Valentino's franchise
2026 filing · April 21, 2026Fewer locations
Valentino's at a glance
A pizza restaurant serving specialty pizzas, Italian food and broasted chicken for takeout and delivery, with smaller Express locations also offered. At the end of 2025 there were 31 Valentino's locations in the US, 16 franchised and 15 company-owned.
The business
- Franchisor
- Valentino's of America, Inc
- The company that sells the franchises
What you pay
- Cost to open
- $424K–$760K
- A To-Go location
- Franchise fee
- $15,000
- Up to $15,000 for a To-Go location, depending on the units and area; up to $7,500 for an Express location
- Royalty
- Up to 5%
- Up to 5% of gross sales for a To-Go location, paid twice a month, plus up to 1% for advertising
- Brand fund
- 1%
- 1% of gross sales, paid with the royalty
- Renewal fee
- See terms
- $5,000 for To-Go Location or $2,000 for Express Location
- Agreement length
- 15 years
Where it is
- US locations, 2025
- 31
- Franchised and company-owned
- Franchised
- 16
- Company-owned
- 15
- Change in 3 years
- −1
- Franchised locations, 2023–2025
- States
- 1
- Most in Nebraska
From Valentino's of America, Inc’s 2026 filing; revenue and net income from its audited financial statements, page 92; SBA status from the SBA Franchise Directory, October 28, 2026.
Franchisor revenue is the company that sells the franchises (royalties, fees and anything else it earns), not what a location makes.
Where it ranks
Valentino's among all franchises with the same figure.
| Figure | Valentino's | Among all franchises |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, midpointHalfway between the low and high estimate | $592,275 | Costs more than 70% of franchises |
| Franchise feePaid once, when you sign | $15,000 | Lower than 93% of franchises |
| RoyaltyShare of sales paid to the franchisor | 5% | Lower than 69% of brands with a set rate |
| US locationsFranchised and company-owned | 31 | More than 56% of franchises |
How much a Valentino's franchise costs
Opening a To-Go location costs an estimated $424,400 to $760,150. That covers the franchise fee and everything else needed to open, through the first months of working capital.
The biggest costs are real estate ($216,000 to $380,000) and equipment ($148,000 to $227,000). Here is every line of the estimate as filed:
| What it pays for | Range | Low | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $0 | $15,000 | |
| Travel and living expenses | $3,000 | $10,000 | |
| Real estate | $216,000 | $380,000 | |
| Equipment | $148,000 | $227,000 | |
| Point of Sale System (3 months) | $4,800 | $6,000 | |
| Signage | $7,650 | $28,150 | |
| Opening costs | $2,250 | $5,000 | |
| Permits, legal, accounting and deposits | $4,000 | $12,500 | |
| Operating inventory | $6,500 | $10,000 | |
| Advertising fees (3 months) | $6,200 | $26,500 | |
| Additional funds (3 months) | $26,000 | $40,000 | |
| Total | $424,400 | $760,150 |
Source: Valentino's of America, Inc, 2026 filing, page 13
Valentino's franchise fee
The franchise fee is $15,000, up to $15,000 for a To-Go location, depending on the units and area; up to $7,500 for an Express location. You pay it when you sign the franchise agreement.
Source: Valentino's of America, Inc, 2026 filing, page 10
Royalty and ongoing fees
| Royalty | Up to 5% of gross sales for a To-Go location, paid twice a month, plus up to 1% for advertising. |
|---|---|
| Brand or marketing fund | 1% of gross sales, paid with the royalty. |
| Transfer Fee | $3,500 |
| Renewal Fee | $5,000 for To-Go Location or $2,000 for Express Location |
The typical franchise royalty is 6% of sales, plus 2% for marketing. See franchise fees and royalties to compare.
Source: Valentino's of America, Inc, 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
No figures Valentino's does not share sales or profit figures for its locations. Talking to current and former franchise owners is the usual way to learn what a location earns.
Source: Valentino's of America, Inc, 2026 filing, page 35
- Estimate Estimated yearly sales per location
- $620K–$1.1M
Estimated from the sales that 292 comparable franchises file, matched on industry, format, cost to open, fees and size.
SBA loans to Valentino's franchisees
Lenders approved 13 SBA 7(a) loans for Valentino's franchisees from 1992 to 2020, $5.72M in all. Of the 11 that have ended, 9 were paid in full and 2 were charged off. The other 2 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 | Valentino's | Typical pizza brand | Typical franchise |
|---|---|---|---|
| GrowthNet change in franchised locations | −5.9% / −5.9% | 0% / −3% | +1.2% / +10% |
| ClosuresTerminated, not renewed or stopped operating | 18% / 24% | 2.8% / 9.1% | 3.9% / 16% |
| Bought backLocations the franchisor took back | 0% / 0% | 0% / 0% | 0% / 0% |
Typical pizza brand is the median of the 49 brands in pizza franchises with three years of counts.
How Valentino's compares
Of the 122 pizza franchises on this site, Valentino's is the 77th cheapest to open and the 49th largest by number of locations.
| Figure | Valentino's | Typical pizza brand | Typical franchise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, low end | $424K | $349K | $222K |
| Cost to open, high end | $760K | $787K | $477K |
| Franchise fee | $15K | $30K | $40K |
| Royalty | 5% | 5% | 6% |
| Brand fund | 1% | 1.9% | 2% |
| US locations | 31 | 26 | 21 |
| Shares earnings figures | No | 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 | 17 (0) | 16 | +1 | −1 |
| 2024 | 17 (0) | 15 | 0 | 0 |
| 2025 | 16 (−1) | 15 | +2 | −3 |
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: Valentino's of America, Inc, 2026 filing, page 36
Where Valentino's locations are
At the end of 2025, Valentino's had locations in 1 state. The most are in Nebraska.
- Nebraska30
| State | Franchised | Company-owned | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nebraska | 15 | 15 | 30 |
Source: Valentino's of America, Inc, 2026 filing, page 37
Who owns Valentino's?
Valentino's franchises are sold by Valentino's of America, Inc.
From Valentino's of America, Inc’s 2026 filing.
Lawsuits and bankruptcy
| Lawsuits and regulatory actions | None. The filing says no litigation has to be disclosed. |
|---|---|
| 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: Valentino's of America, Inc, 2026 filing, litigation on page 10, bankruptcy on page 10
Valentino's filings
The figures on this page come from Valentino's of America, Inc’s 2026 filing, issued April 21, 2026, on record with the NASAA Electronic Filing Depository.
| Filing | Issued | Registry | On this page |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 filing | April 21, 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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