Start a Pizza Schmizza Franchise in 2024

Franchise 500 Rank: N/R Not ranked last year

Initial investment: $204K - $592K

Units as of 2024: 16 30% over 3 years

Bringing New York Style pizza to locations across the country is Pizza Schmizza’s mission. The company aims to provide a welcoming and eclectic atmosphere with an extensive list of interesting and unique pizza combinations. Think alligator pie, steak and potato, even "schpagetti" and meatball.

Different decor may be found in every location, and yet they all are expected to have the same welcoming atmosphere that the company describes with words like serious, happy, edgy, and irreverent. Locations offer many different spins on what may make a fun visit, such as “Pub and Grub” locations and patios that allow dogs. They also always look to have coloring activities for younger guests.

Since beginning to franchise in 2002, Pizza Schmizza has opened over 20 locations throughout the United States.

Why You May Want To Start a Pizza Schmizza Franchise

If you are someone who is looking to sell delicious pizzas, then opening a Pizza Schmizza location may be a desirable move for you. A large part of owning a Pizza Schmizza franchise is gaining catering contracts, and providing excellent services so that consumers return time and time again. Someone who enjoys the marketing aspect of owning a business may find particular interest in the day-to-day activities of a Pizza Schmizza franchisee.

Owners who like to be the face of their business may be interested, as the atmosphere of Pizza Schmizza relies on this trait. In order to provide the best customer service and ensure excellence in their product, franchisees should be willing and able to train their staff to excellence in order to meet customer expectations every day.

What Might Make Pizza Schmizza a Good Choice?

Pizza Schmizza was founded with the goal of “world domination,” which describes its willingness to bring Pizza Schmizza franchises to most areas around the world. This could be a great company to bring to your area if you appreciate unique pizza combinations and menu choices, combined with a fun atmosphere.

To be part of the Pizza Schmizza 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 fees and royalty fees. Franchisees will also need to meet the company’s set net worth and liquid capital requirements.

How To Open a Pizza Schmizza Franchise

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

If you're determined to be a good fit after filling out an application, you may be asked to visit company headquarters in Salem, Oregon. There, you'll get to tour multiple Pizza Schmizza locations as you discuss logistics with the franchising team.

If you're awarded a franchise, franchisees receive a great deal of support from the Pizza Schmizza brand throughout the process. In addition to pre-opening training, franchisees receive support through brand awareness, marketing, research, and construction. They also receive hands-on training and continued support after their franchise location has opened.

Company Overview

About Pizza Schmizza

Industry	Food
Related Categories	Pizza
Founded	1993
Parent Company	Schmizza International Inc
Leadership	Ron Berger, Chairman/CEO
Corporate Address	1500 Liberty St., SE #160 Salem, OR 97302
Social	Facebook, Twitter, Instagram

Business Overview

Franchising Since	2002 (22 years)
# of employees at HQ	9
Where seeking	This company is offering new franchises worldwide. This company is offering new franchises in the following US states: California, Illinois, Kentucky, Maine, North Carolina, Nebraska, Oregon, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Washington, Wisconsin
# of Units	16 (as of 2024)

Information for Franchisees

Here's what you need to know if you're interested in opening a Pizza Schmizza 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.	$39,000
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.	$203,500 - $591,500
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.	$250,000
Cash Requirement Definition: The minimum liquid capital you must have available in order to qualify to become a franchisee of this company.	$250,000
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.	6%
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.	3%
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	Pizza Schmizza has relationships with third-party sources which offer financing to cover the following: franchise fee, startup costs, equipment, inventory

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	180 hours
Ongoing Support	Purchasing Co-ops Meetings & Conventions Toll-Free Line Grand Opening Lease Negotiation Field Operations Site Selection
Marketing Support	Co-op Advertising Ad Templates National Media Regional Advertising Social Media 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.	No
# of employees required to run	12-14
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