth analysis and side-by-side comparison of Russo's Coal-Fired Italian Kitchen vs Orion Food Systems 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
Orion Food Systems Franchise
Investment $295,000 - $750,000$59,500 - $140,000
Franchise Fee $49,500N/A
Royalty Fee 7%-
Advertising Fee 2%-
Year Founded 19921982
Year Franchised 19981993
Term Of Agreement 10 years+5-
Term Of Agreement 10 years+5-
Renewal Fee --


Business Experience Requirements

 
Russo's Coal-Fired Italian Kitchen Franchise
Orion Food Systems 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
Orion Food Systems Franchise
  In-House/3rd PartyIn-House/3rd Party
Franchise Fees -/YesNo/No
Start-up Costs -/YesNo/Yes
Equipment -/YesYes/Yes
Inventory -/YesNo/Yes
Receivables -/-No/No
Payroll -/YesNo/No

Training & Support

 
Russo's Coal-Fired Italian Kitchen Franchise
Orion Food Systems Franchise
Training 8 Week GM & Key Supervisor Training and Certification On-The-Job Training: 45 hours Classroom Training: 9.5 hours
Support - Ongoing Support Newsletter Toll-Free Line Grand Opening Security/Safety Procedures Field Operations Proprietary Software Franchisee Intranet Platform
Marketing - Ad Templates Regional Advertising Social media Email marketing Loyalty program/app
Operations On site pre and post opening training and operational support with quarterly QA Visits. Absentee Ownership Allowed Number of Employees Required to Run: 4 - 6

Expansion Plans

 
Russo's Coal-Fired Italian Kitchen Franchise
Orion Food Systems Franchise
US Expansion --
Canada Expansion --
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 Orion Food Systems

"Orion

Orion Food Systems franchises a variety of quick-service brands that place locations within nontraditional locations such as convenience stores, hospitals, colleges, sports arenas, shopping centers, airports and military bases. Brands include Hot Stuff Pizza, Gourmet Grub, Chopz, and Chix Chicken.

Franchisor is seeking new franchise units in the following regions/states:
Alaska, Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, North Carolina, North Dakota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, West Virginia, Wyoming

#228 in Franchise 500 for 2020.