Russo’s New York Pizzeria & Italian Kitchen

About Russo’s New York Pizzeria & Italian Kitchen

Founded in New Jersey by Anthony Russo as Russo’s Pizza in the 1980s, the first Russo’s New York Pizzeria & Italian Kitchen opened in Texas in 1992. It now has around 54 locations (seven corporate-owned and the rest franchised) in the US and seven abroad, in Dubai and Saudi Arabia, in partnership with 27 franchisees, but is looking to expand into the UK and Europe. In April 2022, it signed a five-unit deal in Qatar, in time for the FIFA World Cup to be held there later this year. Russo said: “We’re thrilled to grow our international footprint and showcase our elevated fast casual dining experience in Qatar, an incredibly exciting global market that I have become very fond of. Opening just ahead of the World Cup is the perfect opportunity to grow brand awareness among an influential, global audience.”

Why franchise with Russo’s New York Pizzeria & Italian Kitchen

• ✓Russo is seeking global franchise partners, specifically entrepreneurs interested in proven brands that are entirely chef created and chef driven. Several floorplan options provide flexible design and layout choices, spanning from pizza and delivery only to fast casual, full-service dining and full-service with coal oven and elevated interiors. It offers franchises in four different concepts – full-service restaurant, fast casual restaurant, take-out and delivery only and ghost kitchen or food hall. The full-service restaurants are flexible in design and layout also have an upscale version, Russo’s Coal-Fired, which prepares brick oven pizzas. Fast casual offers counter service for dine-in, take-out, delivery and catering. Take-out and delivery concepts start out at $195,000, while ghost kitchens are low-cost investment concepts requiring no more than 800 square feet. The company say its average unit volume is $1.065m, with 19.2% average net income, 22.5% average food costs and 23% average labour costs. Unit range is 1,500-3,000 square feet, with single and multi-unit options available at a start-up cost range of $480,000-$750,000. The process is application, discovery day, qualifying, franchise disclosure, location search, build-out, training and development and grand opening. No previous experience is needed, and franchisees will undergo an extensive four to six-week training programme. Ideally, the company is looking for candidates to purchase five or more-unit deals in a regional area, for which franchisees must have $2,000,000 in liquid capital and be ready to make a full-time commitment. The company said: “Our franchise family is growing. Russo’s provides a great franchise opportunity with low investment entry points and exceptional returns We are constantly expanding into new markets, meaning new franchise opportunities. We want the passion of our franchisees to match our passion for food.” Average unit volume sits at $1.1 million to $1.2 million, and labour costs sit at 27%. Franchisees train up to six weeks at the home store, where they learn the difference between cheaper products and the high-end products Russo's uses “so the franchisee can be proud of what they serve”. Everything is made from scratch, and Russo's doesn't utilise a commissary.