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 |
Investment |
$295,000 - $750,000 | $59,500 - $140,000 |
Franchise Fee |
$49,500 | N/A |
Royalty Fee |
7% | - |
Advertising Fee |
2% | - |
Year Founded |
1992 | 1982 |
Year Franchised |
1998 | 1993 |
Term Of Agreement |
10 years+5 | - |
Term Of Agreement |
10 years+5 | - |
Renewal Fee |
- | - |
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 |
-/Yes | No/No |
Start-up Costs |
-/Yes | No/Yes |
Equipment |
-/Yes | Yes/Yes |
Inventory |
-/Yes | No/Yes |
Receivables |
-/- | No/No |
Payroll |
-/Yes | No/No |
Training & Support |
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 |
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 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.