Russo's New York Pizzeria franchise
2026 filing · July 6, 2026Fewer locationsShares sales figures
Russo's New York Pizzeria at a glance
A full-service pizzeria restaurant serving New York-style pizza and Italian dishes. At the end of 2025 there were 30 Russo's New York Pizzeria locations in the US, 24 franchised and 6 company-owned.
The business
- Franchisor
- New York Pizzeria Incorporated
- The company that sells the franchises
- Franchising since
- 1998
- 28 years of selling franchises
- Franchisor based in
- Houston, Texas
- Typical size
- 1,500–4,500 sq ft
What you pay
- Cost to open
- $439K–$1.5M
- Fee, build-out and opening working capital
- Franchise fee
- $35,000
- Paid once, when you sign
- Royalty
- 6%
- 6% of gross sales, paid weekly, plus the greater of 1% of gross sales or $250 a week to the brand management fund (up to 1.5%)
- Agreement length
- 10 years
- Territory
- Limited
- Limited protection
Where it is
- US locations, 2025
- 30
- Franchised and company-owned
- Franchised
- 24
- Company-owned
- 6
- Change in 3 years
- −5
- Franchised locations, 2023–2025
- States
- 4
- Most in Texas, California and Arizona
From New York Pizzeria Incorporated’s 2026 filing; SBA status from the SBA Franchise Directory, October 28, 2026.
Where it ranks
Russo's New York Pizzeria among all franchises with the same figure.
| Figure | Russo's New York Pizzeria | Among all franchises |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, midpointHalfway between the low and high estimate | $970,175 | Costs more than 82% of franchises |
| Franchise feePaid once, when you sign | $35,000 | Lower than 61% of franchises |
| RoyaltyShare of sales paid to the franchisor | 6% | Higher than 35% of brands with a set rate |
| US locationsFranchised and company-owned | 30 | More than 56% of franchises |
How much a Russo's New York Pizzeria franchise costs
Opening one Russo's New York Pizzeria costs an estimated $439,350 to $1,501,000. That covers the franchise fee and everything else needed to open, through the first months of working capital.
The biggest costs are leasehold improvements ($150,000 to $750,000) and retail equipment/delivery vehicle ($130,000 to $270,000). Here is every line of the estimate as filed:
| What it pays for | Range | Low | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee | $35,000 | ||
| Opening Date Extension Fee | $0 | $10,000 | |
| In-Store Opening Training | $0 | $50,000 | |
| Site Evaluation Expenses | $1,000 | $5,000 | |
| Lease Payments – 3 Months | $15,000 | $75,000 | |
| Ancillary Real Estate Fees | $5,000 | $10,000 | |
| Architectural | $12,000 | $25,000 | |
| Engineering | $4,000 | $10,000 | |
| Plan Review Fee | $500 | ||
| Leasehold Improvements | $150,000 | $750,000 | |
| Signage | $5,000 | $40,000 | |
| Retail Equipment/Delivery Vehicle | $130,000 | $270,000 | |
| Electronic Cash Register with Modem | $19,000 | $40,000 | |
| Facsimile Machine | $350 | $500 | |
| Business Licenses & Permits (Not Including) | $5,000 | $10,000 | |
| Alcohol License) Professional Fees | $2,500 | $5,000 | |
| Insurance Deposits and Premiums | $5,000 | $20,000 | |
| Initial Inventory | $10,000 | $30,000 | |
| Travel, Lodging and Meals for Initial Training | $10,000 | $40,000 | |
| Grand Opening Advertising Program | $10,000 | $25,000 | |
| Additional Funds – 3 Months | $20,000 | $50,000 | |
| Total | $439,350 | $1,501,000 | |
Source: New York Pizzeria Incorporated, 2026 filing, page 16
Russo's New York Pizzeria franchise fee
The franchise fee is $35,000. You pay it when you sign the franchise agreement.
Source: New York Pizzeria Incorporated, 2026 filing, page 8
Royalty and ongoing fees
| Royalty | 6% of gross sales, paid weekly, plus the greater of 1% of gross sales or $250 a week to the brand management fund (up to 1.5%). |
|---|---|
| Transfer Fee – Transfer to Newly | $500 |
The typical franchise royalty is 6% of sales, plus 2% for marketing. See franchise fees and royalties to compare.
Source: New York Pizzeria Incorporated, 2026 filing, page 10
Other fees as filed, from page 11. The filing lists every fee, including late fees and audit costs.
Sales and earnings
Shares figures Russo's New York Pizzeria publishes sales or earnings figures for its locations. The full tables, with notes on which locations are counted, are in its filing.
Source: New York Pizzeria Incorporated, 2026 filing, page 44
- Estimate Estimated yearly sales per location
- $1M–$1.9M
Estimated from the sales that 292 comparable franchises file, matched on industry, format, cost to open, fees and size.
SBA loans to Russo's New York Pizzeria franchisees
Lenders approved 13 SBA 7(a) loans for Russo's New York Pizzeria franchisees from 2014 to 2023, $5.08M in all. Of the 7 that have ended, 6 were paid in full and 1 was charged off. The other 6 haven’t ended yet.
A charged-off loan is one written off as uncollectible. See SBA franchise loans for how 7(a) and 504 loans work.
Source: SBA 7(a) and 504 loan data, as of September 30, 2026
Growth and closures
Share of franchised locations, 2025 / 2023–2025. Typical means the median: half of brands are above it, half below.
| Measure | Russo's New York Pizzeria | Typical pizza brand | Typical franchise |
|---|---|---|---|
| GrowthNet change in franchised locations | −14% / −17% | 0% / −3% | +1.2% / +10% |
| ClosuresTerminated, not renewed or stopped operating | 25% / 45% | 2.8% / 9.1% | 3.9% / 16% |
| Bought backLocations the franchisor took back | 0% / 3.4% | 0% / 0% | 0% / 0% |
Typical pizza brand is the median of the 49 brands in pizza franchises with three years of counts.
How Russo's New York Pizzeria compares
Of the 122 pizza franchises on this site, Russo's New York Pizzeria is the 82nd cheapest to open and the 51st largest by number of locations.
| Figure | Russo's New York Pizzeria | Typical pizza brand | Typical franchise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, low end | $439K | $349K | $222K |
| Cost to open, high end | $1.5M | $787K | $477K |
| Franchise fee | $35K | $30K | $40K |
| Royalty | 6% | 5% | 6% |
| US locations | 30 | 26 | 21 |
| Shares earnings figures | Yes | 63 of 122 | 2,147 of 3,352 |
Typical is the median across the 122 brands in pizza franchises; typical franchise, across every brand here.
Locations opened and closed
| Year | Franchised | Company-owned | Opened | Closed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 29 (0) | 6 | +1 | −1 |
| 2024 | 28 (−1) | 6 | +5 | −6 |
| 2025 | 24 (−4) | 6 | +3 | −7 |
Closed or left counts terminations, non-renewals, locations bought back by the franchisor and locations that stopped operating.
See which brands grew most in the fastest-growing franchises rankings.
More in the guides: pizza franchise costs and franchise failure rates.
Source: New York Pizzeria Incorporated, 2026 filing, pages 46–47
Where Russo's New York Pizzeria locations are
At the end of 2025, Russo's New York Pizzeria had locations in 4 states. The most are in Texas, California and Arizona.
- Texas26
- California2
- Arizona1
- Oklahoma1
| State | Franchised | Company-owned | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | 20 | 6 | 26 |
| California | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Arizona | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Oklahoma | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Source: New York Pizzeria Incorporated, 2026 filing, page 47
Who owns Russo's New York Pizzeria?
Russo's New York Pizzeria franchises are sold by New York Pizzeria Incorporated. Its filing names no parent company.
From New York Pizzeria Incorporated’s 2026 filing, page 6.
Lawsuits and bankruptcy
| Lawsuits and regulatory actions | Yes. The filing describes past or pending cases involving the franchisor, its affiliates or its executives on page 8. |
|---|---|
| Bankruptcy | None. The filing says no bankruptcy has to be disclosed. |
Franchisors must disclose lawsuits and bankruptcies involving the company, its parents and affiliates, and its executives. Many cases are routine disputes with franchisees over fees or contracts; read the descriptions in the filing and ask current owners about anything that worries you.
Source: New York Pizzeria Incorporated, 2026 filing, litigation on page 8, bankruptcy on page 8
Russo's New York Pizzeria filings
The figures on this page come from New York Pizzeria Incorporated’s 2026 filing, issued July 6, 2026, on record with the NASAA Electronic Filing Depository.
| Filing | Issued | Registry | On this page |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 filing | July 6, 2026 | NASAA depository | Costs, fees and locations, 2023–2025 |
Each link opens the filing as a PDF. See the newest filings across all brands.
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