Start a Round Table Pizza Franchise in 2024

2024 Franchise 500 Rank: #412 Ranked #288 last year

Initial investment: $879K - $1.3M

Units as of 2024: 399 3% over 3 years

William R. Larson Sr. founded Round Table Pizza in 1959, with the first restaurant opening in Menlo Park, California. Larson Sr.'s vision was to create a space where families could share superb pizza and relax. It was under this idea that Round Table Pizza was established. The company began franchising in 1962.

After over 50 years of franchising, the Round Table Pizza chain of restaurants has grown to over 400 restaurants spanning the western U.S. Recently, the franchise has added over 30 new products to their menu, including wings and salads. By offering a comfortable setting to nurture family ties and serving delicious pizza, Round Table Pizza has catered to its customer base and become a recognizable brand in the pizza industry

Why You May Want to Start a Round Table Pizza Franchise

What may differentiate Round Table Pizza from other pizza-selling franchises is its product. The company strives to stand out in the age of frozen cheese, frozen dough, and frozen toppings by ensuring that its products are fresh. Each day, every franchised restaurant rolls fresh dough and only uses the freshest ingredients for the pies.

To maintain its reputation as superb pizza makers, the company works to ensure that its franchisees are committed to product and service quality and are involved in the betterment of the community. With this in mind, it is usually essential to note that over 350 of Round Table Pizza locations are operated by franchisees.

What Might Make a Round Table Pizza Franchise a Good Choice?

There are numerous pizza restaurants, and the pizza industry is a competitive one. However, it is possible that not many can compete with Round Table Pizza. To customers, the franchise may offer more than just a well-crafted pizza. In line with the company's high regard for family, Round Table Pizza operates during family-oriented hours.

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. Speak to existing franchisees and ask questions directed to the Round Table Pizza team. If your net worth and available liquid capital match the brand’s requirements, you may qualify to open a Round Table Pizza franchise, and you can get started with an initial investment made up of a franchise fee and other startup costs. You should also be prepared for ongoing fees, including royalty, advertising, and potential renewal fees.

How Do You Start a Round Table Pizza Franchise?

To become a franchisee with Round Table Pizza, you may fill out an online inquiry form. After doing this, you generally receive an email acknowledgment and a link to the franchise report detailing the brand and the opportunity. Round Table Pizza may also give you a call to determine if your interests align with those of the franchise.

After the call, if you are seen as a good fit, you may receive, fill out, and submit an official franchise application. The Round Table Pizza team may schedule a face-to-face meeting and send you the Franchise Disclosure Document. After reviewing that, you might meet the leadership team on discovery day. After this, Round Table Pizza generally runs background and credit checks. If both parties are still interested after these steps, then you can sign the franchise agreement, and Round Table Pizza will award you your pizza franchise.

Company Overview

About Round Table Pizza

Industry	Food
Related Categories	Pizza
Founded	1959
Parent Company	FAT Brands Inc.
Leadership	Taylor Wiederhorn, Chief Development Officer
Corporate Address	9720 Wilshire Blvd., #500 Beverly Hills, CA 90212
Social	Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok

Business Overview

Franchising Since	1962 (62 years)
# of employees at HQ	335
Where seeking	This company is offering new franchises throughout the US. This company is offering new franchises worldwide.
# of Units	399 (as of 2024)

Information for Franchisees

Here's what you need to know if you're interested in opening a Round Table 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.	$25,000
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.	$879,100 - $1,316,500
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.	$1,500,000
Cash Requirement Definition: The minimum liquid capital you must have available in order to qualify to become a franchisee of this company.	$500,000
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.	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.	4%
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.	15 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	Round Table Pizza has relationships with third-party sources which offer financing to cover the following: startup costs, equipment, inventory, accounts receivable, payroll

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	135 hours
Classroom Training	3 hours
Ongoing Support	Purchasing Co-ops Newsletter Meetings & Conventions Grand Opening Online Support Security & Safety Procedures Field Operations Site Selection Proprietary Software Franchisee Intranet Platform
Marketing Support	Ad Templates National Media Regional Advertising Social Media Website Development Email Marketing Loyalty Program/App

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
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