Pizza franchise costs

Pizza franchises come in two shapes. Delivery-and-carryout stores, the model of the big national chains, run from a small leased storefront with ovens, a make line and a counter, and most of their sales leave by car. Dine-in pizzerias and pizza buffets add a dining room, a bar or a game room and cost several times more to build. The typical figures below mix the two, so check which format a brand sells before comparing.

At the delivery end, Domino’s costs $231K–$744K to open. Pizza is also one of the most competitive franchise categories, with the largest chains fighting on price and delivery apps taking a share of each order, so the cost to open is only part of the decision.

What a pizza franchise costs

Across the 122 brands on the pizza list, the typical cost to open runs from $349K at the low end of each brand’s estimate to $787K at the high end. The low end is a small location in a cheaper market with little build-out; the high end a large site in an expensive one. Of these brands, 36 start at $250K or less and 8 at $100K or less.

Where the money goes

Each franchisor itemizes its cost to open. Grouping the lines for the 82 pizza brands with a full breakdown shows what a typical budget pays for, as an average share of the high estimate, with the typical amount.

Kitchen equipment is the defining cost: conveyor or deck ovens, a refrigerated make line, mixers and walk-in coolers. Leasehold improvements come next, larger for dine-in brands that build a dining room and restrooms. Delivery brands add point-of-sale and online ordering systems, and sometimes vehicles. Most brands also budget a few months of working capital for staff before sales build up.

Cheapest and most expensive pizza franchises

The cheapest pizza brands with at least 20 US locations, by the low end of the cost to open. Use the full range on each brand’s page for budgeting, not the low end alone.

Fees and royalties

The typical pizza brand charges a franchise fee of $30K, a royalty of 5% of sales and 1.9% to a marketing fund. Another 15 brands charge a flat or tiered royalty instead of a single percentage. Royalties and marketing come off sales before rent, staff or loan payments, so on a $1.02M year they cost about $70K. The fees and royalties guide compares industries.

What pizza franchise locations sell

Of the pizza brands, 36 publish a comparable yearly sales figure per location. The typical one is $1.02M, above the $797K typical across all brands.

Dine-in pizza brands report the highest sales per location, but they also cost the most to build. Delivery brands sell less per store and rely on low costs, high volume and owners running several stores. When comparing, look at sales against the cost to open rather than sales alone, and ask how much of each brand’s sales come through third-party delivery apps, which charge commissions.

Which pizza franchises are growing

Of the 64 pizza brands with three years of figures, 25 added US locations from 2023 to 2025 and 31 shrank. The typical brand with 20 or more locations changed by −3%, against +3.8% across all franchises.

The brands that lost the most locations were Pizza Hut (292), Hot Stuff Pizza (248) and Papa Murphy's (154). The fastest-growing franchises ranking covers every industry.

Who runs a pizza franchise

Of the pizza brands whose agreements are clear, 85 let a trained manager run the business day to day and 35 require the owner to. Initial training typically runs 147 hours, against 71 across all brands. The typical brand loses 2.9% of its franchised locations a year to closures, terminations and non-renewals. On the SBA Franchise Directory are 41 of the 122 brands, so SBA-backed loans are available for them.

Best pizza franchises to own

These pizza brands pass all five tests on the best franchises to own ranking: they grew, lost no more owners than is typical, publish earnings figures, are on the SBA directory and had 100 or more US locations three years ago.

Before you buy a pizza franchise

Ask owners about food and labor as a share of sales, the two costs that decide a pizza store’s margin, and how the brand’s pricing and national promotions affect them; a five-dollar national deal is paid for by franchisees. Check how close the nearest store of the same brand is and whether delivery territories are protected. Many pizza brands require you to buy dough, cheese and toppings from the franchisor’s own supply chain, so ask how those prices compare with the market.

The pizza category has brands growing steadily and brands shrinking. Read each one’s location table on its page, and the failure rates guide for how many owners each loses a year.