California Pizza Kitchen vs Toppers Pizza Franchise Comparison

Below is an in-depth analysis and side-by-side comparison of California Pizza Kitchen vs Toppers Pizza including start-up costs and fees, business experience requirements, training & support and financing options.

Start-Up Costs and Fees
	California Pizza Kitchen Franchise	Toppers Pizza Franchise
Investment	N/A	$292,146 - $530,652
Franchise Fee	N/A	$30,000
Royalty Fee	-	5.5%
Advertising Fee	-	3%
Year Founded	1985	1991
Year Franchised	0	2000
Term Of Agreement	-	-
Term Of Agreement	-	-
Renewal Fee	-	-
Business Experience Requirements
	California Pizza Kitchen Franchise	Toppers Pizza Franchise
Experience	* Proven track record in the restaurant industry * Current ownership of multiple restaurants with an established infrastructure, preferably full service U.S. brands * Previous franchise restaurant experience * Strong knowledge of market trends, real estate, governmental issues, distribution and labor * Minimum of $5 Million total net worth * Minimum of $2 Million cash available for investment * Franchise partner must have the resources and be willing to send multiple managers and several key restaurant employees to California for a 3 month training program. * All minimum requirements are subject to California Pizza Kitchen's collective evaluation of the potential franchise partner If you feel you meet the initial criteria and are interested in franchise opportunities, please tell us more about yourself and your company in the following preliminary application.	Single Unit: Liquidity: $150,000 Net Worth: $400,000 Multi-Unit (3-5 units): Liquidity: $300,000-$500,000 Net Worth: $750,000-$1,000,000 To open a Toppers franchise, you must have what it takes to make the initial investment or partner with someone who does. Those who qualify may be eligible for a reduced initial franchise fee through our association with the VetFran program. Average Square Footage: 1,200-1,800 sq ft (1,500 is optimal) Our flexible footprint makes finding a spot to locate extra easy, whether it's an endcap, in-line or freestanding location.
Financing Options
	California Pizza Kitchen Franchise	Toppers Pizza Franchise
	In-House/3rd Party	In-House/3rd Party
Franchise Fees	-/-	-/Yes
Start-up Costs	-/-	-/Yes
Equipment	-/-	-/Yes
Inventory	-/-	-/Yes
Receivables	-/-	-/Yes
Payroll	-/-	-/Yes
Training & Support
	California Pizza Kitchen Franchise	Toppers Pizza Franchise
Training	-	30 days at a Training Store in person and hands-on Training and Marketing teams on-site prior/during/after opening On-The-Job Training: 188 hours Classroom Training: 18 hours
Support	-	Franchise Business Leader support Corporate HQ team support Purchasing Co-ops Newsletter Meetings/Conventions Toll-Free Line Grand Opening Online Support Security/Safety Procedures Field Operations Site Selection Proprietary Software Franchisee Intranet Platform
Marketing	-	Co-op Advertising Ad Templates National Media Regional Advertising Social media SEO Website development Email marketing Loyalty program/app
Operations	-	We work on an owner/operator franchise system where at least one partner must be involved full-time in day-to-day operations. You won't be able to resist anyway.
Expansion Plans
	California Pizza Kitchen Franchise	Toppers Pizza Franchise
US Expansion	-	-
Canada Expansion	-	-
International Expansion	-	-

Company Overviews

About California Pizza Kitchen

Unlike most fast-food chains, all American locations are owned and operated by California Pizza Kitchen, as opposed to franchise owners. If you want to buy a California Pizza Kitchen for yourself, you’ll have to buy it overseas and run a company that already owns full-service restaurant chains. 

California Pizza Kitchen is a leader in authentic California-style cuisine both domestically and internationally. Our diverse menu items from Kung Pao Spaghetti to Tostada Pizza provide an assortment of worldly flavors. In 1998, the first international CPK opened, beginning the company's global expansion. CPK is now considering additional expansion opportunities in select markets with experienced restaurant franchisees.
California Pizza Kitchen is always looking for passionate, experienced partners to help us expand into new markets as we continue to grow our worldwide brand. We provide best-in-class training and development in all areas of our business in addition to on-the-ground support.
 
International Franchising Requirements
 * Proven track record in the restaurant industry
 * Current ownership of multiple restaurants with an established infrastructure, preferably full service U.S. brands
 * Previous franchise restaurant experience
 * Strong knowledge of market trends, real estate, governmental issues, distribution and labor
 * Minimum of $5 Million total net worth
 * Minimum of $2 Million cash available for investment
 * Franchise partner must have the resources and be willing to send multiple managers and several key restaurant employees to California for a 3 month training program.
 * All minimum requirements are subject to California Pizza Kitchen's collective evaluation of the potential franchise partner

About Toppers Pizza

In 1991, Toppers Pizza began its quest to become the best pizza company in the world by killing it on every detail of the customer experience. Headquartered in Whitewater, Wis., Toppers Pizza takes a unique approach to the crowded pizza segment by cooking up mouthwatering specialty pizzas that start with their fresh, made-from-scratch dough, smothered in real Wisconsin cheese and finished with outrageous toppings such as French fried onions, oven-roasted tomatoes, mac 'n cheese and tater tots. Toppers Pizza's claim to fame comes in the form of Topperstix, arguably the planet's most addictively delicious cheesy breadstix. The Toppers Pizza empire encompasses over 60 restaurants across 10 states and, with its rapid expansion, is in the midst of Midwest and national domination. In 2014, Entrepreneur Magazine ranked Toppers Pizza as one of the top 500 franchises in the U.S and QSR Magazine listed the company as one of the year's Best Franchise Deals. In 2013, Nation's Restaurant News declared the Toppers Pizza brand as one of the 50 breakout chains of the year and Toppers Pizza received a No. 58 spot in Pizza Today's top 100 pizza companies.

Seeking new franchise units in Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota and Wisconsin