Freshslice Pizza, a Canadian franchise brand, calls itself the “Starbucks of Pizza” and says it’s doing for restaurant franchising what “Netflix did to the video rental industry.” What does any of that mean? It’s unclear, but the 100-store chain has landed its first franchisee in the U.S.
Founded in 1999 by CEO Ray Russell, Freshslice Pizza, based in British Columbia, will open two stores in the Dallas/Fort Worth area under franchisee Trenton Parks. The Dallas News reports the locations will open in late spring—one in Frisco and another near the Texas Christian University campus in Fort Worth.
“Ray’s vision of being the Starbucks of Pizza is more than a tagline or slogan,” Parks said in a press release. “This level of success is built into every aspect of the brand.”
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“When compared to other popular U.S.-based pizza brands, Freshslice’s minimum investment fee is significantly lower, and in many cases, half the costs of its competitors,” Parks added. “The brand’s dedication to pizza perfection and its revolutionary turn-key franchise operation makes this an exciting endeavor, and I am excited to bring this to the Lone Star State.”
Freshslice sells slices and whole pies with unlimited toppings and offers delivery.
The company says its “one-year ROI model” includes “0% royalties, 0% ad fees, 0% ingredient mark-ups [and] 1,000% productivity on dough manufacturing.”
The company touts its “unique dough manufacturing system” for making a proprietary multigrain pizza dough, as well as a “streamlined supply chain of ingredients produced in-house with zero markups, adding to the franchisee’s ROI.” According to a 2020 report by Retail Insider, a typical Freshslice store takes up about 780 square feet.
To buy a Pizzaslice franchise requires a minimum of $60,000 in liquid cash and “entrepreneurial drive,” the company says.
Canada’s Self-Proclaimed ‘Starbucks of Pizza’ Is Coming to the U.S.
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