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Updated RecentlyLaRosa's vs Cottage Inn Pizza Franchise Comparison
Below is an in-depth analysis and side-by-side comparison of LaRosa's vs Cottage Inn Pizza including start-up costs and fees, business experience requirements, training & support and financing options.
Start-Up Costs and Fees |
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| Investment | $729,200 - $1,927,000 | $200,000 - $350,000 |
| Franchise Fee | $35,000 | $15,000 |
| Royalty Fee | 4% | 5% |
| Advertising Fee | 4% | 3% |
| Year Founded | 1954 | 1948 |
| Year Franchised | 1967 | 1986 |
| Term Of Agreement | 10 years | - |
| Term Of Agreement | 10 years | - |
| Renewal Fee | - | - |
Business Experience Requirements |
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| Experience | We're looking for multi-unit foodservice and retail operators, as well as other investors who have a history of business success. While restaurant experience is preferred, franchise candidates with other professional backgrounds are encouraged to apply, but will be required to employ experienced and qualified restaurant operators as a General Manager in each LaRosa's Pizzeria. | A minimum net worth of $100,000 A minimum of $60,000 in liquid assets or financing or a combination thereof Five Star Customer Service for staff and customers alike Product Quality — using only approved ingredients and the amounts set forth by the Cottage Inn Standard Operating Procedures Professional Image — uniforms should be clean and pressed, and employees should be well-groomed at all times. The Right Personality As a member of the food service industry, our franchisees must have the right personality, too. We look for clean-cut professionals who will take pride in being a Cottage Inn franchisee. We also look for candidates who are strong leaders, can motivate a staff, and treat customers with the utmost care and respect. In the food service industry, it’s important that your store pass the white glove test every day. Safety is always a concern when it comes to proper food handling. To be a successful Cottage Inn franchisee you must also understand profit and loss statements. You need to input tools to measure your expenses on an on-going basis. We lay out what has been successful for Cottage Inn throughout our corporate stores and we want to make sure each franchisee who joins the Cottage Inn family follows the same equation to success. |
Financing Options |
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| In-House/3rd Party | In-House/3rd Party | |
| Franchise Fees | -/- | -/- |
| Start-up Costs | -/- | -/- |
| Equipment | -/- | -/- |
| Inventory | -/- | -/- |
| Receivables | -/- | -/- |
| Payroll | -/- | -/- |
Training & Support |
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| Training | On-The-Job Training: 280-320 hours Classroom Training: 40-80 hours | Cottage Inn offers a world-class training program On-The-Job Training: 240 hours Classroom Training: 6 hours |
| Support | Newsletter Meetings/Conventions Toll-Free Line Grand Opening Online Support Security/Safety Procedures Field Operations Site Selection Proprietary Software Franchisee Intranet Platform | On-going support to keep your store running successfully and smoothly. We want you to succeed, which is why we offer our support and advice gained from years of experience in the pizza industry. We’ve been in the business since 1948 and operate 40 locations in two states, so it’s safe to say we know how to run a business. 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 | Ad Templates Regional Advertising Social media SEO Website development Email marketing Loyalty program/app | We collaborate with a digital marketing agency to help make Cottage Inn the top-ranked pizza company in relevant markets across Michigan, Ohio and Indiana. Cottage Inn employs an in-house creative team and offsite agency to produce a myriad of digital marketing vehicles, including e-blasts, mobile CRM, social media (Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, FourSquare, Instagram). We also leverage traditional print solutions such as bulk mail menus, EDDM (every day direct mail) cards, magnets, box toppers and door hangers. We also invest in branding the Cottage Inn name, making us more desirable across all relevant markets. Cottage Inn is the Preferred Pizza Provider at MIS (Michigan International Speedway) where we serve over 100,000 guests at NASCAR events and the Country Music Festival. Cottage Inn engages franchisees in strategic marketing meetings to receive their input on marketing campaigns and new product development. We also help franchisees market their specific stores via community fairs, business expos, entertainment venues and more. We are family first at Cottage Inn, having been owned by the same family for over 65 years! How we market each of our franchises: Dynamic corporate website with pages dedicated to each franchise location Convenient online ordering A loyalty program to attract and retain customers Mobile marketing to engage with the on-the-go world E-marketing to offer the best deals to our dedicated customers Traditional print marketing menus, direct mail, door hangers, box toppers, magnets and specialty pieces Social media to engage our most dedicated consumers. Branding by way of special event sponsorships |
| Operations | If you have restaurant management experience, you may wish to work day to day in the operation of your LaRosa's pizzeria. If you don't have restaurant management experience or choose not to work day to day in the operation of your LaRosa's pizzeria, an experienced restaurant General Manager must be hired to run day to day operations. | Cottage Inn maintains control of its product and distribution by operating a 22,000 square foot commissary in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Fresh products are delivered weekly and our warehouse staff is always on call in case of emergency. Cottage Inn produces fresh dough daily. For locations more than 200 miles away from Ann Arbor, we encourage and assist franchisees with setting up their own dough production. This assures a fresh, high-quality product and will help you secure a customer for life. Absentee Ownership Allowed Number of Employees Required to Run: 15 |
Expansion Plans |
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| US Expansion | - | Yes |
| Canada Expansion | - | Yes |
| International Expansion | - | - |
Company Overviews
About LaRosa's
A Successful Brand with Proven Guest Appeal and Consistent Sales Since 1954. That's what makes us LaRosa's!
In the restaurant business, somebody is always trying to franchise "the next big thing." No doubt you've seen dozens of them come and go. Doesn't it make more sense to find a stable and rewarding business concept with a strong track record?
Take a closer look at franchising with LaRosa's. For nearly 60 years, we've offered delicious family-recipe food and great service to Guests in Ohio, Indiana, and Kentucky. Now we're looking to expand outside our Midwestern home with the help of smart Franchise Owners like you.
One of our principal strengths is that we've been in business nearly 60 years, providing great food and service to our Guests. Our first franchised pizzeria opened in 1967. Not many franchises out there can say that.
Five more reasons why franchisees join our family...
*Dependable Growth
*Product Quality
*Dedicated Fans
*Innovation
*Superior Training
Our over 75 outlets serve real Italian flavor from real family recipes. Contact us to get started.
Seeking new franchise units in Indiana, Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia
About Cottage Inn Pizza
At Cottage Inn we believe that if you're going to craft a pizza, it should be to a
certain degree of perfection and that you should never skimp on the
quality of your ingredients. It's these two simple statements that drive
our process for constructing truly gourmet pizzas.