Start a Straw Hat Pizza Franchise in 2025

2025 Franchise 500 Rank: N/R Ranked #395 last year

Initial investment: $166K - $1.7M

Units as of 2024: 27 0.0% over 3 years

Straw Hat Pizza opened its doors in 1959, and now the company has over 20 locations in the southwestern part of the United States. Straw Hat Pizza strives to serve customers food that is wholesome and satisfying. They also try to make locations a fun and upbeat atmosphere where customers can eat and have fun.

Many locations feature an arcade room and big-screen TVs. These additions may help draw in families and provide everyone with entertainment.

Why You May Want To Start a Straw Hat Pizza Franchise

A Straw Hat Pizza franchisee does not need previous experience in the restaurant industry, though it may help with day-to-day operations. Franchisees with Straw Hat Pizza may need proven customer service skills and know-how to provide the best experience possible to customers. Franchisees should have good time management skills, proven leadership skills, and be willing to adapt.

Franchisees are expected to create a positive atmosphere in the restaurant for customers and the team they lead. However, you may be able to run your Straw Hat Pizza location as an absentee owner, potentially increasing your flexibility as a business owner.

Opening a Straw Hat Pizza franchise may offer a more predictable outcome than investing in a completely new brand that could struggle to thrive in an already crowded and competitive industry.

What Might Make a Straw Hat Pizza Franchise a Good Choice?

Straw Hat Pizza could offer franchisees more than one revenue stream. For example, Straw Hat Pizza may offer dine-in, pickup, delivery, online ordering, beer and wine, catering, a food truck, and a party room. The company also has vegan and gluten-free menu options for customers who need them. By utilizing these different services, franchisees may find themselves able to diversify revenue.

To be part of the Straw Hat Pizza team, you should make sure you're financially ready for an initial investment made up of a franchise fee and other startup costs. In addition, you should prepare yourself for ongoing fees that will include advertising, royalty, and potential renewal fees. Franchisees will also need to meet the company's set net worth and liquid capital requirements.

How to Open a Straw Hat Pizza Franchise

Before making any financial commitment or signing an agreement, you must perform your due diligence and establish if this is the right opportunity for you. As part of your due diligence, you may want to speak to existing franchisees and ask the Straw Hat Pizza franchising team questions.

Potential franchisees may be invited to participate in a Straw Hat Pizza discovery day. The franchisee will tour one of the Straw Hat Pizza locations to see behind the scenes and get a feel for the company.

If awarded a franchise, franchisees will then take part in a multi-week training program before they open their Straw Hat Pizza location. During your first week of operation, Straw Hat Pizza will send staff to help train the new staff. Franchisees will be able to contact team members for additional support as needed.

Company Overview

About Straw Hat Pizza

Industry	Food
Related Categories	Pizza
Founded	1959
Parent Company	Straw Hat Restaurants Inc.
Leadership	Sal Listek, Board Chair
Corporate Address	11501 Dublin Blvd., #200 Dublin, CA 94568
Social	Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube

Business Overview

Franchising Since	1969 (56 years)
# of employees at HQ	3
Where seeking	This company is offering new franchises in the following US states: Arizona, California, Nevada, Oregon
# of Units	27 (as of 2024)

Information for Franchisees

Here's what you need to know if you're interested in opening a Straw Hat Pizza franchise.

Financial Requirements & Ongoing Fees

Here's what you can expect to spend to start the business and what ongoing fees the franchisor charges throughout the life of the business.

Initial Franchise Fee Definition: The initial fee paid to a franchisor to join their system What you need to know: Found in Item 5 of the FDD, this may be a flat fee, or may vary based on territory size, experience, or other factors.The franchise fee is an up-front (one-time) cost that a new franchisee pays to the franchisor. This fee is usually due at the signing of the franchise agreement and covers the right to use the franchisor's trademarks, name, and related business systems.	$20,000
Initial Investment Definition: The total amount necessary to begin operation of the franchise What you need to know: The initial investment includes the franchise fee, along with other startup expenses such as real estate, equipment, supplies, business licenses, and working capital. This is outlined in a chart in Item 7 of the FDD, showing a range of possible costs from low to high.	$165,500 - $1,662,000
Net Worth Requirement Definition: The minimum net worth you must have in order to qualify to become a franchisee of this company What you need to know: Net worth is the value of a person's assets minus liabilities. Assets include cash, stocks, retirement accounts, and real estate. Liabilities include items like mortgages, car payments, and credit card debt.	$500,000
Cash Requirement Definition: The minimum liquid capital you must have available in order to qualify to become a franchisee of this company.	$250,000
Veteran Incentives Definition: A discount or other incentive offered to military veterans who buy a franchise with this company.	$5,000 off franchise fee
Royalty Fee Definition: A ongoing fee paid to the franchisor on a regular basis. What you need to know: Most franchisors require franchisees to pay an ongoing royalty fee, which is detailed in Item 6 of the FDD. This fee is typically a percentage of weekly or monthly gross sales, but may also be a flat weekly, monthly, or annual fee.	4%
Ad Royalty Fee Definition: An going fee paid to the franchisor on a regular basis to support advertising or marketing efforts. What you need to know: This may also be called advertising fee, marketing fee, brand fund fee, and more, but the basic purpose is the same-- to support promotion of the brand systemwide. As with the royalty fee, it is detailed in Item 6 of the FDD, and can be a percentage of weekly or monthly gross sales or a weekly, monthly, or annual fee.	1%
Term of Agreement Definition: The length of time your franchise agreement will last. What you need to know: Franchise terms are typically anywhere from 5 to 20 years in length, but are sometimes instead dependent on factors such as the term of your lease. Once your term is up, you may have the option to renew your agreement, typically for a smaller fee than the original franchise fee.	10 years
Is franchise term renewable?	Yes

Financing Options

Some franchisors offer in-house financing, while others have relationships with third-party financing sources to which they refer qualified franchisees.

Third Party Financing	Straw Hat Pizza has relationships with third-party sources which offer financing to cover the following: startup costs, equipment

Training & Support Offered

Franchisors offer initial training programs and a variety of ongoing support options to help franchisees run their businesses.

On-The-Job Training	110 hours
Classroom Training	70 hours
Ongoing Support	Purchasing Co-ops Meetings & Conventions Toll-Free Line Grand Opening Online Support Security & Safety Procedures Field Operations Site Selection Franchisee Intranet Platform
Marketing Support	Ad Templates Regional Advertising Social Media SEO Website Development Email Marketing

Operations

Additional details about running this franchise.

Is absentee ownership allowed?	No
Can this franchise be run from home/mobile unit? Definition: The business can be run from your home and/or a vehicle, and it is not necessary to have a retail facility, office space, or warehouse.	No
Can this franchise be run part time? Definition: This business can be run by the owner on a part-time basis (less than 40 hours per week) and/or as a side business; it is not necessary for the business to be open/run full-time.	Yes
# of employees required to run	20-20
Are exclusive territories available? Definition: An exclusive territory is a fixed area in which you are given the right to operate and in which no other units of the same franchise may be opened. What you need to know: Territory size may be based on factors such as radius, population size, zip codes, and more. Details can be found in Item 12 of the FDD.	Yes