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3. Papa Murphy’s (Ranked #32 in Entrepreneur Magazine’s Top 5oo Franchises of 2011)
What makes this pizza franchise different?
- The Papa Murphy’s pizza franchise is unique because it’s a pure take-out operation, with no baking done in the store. Customers take home a freshly prepared — but uncooked — pizza and they bake the pizza at home.
- This pizza franchise is easier to run and requires less investment because there’s no pizza delivery, no ovens, and no dine-in component.
What are the financial requirements to become a franchisee?
- Minimum net worth of $250,000
- Liquid assets of $80,000 (cash, stocks, secured equity)
- Ability to obtain financing as needed
What are the non-financial requirements to become a franchisee?
- Commitment to being a full-time, active owner-operator
- Strong customer service skills and being a “people person”
What is the initial franchise fee?
- $25,000
What is the monthly royalty fee?
- 5% of net sales
What is the required contribution to advertising?
- No information available.
What is the total initial investment?
- The total initial investment for a Papa Murphy’s pizza franchise ranges from $195,000 to $380,000.
What is the size of an average store?
- No specific information is available but since this is a take-out concept with no in-store baking required, the retail space needed is much smaller than a traditional pizza franchise restaurant.
Does the owner need to be the operator?
- Yes, the owner of a Papa Murphy’s pizza franchise must be a full-time, hands-on owner-operator.
How long is the training period?
- 1 week of classroom training at the corporate office in Vancouver, WA and hands-on training at a certified local training store (unspecified length).
Bottomline: The Papa Murphy’s pizza franchise is the best choice for an owner-operator who’d like to run a very streamlined and manageable pizza take-out business, with no delivery and no baking, and whose budget is on the lower end.
- The Cici’s Pizza Buffet franchise is a one-of-a-kind pizza concept that serves unlimited pizza, pasta, salads, and desserts in a buffet format — all for under $5 per person (childeren under 3 eat for free), although prices may vary per location.
- In addition to the buffet, Cici’s Pizza restaurants have a takeout counter where customers can pick up pizzas, wings, dippin’ sticks, cinnamon rolls and soda by calling ahead of time. Or they can simply walk in and choose from a limited takeout menu featuring all the favorites, which are always ready to go — no waiting necessary.
- This is a pizza franchise that emphasizes providing great customer service and cultivating a welcoming atmosphere for all guests.
What are the financial requirements to become a franchisee?
- The franchisee must have sufficient cash equal to at least 30% of the total initial investment to be able to finance the remainder.
What are the non-financial requirements to become a franchisee?
- A Cici’s Pizza owner-operator shall serve as the restaurant’s General Manager who works at the store full-time, with no other business interests that will detract from this role.
- The owner-operator must be service oriented, a good communicator, and have a successful business track record. This person must have high energy and sufficient physical stamina to keep going in this fast moving environment.
What is the initial franchise fee?
- The initial franchise fee for a Cici’s Pizza franchise is $30,000.
What is the monthly royalty fee?
- The first $28,850 of weekly gross sales is subject to a royalty of 4%.
- The incremental weekly gross sales from $28,851 to $33,650 is subject to a royalty of 5%.
- The incremental weekly gross sales from $33,651 to $38,450 is subject a royalty of 5.5%
- The incremental weekly gross sales over $38,450 is subject to a royalty of 6%
What is the required contribution to advertising?
- Each franchise is required to contribute $2,300 or 3% of gross sales per month, whichever is greater, to a general advertising fund.
- Upon written notice from the franchisor, the franchisee must spend up to 2% of gross sales each month on local advertising.
What is the total initial investment?
- The total initial investment for a Cici’s Pizza franchise ranges from $461,343 to $714,912.
What is the size of an average store?
- The average Cici’s Pizza franchise restaurant runs from around 3,600 to 4,000 square feet, with roughly 160 seats.
Does the owner need to be the operator?
- No. An investor can team up with an operator who will run the daily operations. The Cici’s Pizza corporate office can assist in finding a suitable operator.
How long is the training period?
- The training period for a Cici’s Pizza franchise ranges from 8 to 12 weeks.
Bottomline: The Cici’s Pizza Buffet franchise is ideal for someone who’d like to own a traditional restaurant with a novel concept (pizza buffet) that stands out from other pizza chains, and can afford the larger initial investment.
Click here to read Part 1
Click here to read my review of Red Brick Pizza
Click here to read my review of Toppers Pizza
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