We are researching purchasing a Pizza

[Damocles]

Delivery franchise.

What is the best known franchise in your area?

[Sir Evil]

Franchises bite for real pizza but Domino's rules my area.

[Damocles]

Franchises bite for real pizza but Domino's rules my area.
Yeah, but people tend to fall for the ads...

[Cypress]

Delivery franchise.

What is the best known franchise in your area?

Probably 4 out of every 5 pizza delivery cars I see on the road are Dominos.

[Damocles]

And they make the worst pizza. Go figure. Americans are slaves to commercials... They are also pretty reasonable when compared to say Papa Johns on Franchising fees...

[Sir Evil]

So why go franchise instead of independant? Dunno much about these things but I guess it would be cost issues?

[Cypress]

And they make the worst pizza. Go figure. Americans are slaves to commercials... They are also pretty reasonable when compared to say Papa Johns on Franchising fees...

I agree, they're the worst.

But, they're cheap. Lot of college kids around here.

[Damocles]

So why go franchise instead of independant? Dunno much about these things but I guess it would be cost issues?
Mostly because of the free advertising and the support. They help you get the equipment, etc as well as training your new employees.

If you go independant you have to find your own supplies/recipes, purchase all your own equipment without direction, train your own employees...

I've been thinking of it regardless. I can plain COOK. I should be able to find a place that has supplies for restaurants. With a simple base I can create a fantastic sauce and give a choice between spicy and regular....

[Sir Evil]

Hmmm, like to cook and wanna go franchise eh? why not a full blown resteraunt? Lots & lots of hours to be put in if ya go that route though.

[Damocles]

Hmmm, like to cook and wanna go franchise eh? why not a full blown resteraunt? Lots & lots of hours to be put in if ya go that route though.
Restaurants are tough... And I live in the boondocks. Pizza delivery can make a difference.

[Sir Evil]

Restaurants are tough... And I live in the boondocks. Pizza delivery can make a difference.

I bet! over here we have superb pizza just about on every other corner but the franchises still seem to han in there. I would think you could probably cash in if your average pizza joint is few and far between.

[Damocles]

I bet! over here we have superb pizza just about on every other corner but the franchises still seem to han in there. I would think you could probably cash in if your average pizza joint is few and far between.
The closest restaurant is 18 miles from my house. The closest gas station, 10.5 miles...

If I put in a Domino's or a Blackjack Pizza I'm golden. Nobody else delivers out here at all... I'd have to charge for the longer distances to make up for the gasoline, but heck... Most people here would pay it.

[Sir Evil]

The closest restaurant is 18 miles from my house. The closest gas station, 10.5 miles...

If I put in a Domino's or a Blackjack Pizza I'm golden. Nobody else delivers out here at all... I'd have to charge for the longer distances to make up for the gasoline, but heck... Most people here would pay it.



LOL, that ain't the boondocks, your in nomand's land! Damn must be nice and peaceful I bet....

[Damocles]

It is nice. And worth the drive into the city for work, IMO.

[Sir Evil]

It is nice. And worth the drive into the city for work, IMO.

What's your commute? That is one of the key things to my area for many, you can live country like with a fairly short commute to the city for the big bucks, or be like me and live even closer to the city and make little bucks! :cof1:

[Damocles]

I live far out. My commute is about 42 miles when I take the short route. If I ride the motorcycle it is around 52 as I can't take the dirt road shortcuts...

[Sir Evil]

If I ride the motorcycle it is around 52 as I can't take the dirt road shortcuts...

:lolup:

that just sounds funny!

[OrnotBitwise]

And they make the worst pizza. Go figure. Americans are slaves to commercials... They are also pretty reasonable when compared to say Papa Johns on Franchising fees...Advertising works. The behavior of people in large groups really is predictable, within broad limits. I know that a lot of people are uncomfortable with that fact -- I am myself, sometimes -- but it's still true.

What's more, our ability to predict group behavior is being refined all the time.

This is why I feel that we need to regulate advertising more stringently. It's possible to manipulate what people want and what choices they make without saying something that's factually inaccurate.

Just like it's possible to lie about WMDs and connections between Saddam Hussein and 9/11 without saying anything factually inaccurate. ;)

[uscitizen]

My commute is about 25 ft. I work from home as an independent technodweeb.
But the little country store at the bottom of the hill (.5 miles) makes a pizza anyway I want it.

[AnyOldIron]

Damo, if I were to order a pizza and you didn't get it to my door in 45 minutes would I get it for free?

[Damocles]

Nope. You live outside our delivery area...

[uscitizen]

He could FAX you one AnyOld .

[Damocles]

Well, if he is willing to pay the delivery fee I'd be willing to gaurantee delivery within 48 hours!

[uscitizen]

The FAX pizza would be low fat high fiber.
I guess you do have to watch out for those internet pizza delivery services from Nigeria.

[DigitalDave]

There are a couple franchises in the NE Ohio area that are small but growing rapidly. One of them is Pizza Oven here in Canton. People love their pizza and they are constantly getting rave reviews. Saw an article last year about how much pizza they half cook, then freeze and ship to people that had their pizza and are hooked.

Another one is Rascal House Pizza in the Cleveland area. I did their website and it started with only four stores when I took over and did a redesign. A year later there are eight stores and they wanted to go to another web partner (mainly because my boss was a dumbass and didn't handle the account very well). Though, I thought their pizza sucked.

[LadyT]

Its all about papa johns!

[Damocles]

They are the most expensive of the pizza franchises. They don't have the best though. Blackjack Pizza has the best for a franchise.

[LadyT]

Well of all the delivery chains I know of, I like papa johns the best. You will definitely rake in teh dough in your area if they don't have one for miles and miles. But then if that's the case how many people are there per square mile in your area?

[Damocles]

Well of all the delivery chains I know of, I like papa johns the best. You will definitely rake in teh dough in your area if they don't have one for miles and miles. But then if that's the case how many people are there per square mile in your area?
not very many compared to a large city, but more than any other portion of the county I live in... I'd extend the delivery area to cover the right amount of people and charge a might more for delivery to cover the cost of gasoline...

[LadyT]

not very many compared to a large city, but more than any other portion of the county I live in... I'd extend the delivery area to cover the right amount of people and charge a might more for delivery to cover the cost of gasoline...

what would be your radius? 10 miles?

[Damocles]

Yes, that is about what I was thinking. 10 to up to 15 miles... This would give me a large customer base in our area.

[LadyT]

You'd have to have 3 or four delivery men in each quadrant on Friday and Saturday nights I'd imagine. How fast can you go on the roads? Are they highway or are they local roads with lights? 10 miles can be a lot if you've got a lot of traffic lights.

[Damocles]

There are one or two stop signs (four way stops) the speed limit is 50 on the main roads... We usually travel upwards of 65.

[klaatu]

This is not Pizza .. but one of the nicest franchises Ive seen are Quizno's Subs ... they have a nice system and the quality of food is pretty decent.

[Damocles]

Yeah, the problem with that one is that the people who own the building I'd be leasing in are putting in a Subway.

[klaatu]

Yeah, the problem with that one is that the people who own the building I'd be leasing in are putting in a Subway.


Oh well.. there goes that idea .. :)

[LadyT]

There are one or two stop signs (four way stops) the speed limit is 50 on the main roads... We usually travel upwards of 65.

if its not heavily trafficked then that seems like a good deal then. I'd get a count of how many people there are per square mile and see what your market it is. It sounds like a cool idea.

[klaatu]

I am an Italian American raised in a family that makes great Pizza and like Evil ...brought up in an area that has great pizza on every corner.. so it would be very difficult to recommend a franchise pizzeria .... but if you were to hold a gun to my head like there has been since I moved to South Florida ... .. Little Caesars ....

[Damocles]

Wow. Little Sleazers? I'm hoping the requirements for Blackjack Pizza are not too high...

[klaatu]

Wow. Little Sleazers? I'm hoping the requirements for Blackjack Pizza are not too high...

Not familiar with Blackjacks .. but Ceasers ..yes.. thats how bad franchise pizza is ... ;) Try the independent route ....

[tianabautre]

oh yeah little ceasers is definitely the worst. I'd have to be pretty desparate to eat that.

[TheDanold]

This is a bad idea. Damo, I worked in a pizzeria for 3 and a half years, it's probably THE most competitive industry with very little money to be made. I think it ended up that way because it's a job where cheap immigrants can start out or start businesses.
I wasn't in a well known chain though, but still. For some reason most of the owners were Arabs and most of the drivers were eastern European.

The most money to be made is in blue collar areas, because downtown students/innercity people are cheap and you get trouble with crime (drivers beaten up for pizza or people take without paying), while in upper middle class areas people just don't order enough.
Blue collar areas you can make more money, as it's much more popular without much BS.

You better have tons of patience, people waiting for food aren't like people waiting for books or equipment, they can get nasty by their hunger.
I got regular business threats, personal bullshit, even death threats, people try and con you with stories of cold or wrong pizza then you go there to pick it up and almost all eaten, giving wrong addresses or expecting you to know the address if they're in some building, had one guy almost got in a fight with because he ordered a plain pizza which to him meant with pepperoni, students drunk or high as shit calling you every 2 minutes wondering where pizza is and telling you to hurry up constantly. Man, I could go on and on.
Hours are often til the am if you want to keep up with competition. This is the last business I would go in, seriously.
If you're really set on the food industry (and I hope you have experience because I've always believed you should stick to what you know) then try something fresh, like Greek delivery or something, that seems to be getting popular where I am and I'm sure the clientele is better.

Good luck and if you've actually been and done this business and want back in, you're a crazy man. :)

[TheDanold]

Personally I think Domino's is the worst, dry and not at all filling.

[Damocles]

Personally I think Domino's is the worst, dry and not at all filling.
Don't I know it.

Anyway, I worked at Pizza Hut Delivery and Blackjack Pizza back in the day, I also did the McD's thing. I do know about the complaints, etc. Greek delivery would be great for a city environment but you have to remember we are out in the sticks. They like to order what they know and there is absolutely no delivery at all in our area.

[klaatu]

Actually ... of all the Franchise.. Pizza Hut probably is the better .. but Im sure they are super expensive to get into ... Their Chicago Style Deep Dish(or Pan) is ok ...
Domino's is the worst ... we have Papa John's down here ... on any given day could be better to worst ...
Is it Sorrento Pizza thats found in most of your Airports and Malls ...? probably way too expensive to get into ... I think their from Mass. but they actually are pretty good in duplicating the NY City Cheesy and goopy Large Pie Style Pizza