Russo’s New York Pizzeria Franchise

Russo New York Pizzeria: A Top Franchise Opportunity for Expats & Foreign Investors in Dubai

Sun, 08 Feb 2026 04:21:17 GMT

Dubai has become one of the world’s most attractive destinations for entrepreneurs, expats, and international investors seeking stable, high-growth franchise opportunities. With a tax-efficient business environment, strong tourism, and a diverse international population, the UAE continues to attract serious franchise buyers from around the world.

Franchise Opportunities for Expats in Dubai

Expats in Dubai are increasingly turning to franchising as a path to business ownership and long-term financial security. Instead of relying on employment, franchise ownership allows expats to build equity while operating under a proven system. Russo New York Pizzeria offers comprehensive training, operational support, and flexible store formats, making it an ideal franchise opportunity for expats in Dubai.

Foreign Investor Franchise Opportunity in Dubai

Dubai welcomes foreign investment and provides a business-friendly framework for international entrepreneurs. Franchising is one of the safest ways for foreign investors to enter the UAE market. Russo New York Pizzeria provides foreign investors with a clear roadmap from site selection to opening, backed by decades of restaurant experience and a globally recognizable product.

Franchise Business for Expats in the UAE

Operating a franchise business in the UAE can be complex without the right franchisor. Russo New York Pizzeria supports franchisees with standardized systems, brand marketing, and menu strategies adapted for regional preferences, making it an ideal franchise business for expats in the UAE.

International Franchise Opportunity in Dubai

Dubai is often the gateway for regional expansion across the Middle East. Russo New York Pizzeria offers international franchise opportunities including single-unit ownership and multi-unit development agreements, allowing investors to scale across the UAE and GCC markets.

Visa Franchise Opportunity in the UAE

Business ownership in the UAE may support eligibility for investor or partner residency visas, subject to local regulations. Many international entrepreneurs pursue franchising as part of their long-term residency strategy. Russo New York Pizzeria is frequently considered by investors exploring visa-aligned franchise opportunities in Dubai.

Why Russo New York Pizzeria Is a Proven Franchise Investment

Authentic New York-style pizza with premium ingredients
Multiple revenue streams including dine-in, takeaway, delivery, and catering
Strong brand identity with international appeal
Proven operating systems refined over decades
Flexible store formats suited for high-traffic Dubai locations

Among the many franchise opportunities in Dubai, Russo New York Pizzeria stands out as a proven American restaurant franchise offering authentic New York-style pizza, multiple revenue streams, and a scalable international growth model.

Start Your Franchise Journey in Dubai

If you are an expat, foreign investor, or international entrepreneur seeking a franchise opportunity in Dubai, Russo New York Pizzeria offers a supported, scalable, and brand-driven path to business ownership in the UAE . Dubai rewards investors who partner with established brands—and Russo’s is built for global growth.

Own a Russo’s New York Pizzeria Franchise: A Smarter Path to Restaurant Ownership

Wed, 31 Dec 2025 09:14:28 GMT

Turn the Dream of Restaurant Ownership Into a Proven Business

Owning a restaurant is a goal many entrepreneurs share, but launching an independent concept can come with high risk, steep learning curves, and unpredictable costs. Franchising offers a more strategic entry point—and Russo’s New York Pizzeria was built specifically for owners who want the excitement of the restaurant industry without starting from zero.

Unit Economics Designed for Real-World Success

Before investing in any franchise, the numbers matter. Russo’s delivers strong unit-level performance, with average annual sales of approximately $1,164,000 and a startup investment around $250,000 . That balance of revenue potential and accessible entry cost makes Russo’s an attractive option compared to many restaurant concepts.

Strong unit economics give owners flexibility—whether that means reinvesting into the business, building a solid team, expanding marketing efforts, or preparing for future growth. It’s a model designed to support stability, not just short-term wins.

Comprehensive Training and Ongoing Support

You don’t need decades of restaurant experience to succeed with Russo’s. What you do need is guidance—and that’s built into the franchise system. Russo’s provides structured training and ongoing operational support covering everything from kitchen execution and service standards to daily management and business operations.

Simplified Operations Through Established Suppliers

Managing vendors and sourcing ingredients can quickly become overwhelming for independent restaurants. Russo’s franchisees benefit from pre-approved suppliers and established purchasing systems , making ordering more efficient and predictable.

A Tested Business Model That Minimizes Guesswork

Building a restaurant from scratch requires developing recipes, systems, training processes, and operational standards on your own. Russo’s removes much of that uncertainty by offering a proven, standardized business framework .

From menu execution to staff training and service flow, franchisees start with a clear roadmap. This structure helps ensure consistency across locations while making it easier to scale operations and maintain a high-quality customer experience.

Marketing Support That Helps Drive Traffic

Opening your doors is just the first step—getting customers in consistently is what drives success. Russo’s provides franchisees with marketing and advertising support designed to build brand awareness and support local promotions.

Built for Growth and Multi-Unit Expansion

For entrepreneurs with bigger goals, Russo’s offers opportunities beyond a single location. The brand supports multi-unit ownership , giving franchisees a clear path to scale their business over time.

With strong unit performance and a repeatable operating model, expansion becomes achievable —allowing owners to grow their footprint while leveraging systems already in place.

Russo’s combines crave-worthy food with a well-established operating system that supports consistency, efficiency, and long-term growth. When you open a Russo’s franchise, you’re not just opening a pizza restaurant—you’re stepping into a proven business model backed by experience, infrastructure, and ongoing support.

This streamlined supply chain supports food quality, brand consistency, and cost control— allowing owners to spend less time managing logistics and more time focusing on guests and team leadership.

Is a Russo’s Franchise Right for You?

Opening a Russo’s New York Pizzeria franchise offers a strategic way to enter restaurant ownership with structure, support, and a proven track record. With strong economics, hands-on training, supplier advantages, marketing assistance, and growth potential, Russo’s is a franchise opportunity built for serious entrepreneurs.

If you’re ready to explore restaurant ownership with a brand designed for scalability and longterm success, Russo’s is worth a closer look.

For first-time restaurant owners, this support reduces uncertainty and helps avoid costly trialand-error mistakes. For experienced operators, it provides systems that streamline operations and improve consistency across locations.

With access to established brand assets and marketing tools, franchise owners can launch stronger and stay visible in their market, helping create repeat customers and long-term loyalty.

How to Choose a Franchise: Why Russo’s New York Pizzeria Is a Top Investment for 2026

Thu, 18 Dec 2025 00:17:17 GMT

Investing in a franchise is one of the fastest paths to business ownership. Russo’s New York Pizzeria offers a proven system, strong brand recognition, and high growth potential—making it one of the best franchise opportunities for 2026.

How to Choose a Franchise That Fits Your Goals

Choosing a franchise goes beyond liking the brand. The best opportunities align with your budget, lifestyle, and long-term goals.

The pizza franchise industry remains strong, and Russo’s New York Pizzeria offers a well-established model built on authentic New York-style pizza, classic Italian recipes, and flexible restaurant formats—perfect for both first-time and experienced franchise owners.

Why Russo’s New York Pizzeria Is a Smart Investment

Target Market Cities: - Russo’s franchise Houston, Texas - Russo’s Pizza franchise Dallas, TX - Russo’s New York Pizzeria franchise Austin - Pizza franchise opportunities San Antonio, TX - Italian restaurant franchise Houston, Texas

Why Russo’s Stands Out: - High-demand food category: Pizza is one of the most popular restaurant foods worldwide - Multiple restaurant formats: Dine-in, takeout, delivery, catering - Scalable growth: Ideal for single-unit or multi-unit ownership - Strong franchise support: Training, marketing, site selection, operations guidance

At Russo’s, we specialize in handcrafted pizza, pasta, fresh salads, gluten-free options, and halal choices, alongside craft beer and Italian wines. Our commitment to fresh ingredients and family recipes dating back to 1942 ensures a memorable dining experience. “If it isn’t fresh, don’t serve it” is Russo’s guiding principle, driving our franchisees toward success.

Best Franchise Investments for 2026

Pizza franchises continue to perform well due to delivery, takeout, and fast-casual dining trends. Russo’s adapts to changing consumer behaviors while offering a trusted brand that customers love.

Semi-Absentee Franchise Opportunities

While many investors seek semi-absentee opportunities, Russo’s New York Pizzeria performs best with hands-on ownership—especially in the early stages.

Most Profitable Franchise Traits

While no franchise guarantees profitability, top performers share these traits: - Strong brand identity - Repeat customer base - Efficient operations - Multiple revenue streams

Profit Potential with Russo’s: - Established brand with loyal customers - Menu versatility for families, professionals, and catering clients - Revenue channels including dine-in, delivery, takeout, and online ordering - Flexible restaurant sizes to manage labor and occupancy costs

Testimonial

“As a former Firehouse Subs owner, I’ve seen firsthand what it takes to run a successful restaurant franchise. Joining Russo’s NY Pizzeria has been an incredible experience—the systems, support, and brand recognition are top-notch. Their dedication to quality and franchisee success is unmatched. If you’re looking for a franchise that sets you up for real growth, Russo’s is the one.” — Jeff Lewis, New Caney Russo’s Franchisee

Franchise Due Diligence: What You Must Do

Before investing, carefully evaluate: 1. Review the Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD): Fees, royalties, territories, and obligations 2. Analyze Financial Performance: Margins, labor, food costs, and local expenses 3. Speak with Existing Franchise Owners: Support, training, challenges, real-world profitability 4. Evaluate Your Local Market: Demographics, competition, traffic patterns, delivery demand 5. Consult Franchise Professionals: Franchise attorney and accountant

Proper due diligence dramatically increases your chances of long-term success.

In this guide, you’ll learn: - How to choose the right franchise - Why Russo’s is a top investment - Semi-absentee franchise opportunities - What makes a franchise profitable - Franchise due diligence tips

Key Factors to Consider: - Proven franchise business model - Brand recognition and customer demand - Comprehensive training and support - Startup costs and ROI - Industry growth and stability

Ideal for: - Owner-operators - Multi-unit franchise investors - Entrepreneurs planning to build management teams

Final Thoughts

Russo’s New York Pizzeria offers a proven platform for entrepreneurs ready to grow. With a strong brand, growing demand, flexible formats, and comprehensive support, it’s one of the most compelling franchise opportunities in Texas.

Contact Information: Anthony Russo

�� 832-477-7597

✉️ Anthony@nypizzeria.com

Best Pizza Franchise – Finding the Right Pizza Franchise for Your Success

Thu, 26 Sep 2024 17:25:00 GMT

Choosing the ideal pizza franchise can be a daunting task. Many franchises charge royalty fees and require you to purchase supplies through their commissary, often with hidden fees embedded in the cost of goods. It’s essential to ask the right questions, like, “What is the typical food cost within their system?” If your cost of goods exceeds 30%, your profit margins will be slim once labor and overhead expenses are factored in. Even with successful franchises, the restaurant industry poses risks. However, partnering with a reputable brand reduces the guesswork. Ideally, food costs should not exceed 26%, with labor costs under 28% for a profitable operation. A reliable franchise partner can make all the difference. Always review Item 19 in the franchise disclosure document (FDD) to understand the upfront and ongoing costs before committing.

In this blog, we’ll cover six essential questions you should ask before investing in a restaurant franchise.

1. Is the Pizzeria Model Unique?

Success in the pizza industry comes down to one thing: quality. Does the franchise offer fresh, high-quality ingredients, or do they rely on pre-made dough and sauces? Today’s consumers seek value and premium products, and investing in a brand that offers anything less can be a mistake. Many fast-food pizza chains rely on heavy discounting, which erodes profitability. To stand out, look for a premium franchise that offers a unique dining experience, setting it apart from the competition.

A unique franchise experience can be more than just the food. It could include a distinctive theme, specialized menu options like gluten-free or halal, or exceptional customer service. At Russo’s New York Pizzeria & Italian Kitchen, our uniqueness lies in a made-from-scratch menu, a premium pizza bar, and various store sizes ranging from 1,200 sq. ft. delivery-only locations to 3,500 sq. ft. casual dining establishments. A memorable, unique experience builds customer loyalty and positions your franchise for success.

2. What’s on the Menu?

Americans love pizza—consuming an estimated 3 billion pizzas annually! However, within this massive market, customer preferences vary widely. Some prefer traditional pizza, while others seek artisanal options, from Neapolitan to deep dish or New York style, with vegan or gluten-free choices.

Choosing the right menu is crucial. Whether you stick to conventional offerings or explore niche products, it’s essential to consider local consumer trends. Additionally, offering more than just pizza, such as appetizers, salads, or desserts, can help your restaurant stand out and attract more customers.

3. How Are Other Franchisees Performing?

Before investing, it’s crucial to analyze the financial performance of existing franchises. Review Item 19 of the FDD to assess their profitability and time to break even. High profit margins and growth rates are positive signs.

Check online reviews and customer feedback to gauge the brand’s reputation. Consistent quality and service across multiple locations reflect a strong franchise system. Speak with current franchisees to gather insights on their experience and the level of support provided by the franchisor. A high retention rate and long-term franchisees are indicators of a healthy franchise relationship.

4. Does the Concept Offer Multiple Revenue Streams?

Diversified revenue streams, such as catering, delivery, takeout, and dine-in options, can significantly increase profitability. Franchises like Russo’s New York Pizzeria are designed to grow sales across various channels, helping you reach a broader customer base and enhance both dining and takeout experiences. Catering for events, corporate lunches, and family gatherings can provide a significant boost to your revenue.

5. What Are the Franchise Fees?

Franchise fees can vary widely between brands, typically ranging from $10,000 to $50,000. This initial investment generally includes support services for site selection, design, and marketing.

At Russo’s, our franchise fee is $35,000, with total investment costs ranging from $350,000 to $1.4 million. This includes pre-opening assistance, comprehensive training, and ongoing marketing and operational support to set you up for success.

6. How Much Support Does the Franchisor Provide?

The level of corporate support can make or break your franchise experience. At Russo’s New York Pizzeria, we pride ourselves on building strong partnerships with our franchisees. From the moment you join our team, we provide extensive ongoing support. Many of our franchisees have been with us for over 20 years, a testament to the strength of our system.

Our commitment to franchisee success includes an 8-week training program, menu innovations, and continuous marketing and operational support from our Corporate Support Center.

Making the Decision

Choosing the right restaurant franchise is no easy task, but by asking these six questions, you can make an informed decision. Take your time, do the research, and with the right answers, you’ll be in a strong position to invest in a franchise that sets you on the path to long-term success.

If you think Russo’s New York Pizzeria is the right fit for you, contact our franchise team at 832-477-7597. We’d be happy to answer any questions you have about owning a Russo’s franchise.

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What is the Benefit of owning Franchise?

Tue, 09 Jul 2024 02:56:00 GMT

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success.www.russosfranchise. com

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The Benefits of Owning a Pizza Franchise

Sat, 19 Aug 2023 14:35:00 GMT

In the highly competitive world of entrepreneurship, owning a franchise can be an enticing opportunity. Among the many options available, pizza franchises have consistently proven to be a recipe for success. In this blog, we will explore the numerous benefits that come with owning a pizza franchise and why it can be a rewarding venture for aspiring business owners.

From well known national brands, to smaller emerging franchises, there is no shortage of options. While both come with certain benefits of ownership, we’re going to look at smaller franchises, specifically, Russo’s New York Pizzeria.

Why Buy A Franchise

To begin franchising, a brand must have a proven business model with strong and consistent sales over several years. The model needs to have been replicated with a system of processes and procedures that can be replicated anywhere.

This is what makes buying a franchise such an attractive option for many entrepreneurs. A lot of the hardest work has already been done for you. New owners are given everything they need to open their own successful franchise, including the business model, training, an established reputation, streamlined systems and operations, marketing and advertising support, and buying power.

Comprehensive Training and Support:

Investing in a Russo’s Pizzeria franchise gives you access to comprehensive training programs and ongoing support from the corporate office. Our structured training equips you with the necessary knowledge and skills to run a successful pizza business. From operations management to marketing strategies, you are able to rely on our expertise and guidance to navigate challenges and maximize your chances of success.

Streamlined Operations and Systems:

One of the key benefits of owning a pizza franchise is the availability of well-established operational systems. Russo’s Pizzeria has already refined our recipes, ingredients, and cooking techniques, ensuring consistency and quality across all franchise locations. Moreover, we provide access to efficient supply chains, standardized equipment, and technology platforms, making day-to-day operations more streamlined and easier to manage.

Marketing and Advertising Support:

Marketing is a crucial aspect of any business, and our franchise excels in this area. We invest in national and local marketing campaigns, which not only promotes the brand but also benefits individual franchisees in your own local market. By participating in these campaigns, you benefit from increased brand visibility, customer awareness, and foot traffic. Additionally, the collective marketing efforts of the franchise network can help you reach a wider audience and compete effectively against local competitors.

Your Choice of Restaurant Concept

We don’t believe in the one size fits all approach, which is why we offer 3 different restaurant concepts to choose from, including the simplest pizza delivery design, a casual dining design, and a full-service concept.

Russo’s History

Russo’s story begins in New Jersey, where founder Anthony Russo grew up. As the child of Italian immigrants, much of his time was spent in a kitchen, where he learned how to cook using recipes brought over from Italy. In the early 1980’s, Russo opened his first restaurant, eventually moving to Houston, where he spent nearly a decade perfecting his recipes and restaurant concept. Russo’s has now grown to 50 locations domestic and international.

Chef Anthony is committed to maintaining the freshest products and ensuring that every customer experiences the Russo Family promise, “if it isn’t fresh, don’t serve it”. Regardless of which Russo’s location or concept they’re visiting, customers receive the bona fide Russo’s experience.

Russo’s has earned its stellar reputation by always using the freshest ingredients and maintaining consistently high quality for every item on the menu, across every location. Having perfected his restaurant model and proving its success, Russo’s Pizzeria now has nationwide franchise opportunities.

As an emerging franchise brand, you’ll get a more personalized onboarding experience and have the opportunity to grow with us as one of our pioneer franchisees, get comprehensive support, and a proven business model. From streamlined operations to marketing support and cost savings, the benefits of owning a Russo’s Pizzeria franchise are numerous.
If you’d like more information about our franchise opportunities, visit Russosfranchise.com , or call us directly at (346) 857-0099.

About Russo’s Restaurants
Founder Anthony Russo opened his first restaurant in 1999. There are 26 corporate and franchise locations throughout the Greater Houston Area, 9 locations nationally and 6 locations internationally. To learn more about Russo’s franchise development opportunities, visit https://russosfranchise.com/

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The Importance of Location for Your Pizza Franchise

Fri, 28 Apr 2023 15:04:00 GMT

Business owners have to select the right location for their establishment if they wish to be successful. There’s no such thing as an effective brick-and-mortar (physical business site) that ignores the timeless adage – “location, location, location.” Even in the pizzeria business, perhaps especially in this industry, you must pay attention to where you put your restaurant.

If you’re considering a career as a pizzeria franchisee, you’ll want to know the best strategies for selecting an optimal place of business. This article offers suggestions for how to do that.

Investigate the Competition

Every prudent business professional knows the value of surveying the competition. It’s not espionage or cheating, either. This is where you figure out where other pizza restaurants have had success and see if there’s room nearby. Don’t forget to keep an eye out for potential “complementary businesses” in your community such as movie theaters, ice cream shops, and other things that go well with pizza. Those locations may be where you decide to position a new pizzeria.

Find a Place with Easy Access

You don’t want to rent or buy any commercial real estate that’s hard to access with only one road or a notoriously difficult parking lot. Often, the best pizzeria locations are near highway exits, downtown areas, and around other necessities. It also doesn’t hurt to set up shop along public transit routes or places with plenty of pedestrian traffic. Nothing’s better than having access to folks who see your restaurant and casually walk inside for a quick slice of pizza or calzone.

Make the Most of Your Establishment with Attractive Amenities & Decor

This is one area where we offer plenty of support when you partner with Russo’s New York Pizzeria. That’s because we’ve done this a long time, having enjoyed lots of success with three effective restaurant concepts . It goes without saying that you should maintain a clean and beautiful ambiance both inside and outside your restaurant. One way that Russo’s excels at this is by offering patrons a one-of-a-kind dining experience with special novelties. Our best example is when we give customers the chance to watch us make pizza with coal-fired ovens in our larger full-service restaurants. There are many other terrific ways to attract patrons with features and aesthetics as well.

Let this serve as an introduction to what you can do to cultivate the most lucrative pizzeria location. There are many more strategies, which we’d be more than happy to help you explore when you become one of our many franchise owners.

Russo’s New York Pizzeria operates a successful chain of authentic Italian restaurants both in the United States and internationally . We’re eager to expand and invite enthusiastic entrepreneurs to share our success. If you’d like to learn more about franchise opportunities, please contact us anytime at (832) 477-7597 or feel free to fill out the form below.

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Reasons to Relinquish Your Fear & Start a Pizzeria Franchise

Mon, 17 Apr 2023 14:50:00 GMT

Never let fear deter you from chasing your dreams if you know you should do something and possess the wherewithal to accomplish it. This is doubly important for entrepreneurs interested in franchise ownership.

Many terrific opportunities go to waste because of fear of the unknown or some related hangup. In this post, we’ll remind you of the many substantial reasons to overcome all the anxiety, and pull the trigger by becoming a pizza franchise owner.

It’s Your Dream and There’s No (Real) Reason Not to

While it’s essential to take your time creating a business partnership, many prospective business owners allow their ambitions to sink by over-analyzing everything. You can do much worse trying to build your own business from scratch through trial-and-error. Instead, with a system like ours, you have a much greater shot of running a profitable store , in way less time. We can confidently recommend this approach over high-turnover startups or spending your entire career as someone else’s employee.

Are You a Millennial? Your Time Has Arrived!

Millennials, the folks within the 23-to-41-year-old cohort, are in the prime of their life as business professionals. Pizzeria ownership is a wonderful way to achieve independence, especially for adults who have been out of college for a while, and have built substantial work experience. Now that you know the lay of the land in the business world, it’s time to stake out a greater position as a legitimate business owner. If nothing else, this is the ultimate test of whether you can go beyond the boundaries of a “side hustle” and take ownership of something.

International Opportunities are Abundant as Well!

Russo’s New York Pizzeria recognizes a wealth of potential for authentic Italian food, with an emphasis on fast consumer responsiveness, even in the international market. So, whether you live overseas and want to bring our proven model to your location, or you’d like to branch out into other countries, anything’s possible right now. What holds people back? Unfortunately, fear of the unknown is often the greatest hindrance. If that’s the case, we invite you to explore our proven recipe for success . It demonstrates how our business model works just as well in Houston as it would in France, Mexico, or Egypt.

So, if you can take that bold move forward and disregard all that servile fear, there’s a world of potential in pizzeria franchising.

It’s time to begin and finally jump-start your business ambitions with Russo’s New York Pizzeria . By partnering with us, you’ll receive all the essential resources for running a pizza restaurant one of three ways (full restaurant, fast casual, or delivery oriented). You can learn more by calling (832) 477-7597 .

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Reasons to Invest in a Pizza Business

Wed, 22 Mar 2023 21:30:00 GMT

Are you still a little on the fence over whether to start a franchise business?

Often, the trickiest part involves discerning which industry to enter as a prospective business owner. Some parts of the economy are growing while others are stagnating or much more volatile. Here, we’ll make the case for why owning a restaurant, specifically in the pizza business, could be the best career move you’ve ever made.

Pizza is Always Popular

The question is not whether people will enjoy pizza in your town. Everybody likes pizza. What sets you apart from competitors has more to do with initiative, providing novel menu items, adaptable service (like takeout ordering), and a decent amount of capital to get started. Again, it’s easy to find demand for pizza in America since research shows that 40% of Americans claim to eat it at least once a week.

The Franchise Approach is Far Less Risky

Perhaps you’ve thought of making the bold leap into the pizza industry as a sole proprietor. While this isn’t impossible, you’ll find that the vast majority of restaurants operate as franchise systems for a reason. It’s way harder to develop a working restaurant operation on your own, inventing everything from scratch. Instead, it’s way more prudent to cooperate with a franchisor who can help you avoid trial-and-error business pitfalls, and often drive you toward profitability faster. This is also the more effective way to avoid turnover AND own multiple locations like Russo’s franchisee, Guillermo Medellin , who operates four pizzerias with us.

Just Beware: Some Pizza Companies are Better Than Others

Of course, if it was “easy,” everybody would do it. Sometimes, folks think running a pizzeria is simple, and fail spectacularly because they cannot adapt to consumer preferences or market shifts.

The bottom line is that you MUST only work with a viable pizza business. While there are a few different options, you should always evaluate a pizza franchisor for what it brings to the table. Do they offer legitimate on-board training for new franchisees? Has their brand succeeded in various communities? Will they supply you with reliable equipment like brick ovens, POS equipment, and so forth? Whatever you do, never plunge into a franchise agreement without doing your homework and evaluating your potential franchisor.

You can count on Russo’s New York Pizzeria to fulfill all your expectations as a viable pizza business franchisor. We have a proven record of success, based on a simple and learnable strategy, with multiple restaurant concepts , and offer all our franchisees everything they need to be successful. Plus, there’s never been a better time to enter the booming pizza industry.

Call us anytime at (832) 477-7597 to learn more about Russo’s lucrative franchise opportunities.

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Why is New York-Style Pizza the Best?

Mon, 20 Feb 2023 13:50:00 GMT

If you’re looking for a truly classic pizza experience, nothing beats the flavors of New York-style pizza . This iconic style is known for its large, foldable slices and distinctive thin crust. Whether you’re an experienced pizza aficionado or just getting started, here’s what you need to know about New York-style pizza.

At its core, New York-style pizza is defined by its classic round crust, usually made with bread flour, semolina, and/or cornmeal. This dough is stretched thin and hand-tossed to create the signature, thin crust. New York-style pizza also features a generous layer of tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese, with other toppings like pepperoni, mushrooms, onions, peppers, and olives often added.

What sets New York-style pizza apart from other styles of pizza isn’t just the ingredients and technique, but also how it’s cooked. New York-style pizza is always cooked in a brick oven that’s been preheated to temperatures of up to 700 degrees Fahrenheit. This imparts a unique char to the crust and helps to give the pizza its unique flavor, texture, and aroma.

It doesn’t take much to make a good New York-style pizza — just quality ingredients, some serious heat, and a bit of know-how. To make your own New York-style pizza, start by making the dough. You can find lots of great recipes online. Once the dough is ready, stretch it out thin and place it in the pizza pan. Top with tomato sauce, cheese, and any other toppings you like. Put the finished pizza in a preheated brick oven and bake at the higher temperature until the crust is golden and the cheese is bubbling. Once done, slice it up into big, thin slices and enjoy!

Whether you’ve had it dozens of times or it’s your first bite, there’s no denying the timeless classic flavors of New York-style pizza. Follow these steps and you’ll be well on your way to creating a pizza masterpiece in no time.

Chef Anthony Russo Perfects New York-Style Pizza

The son of first-generation Italian immigrants, Chef Anthony Russo grew up in a New Jersey home where the kitchen was the center of family life. There was always the opportunity to cook and bake in the Russo home, and many of the ingredients came from the family garden. Just like the one Grandpa and Nona Russo had back in Avellino, Italy.

These Italian experiences stuck with young Anthony long after his family moved to Galveston, Texas, in 1978. His father opened Russo’s Italian Restaurant, which quickly became a local favorite. Just like that, Anthony found a second home in the restaurant kitchen. By the age of 12, he was learning family recipes from relatives who flew in from Naples and Sicily each summer. Making pizza and squachatta (calzones) became a passion.

Using the family recipe for New York-style, hand-tossed pizza dough, the sauce made from fresh-crushed California tomatoes, and imported Italian cheese blends, Anthony became the sole owner and chef of his first restaurant Russo’s Pizza in the early 80’s. “It was 800 square feet. I had a pizza oven, a dough mixer and two tables. That’s it. I could only sit eight people.” A few years later, he created Anthony’s Pizzeria, located in Clear Lake, Texas, and soon moved to Houston.

For almost a decade, Anthony refined his menu using classic Italian family recipes and zeroed in on the perfect New York-style pizza. In 1992, Russo’s New York Pizzeria opened in downtown Houston, Texas and proved to be a success.

For Franchise Information, please visit our website: https://russosfranchise.com/

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5 Leading Industry Trends in the Pizzeria Business

Tue, 31 Jan 2023 21:36:00 GMT

We know that smart franchisees and entrepreneurs want to remain current on what’s happening across the pizza industry. If you take your eye off market changes and consumer trends, then you risk falling behind the power curve. That’s why we want to fill you in on what’s popular among pizza enthusiasts right now.

Check out these five data-backed trends you cannot afford to ignore as a pizzeria owner.

Streamlined, User-Friendly Menus

Although it’s important for us to offer a wide variety of pizza and pasta selections, we don’t want to overdo it. The numbers show folks prefer streamlined, comprehensible menus rather than too much complexity. That’s why 60% of restaurants have reverted to simpler menus after the pandemic .

Restaurant Patrons Seek Better Than What They Can Make

One of the main perks of going out to eat is enjoying a quality meal you can’t replicate in your kitchen. Now, we know that empirically since survey research suggests 78% of adult diners visit a restaurant for something they can’t make at home .

Fish Isn’t Popular

While many pizza customers are after novel toppings, the data shows us that fish is not one of them. Perhaps not surprisingly, 61% of pizza fans rate anchovies as their least favorite topping .

Both Comfort Food & Healthy Dining Are Lucrative

Pizza can be both a treat or a healthy meal, depending on how you make it. The good news is that both approaches (comfort food and healthy food) are a big hit these days. That’s why we continue to offer everything from meat lovers and giant slices to gluten-free or vegetarian pizza.

Patrons Like Novel Pizza Shapes

Another novel item that’s gaining popularity is the “pizza cone.” It involves rolling the crust into a cone shape before applying toppings. This is one of many ways pizzerias are experimenting with new shapes and creations. It’s also a reason Russo’s serves popular handheld items like sandwiches and calzones.

Have you noticed any of these pizza trends in your community?

At any rate, Russo’s New York Pizzeria will continue to monitor and adapt to the latest consumer demands in the pizza business . If you’re not already part of the Russo’s business family, we invite you to consider a career as a franchise owner. You’re welcome to contact us anytime to learn all about becoming a successful pizzeria entrepreneur by calling (832) 477-7597 .

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Halal Meat Pizza Toppings: Healthier than Conventional Meat?

Wed, 04 Jan 2023 20:04:00 GMT

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Pasta: From Origins to Kitchens

Thu, 01 Oct 2020 14:12:00 GMT

TO EAT IN THE PRESENT, WE MUST LEARN FROM THE PAST(A)

Did you know it’s believed that as early as 3000 BC the Chinese made noodle-like foods? But it wasn’t until 400 BC that pasta was found in parts of modern day Italy. Versions of pasta have made it’s home all over the world since then, and we’re here for it!

All month long we’ll be celebrating the history of pasta. From bowties and shells, to traditional spaghetti and fettuccine, we love all shapes and sizes of our noodle friends. How do you noodle? Check out our different types of pasta combos and dishes on the menu that highlight this traditional ingredient. And yes, we have healthy pasta options: gluten-free pasta comes in a couple styles, just ask your store for more information.

So how do you make pasta? It’s pretty simple. You make pasta with 4 ingredients: flour, egg, olive oil, and salt. It’s up to you to choose the quality of ingredients. Follow this recipe on how to make pasta that is similar to the one Anthony Russo uses in all of his restaurants.

This family sized pasta recipe calls for:
• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 6 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon salt (sea salt is the best!)
• 1 tablespoon Sicilian extra-virgin olive oil

1. Creating your pasta mixture
Clean a large table surface to mix all of the ingredients. Build your flour into a volcano-like shape. Add your eggs, olive oil, and salt directly into the center and gently mix everything together. Once the initial mixture starts to form, use your hands to incorporate more of the flour from the outer walls. Continue mixing until a giant ball forms.

2. Kneading the dough
Once your ball is formed, knead it for 10 minutes. The dough will start out dry and eventually become consistent and smooth. Incorporate drops of water if it’s still dry after 10 minutes, or dust flour if it’s too sticky. Shape into a ball, wrap it up in plastic wrap, and let rest at room temperature for about 30 minutes.

3. Prepping
Set aside two baking sheets with flour on them.

4. Rolling dough (Depending on your pasta rolling attachments (mechanical or manual) the following process may vary.)
• Slice the dough into a few pieces. Flatten into an egg-like shape like a disc. Run the dough through your pasta roller at its widest setting a few times.
• On your countertop, fold the dough’s short ends to the center, then fold the dough in half again, making a rectangle shape.
• Run the dough through your pasta roller at its next widest setting a few times. Repeat once on the more narrow settings each one more time.
• Repeat with all sections of the pasta dough.

5. Shape it up!
Depending how you want your pasta to be shaped, you may need to purchase attachments to run your pasta through. The simplest will be cutting strips by hand to make fettuccine, or using the whole sheet like in lasagna!

6. Cooking your pasta
Cook the pasta just like any store bought batch: in a pot of salted boiling water for 1 to 2 minutes.

7. Bon appetito!
Enjoy with toppings and sauces of your choice!

Have more than two people to feed? We’ve got you covered. Grab one of our Family Meal Deals, which serves 4-6, starting at only $49. Family Meal Deals come in different tiers, and you can combo different pastas trays within each. Breakdown below:
• $49 (choose from one below)
-Spaghetti with Meatballs half tray, house salad half tray, garlic bread half tray.
-Fettuccine Alfredo half tray, house salad half tray, garlic bread half tray.
-Baked Ziti half tray, house salad half tray, garlic bread half tray.
• $59 (choose from one below)
-Chicken Manicotti half tray, house salad half tray, garlic bread half tray.
-Eggplant Parmesan half tray, house salad half tray, garlic bread half tray.
-Chicken Piccata half tray, house salad half tray, garlic bread half tray.
• $69 (choose from one below)
-Chicken Parmesan half tray, house OR caesar salad half tray, garlic bread half tray.
-Russo’s Lasagna half tray, house OR caesar salad half tray, garlic bread half tray.
-Chicken Pesto Pasta half tray, house OR caesar salad half tray, garlic bread half tray.

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Why There’s No Better Time Than Now to Franchise with Russo’s

Tue, 28 May 2019 14:14:00 GMT

Whether you’re just starting you franchise search, or you already have a shortlist of possibilities, you probably know that the market for pizza is huge. Like most people, you probably eat pizza at least a few times a month and you have your favorite delivery place on speed dial.

But did you know that all around the world pizza consumption is on the rise? And did you know that Russo’s New York Pizzeria is primed to take the industry into its next iteration? Let us show you how:

PIZZA IS ON THE RISE GLOBALLY

Currently, pizza is a $135 Billion industry, and that’s projected to grow even larger over the next five years. Markets with rising levels of disposable income are expected to contribute heavily to that increase, as is a shift in consumer focus.

For a potential pizza franchisee, that means the future of pizza franchising, both in the US and abroad, is looking bright. Russo’s has opportunities available to capitalize on that trend and on the willingness of pizza consumers to seek out quality.

THE DAWN OF THE DISCERNING PIZZA EATER

Sometimes you just want something quick and you don’t care about much else. But more often you want something that tastes great, is made with fresh ingredients, and comes from a company that cares about quality. The tide of the pizza industry is turning firmly in favor of discerning customers who know quality when they see it, smell it, taste it, and post it to their newsfeeds.

Customers today, especially Millennials and Gen Zers, care about more than quick and cheap when it comes to their pizza. And they’re putting their money where their mouths are, choosing to frequent establishments that share their values. That’s pretty easy for Russo’s because we’ve held those values from day one.

QUALITY THEY CAN TASTE

Russo’s uses only the finest, all-natural ingredients. We make our sauces and dough from scratch in-house and our customers can taste the difference.

Franchising with Russo’s allows you to take part in our 6 – 8 weeks of training in a real, operating restaurant, learning how we source our ingredients and why that freshness matters. You’ll become a part of a system that puts quality over quantity, and that consistently delivers on that ideal.

QUALITY THEY CAN SEE

With the advent of the internet, it’s not enough to just taste great anymore. Our customers want to snap a pic of their pizza and post it for the world to see. And we’re happy to let them .

Every aspect of a new Russo’s New York Pizzeria franchise, from the location to the buildout to sliding that first pie out of the oven, is fully supported by the franchisor, to make sure it’s as pleasing to the eye as it is to the palate.

AUTHENTICITY THEY CAN FEEL

Customers today don’t just pop into the first pizza place they see down the street. They do their research. They read websites and reviews and expect their experience to meet or exceed what they’ve learned.

Russo’s has a long history of providing top-quality pizza, stretching all the way back to Chef Anthony Russo’s upbringing and Italian heritage. Being a Russo’s franchisee lets you capitalize on that history, that family atmosphere, and that tradition of quality that customers walk into every Russo’s expecting.

No one thinks choosing a franchise should be a spur-of-the-moment decision. But, knowing the pizza industry as well as we do, and knowing how well-positioned we are within its changing landscape, we feel pretty safe in saying that the time is right to join the Russo’s family.

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4 Ways Russo’s is Unique in the Pizza Industry

Tue, 14 May 2019 18:02:00 GMT

The pizza industry has no shortage of franchise options. Customers could probably eat at a different franchise every night for a month. But when you’re considering your future franchise, you want more than just another option. You want a commitment to quality and a unique place in the market — the things that keep customers coming back instead of trying the other guys.

At Russo’s New York Pizzeria, we’ve learned through our decades of pizza preparation that what customers want is a higher-quality experience. And what franchisees need is to get their hands in the dough and see pizza the way we do — as Italians.

Let’s look at some of the ways Russo’s is different than the other guys, as a pizza restaurant and a franchisor, so you can see why Russo’s is such a great franchise opportunity.

To Us, Freshness Matters

We have a pretty simple philosophy when it comes to freshness: If it isn’t fresh, we don’t serve it. Our tomatoes are grown exclusively for Russo’s on a California farm and our sauce and dough are made fresh daily. We use 100% all-natural ingredients and we even have gluten-free options.

Sure, it would be easier to get everything frozen, but since when is good food about taking the easy route? At Russo’s, we know that our customers want that fresh experience, so we make sure our franchisees are dedicated to rolling up their sleeves and making freshness a top priority.

Upscale-Casual is the Next Generation of Pizza

Success in any business requires keeping an eye on the industry. And we’re watching a shift in the desires of customers, from quick and cheap to fresh and refined. Our customers want that upscale-casual experience that other names in the pizza game can’t match.

Throughout the world, pizza is on the rise, and Russo’s is primed to be at the forefront of the high-quality pizza craze . Instead of pizza churned out from a factory, younger, more discerning pizza fans want to know that care went into their pie. That’s what Russo’s offers and that’s what we teach to each of our franchisees.

Hands-On Training Gets Your Fists in the Dough

As a Russo’s franchisee, you’re not just learning how to sell pizza, you’re learning how to take fresh ingredients and turn them into an unforgettable meal. You’re getting your hands dirty, literally and figuratively.

Our 6 – 8-week training program takes place in live, existing restaurants. We’re not going to sit you down in a classroom and expect you to pick up on something that takes hands-on experience to master.

From POS to recipes, from delivery to catering , we provide the highest degree of training so that every Russo’s franchisee is prepared to give their customers the highest degree of service. That care comes from our family background.

We’re Proud of Our Italian Heritage

You don’t have to be Italian to run a pizza restaurant, but it helps. And our commitment to quality, freshness, and an upscale experience comes directly from the family atmosphere that our founder, Chef Anthony Russo, was raised in.

When you become a Russo’s franchisee, you join that family and get to see firsthand how unique we are in the pizza industry. We don’t cut corners. We don’t rely on quantity over quality. We do things the right way, like our family always has. And our dedicated customers can tell the difference.

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How Russo’s New York Pizzeria Keeps Customers Craving for More

Tue, 23 Apr 2019 14:15:00 GMT

It’s easy to sell Russo’s New York Pizzeria products, especially since we only use high-quality ingredients. There’s no better way to showcase them than the high-resolution images we use for advertising purposes. However, our customer-shot social posts are just as appetizing and mouthwatering as our professional images.

But don’t take our word for it, see the proof for yourself below:

We’d say our customers’ work isn’t half bad. But our customers are just a small piece of getting the Russo’s word out to your community.

When it comes to marketing, we’ve got our franchisees covered. Not only do you get the benefit of national advertising reach, but you also get to work with vendors that give Russo’s franchisees preferred pricing for marketing materials, including branded menus, flyers, postcards and more.

MARKETING YOUR RUSSO’S RESTAURANT

During your grand opening, we provide what we like to call a Grand Opening Roadmap. This document details exactly how to promote and market your big day using Russo’s proven marketing and advertising strategies. We also help with local publicity to build buzz around your store.

All franchisees also get access to a library of customizable marketing templates, including door hangers, fliers, email blasts, and other guerilla marketing efforts. If you want to create marketing materials from scratch, our in-house design team can help with that, too.

Plus, we provide franchisees with a user-friendly website, equipped with online ordering and delivery capabilities. We give you website best practices support, as well as guidance on how to manage third-party delivery services to generate brand awareness in your market. We also have several catering partnerships that help get the word out about our franchisee-owned locations.

The Russo’s corporate marketing team closely monitors every store to see how well it’s performing. We believe that one-on-one guidance is the difference that makes or breaks a franchise. That’s why, every month, we analyze your market and go over what works and what doesn’t, together.

Our sophisticated marketing efforts aren’t the only thing that help grow your Russo’s Business.

4 REVENUE STREAMS HELP, TOO

Our franchise marketing and advertising efforts are solidified with the Russo’s business model’s four revenue streams.

1) SIT-DOWN DINING

When our customers decide to dine in, they come for the award-winning, made-to-order pizza but stay for the good times that come with it (a fine selection of wine and beer helps, too). Even better, our dine-in option proves to produce higher ticket averages.

2) DELIVERY

When our customers feel like staying in, we’re happy to bring our irresistible food directly to them. All they have to do is use the easy-to-navigate online ordering system we told you about earlier.

3) TAKEOUT

Many of our customers prefer to place an order for pick-up. On average, 20 to 40 percent of business comes from takeout orders, making this one of our most popular and profitable revenue streams. Plus, takeout allows our customers get the same great Russo’s taste, minus the tip.

4) CATERING

We take marketing and advertising seriously, but we’re also sure to never leave our franchisees hanging. We provide the support necessary to run your Russo’s business like a boss.

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How Russo’s Supports Its Franchisees

Tue, 26 Mar 2019 14:17:00 GMT

At Russo’s New York Pizzeria, there’s only one thing we care about more than our amazingly high-quality pizzas and authentic Italian offerings. That’s supporting every franchisee’s journey to the best of our abilities. We’re Italian; that makes our franchisees family.

From pre-opening support to ongoing training and marketing assistance, we’ve got you covered through and through. But let us tell you exactly how we have your back throughout your Russo’s journey.

HANDS-ON TRAINING

One of the things our franchisees love most is the hands-on training they get before opening their first Russo’s location. We do everything in our power to make sure you’re prepared before your big day.

It all starts with a four- to six-week training program at our Houston headquarters for you and up to three employees. Not only will we teach you our trade secrets and sacred family recipes, but the best part is your team gets to taste them, too.

DEDICATED REAL ESTATE TEAM

The beauty of owning a Russo’s is every location is unique in its own right. We can make our concept fit in locations as small as 1,500 square feet.

Our dedicated real estate team will help you identify and secure an optimized location for your franchise business after completing a market assessment. We even assist with lease negotiations. You’ll also work directly with a Russo’s architect to design the restaurant of your dreams.

GRAND OPENING ASSISTANCE

Rest assured knowing our team will be on-site to guide you before your opening day. We help train your staff to handcraft New York style pizza and Italian cuisine the Russo’s way. We also help create buzz around your location, using 20 years of proven Russo’s advertising and marketing strategies, including local public relations initiatives.

Oh, and every franchisee gets what we like to call the Russo’s Grand Opening Roadmap, a step-by-step guide to a successful first day of business.

PROVEN MARKETING INITIATIVES

We’ll give you a tool kit to help with digital, direct and grass-roots marketing in your neighborhood, including email blasts, door hangers, flyers and more. You’ll also get access to customizable marketing templates, as well as social media assets. We provide best practices on marketing your business. Additionally, we’ve developed a network of third-party marketing vendors (e.g. Local SEO ) and negotiated special pricing with them to help support your local store marketing efforts.

SUPPORT BEYOND YOUR GRAND OPENING

Our leadership team makes it a point to stay engaged and up to date with your progress. That means one-on-one guidance with operational, administrative and marketing initiatives from experienced Franchise Specialists. Together, we figure out what will work best in your market.

At Russo’s New York Pizzeria, we’re invested in your success, and the proof is in more than just the pizza. The numbers say it all; Russo’s boasts $972,891 average unit sales and an average net cash flow of 18.2 percent.* See how we measure up against other pizza franchise concepts for yourself: The Russo’s New York Pizzeria Difference .

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Pizza Industry Statistics Are in Our Favor

Tue, 12 Mar 2019 14:18:00 GMT

People love pizza, and the love for these savory pies only grows with each passing year. Today, at least 83 percent of consumers eat pizza once a month, while 43 percent of people eat it on a weekly basis. Although the obsession over pizza is here to stay, the demands of those who eat it are moving the industry in an interesting new direction.

Buying power is shifting from Baby Boomers to Generation Z and Millennials who want to pay more if it means better quality. As Technomic ’s Senior Manager of Consumer Insights, Anne Mills explains, “Increased demand for quality and authenticity is influencing consumers to become increasingly discerning about each component on their pizzas.”

Consumers are becoming more conscious of what they put in their body. In fact, 44 percent of pizza lovers choose operators who use fresh, high-quality toppings and ingredients. Here’s another interesting statistic: 49 percent of consumers seek more authentic pizza offerings.

Unlike their predecessors, today’s pizza lovers want more than a slice of pie that’s just “good enough.” They want something flavorful, memorable and Instagrammable .

The shift in pizza trends mean heavy hitters like Pizza Hut and Domino’s are looking for ways to make their offerings, service and restaurants feel more upscale. On the other hand…

RUSSO’S DOESN’T NEED TO CHANGE A THING

At Russo’s New York Pizzeria , we believe you shouldn’t have to travel to New York City (or Italy) to get a taste of truly authentic, quality Italian pizza, pastas or salads. We’re known for our gourmet-quality offerings served in a New-York-style setting and, our pizza is award-winning for a reason.

IF IT ISN’T FRESH, WE DON’T SERVE IT

While many of our big-brand competitors use frozen dough, we make ours fresh, using 100 percent Italian semolina wheat. That’s not all; we are extremely selective about where we source all of our ingredients, too. Here’s an example: we use vine-ripened tomatoes from California and pure mozzarella from a quaint, Wisconsin dairy farm.

Everything is carefully crafted and made in-house – our dough is hand-tossed and our cheese is sourced from a quaint dairy farm in Wisconsin. We even make pastas and dressings ourselves.

WE’RE PROUD OF OUR ITALIAN ROOTS

Italian cuisine is a social food; it’s something our founder, Chef Anthony Russo learned from an early age. He says eating was an emotional experience and the kitchen was the center of his family’s life. They taught him cooking techniques from Naples, Sicily and Avellino using ingredients from their backyard garden.

The Russos loved cooking so much, the patriarch of the family opened an Italian restaurant, where Chef Anthony refined his culinary skills. Mastering his craft in his father’s restaurant was the coal that fired his passion for making authentic Italian cuisine. It’s also what sparked the idea for Russo’s New York Pizzeria.

We are at the forefront of the change consumers want to see from the pizza industry. We offer picture-perfect food with quality taste to match. And numbers don’t lie – PMQ Pizza Magazine data reveals Russo’s consistently surpasses the average pizza chain’s single-store sales. Ask for a copy of our Franchise Disclosure Document for proof.

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A Pizza Franchise With 4 Distinct Revenue Streams

Tue, 26 Feb 2019 14:18:00 GMT

Considering franchising? You’re in the right place. Russo’s New York Pizzeria is an emerging franchise with four revenue streams, making a name for itself in the pizza industry. Here’s why:

OLD-WORLD COOKING GOES A LONG WAY

Italian old-world cuisine is a social food meant to excite and inspire celebration around the table. And that’s exactly what Russo’s New York Pizzeria provides its customers.

What we serve is hard to come by – particularly in the pizza industry – thoughtfully crafted, authentic Italian pizza, pasta and salad in an NYC-worthy environment, no matter where we’re located. Guillermo, a multi-unit franchisee in Texas describes our restaurants perfectly, “From the moment customers walk in, they know they’ve come somewhere special. They’re getting a true slice of New York.”

We stay away from packaged goods and only incorporate high-quality ingredients in our recipes. All of the vegetables we use as toppings and in our sauce are chopped or crushed by hand, while our dough is crafted in-house with 100 percent semolina wheat.

Our gourmet-quality dishes are artisanal, rich and flavorful, something we like to call an affordable luxury. Now that’s a high-value proposition. We don’t just follow a formula, we get in the kitchen and cook! More importantly, our family recipes have stood the test of time for hundreds of years. It’s what keeps customers coming back for more, every single day.

4 WAYS TO BUILD YOUR RUSSO’S BUSINESS

The Russo’s business model has four revenue streams to maximize our franchisees’ top line, making our concept highly competitive.

Sam Farouz, another one of our multi-unit franchisees in Texas, says it’s one of the biggest reasons he chose to franchise with Russo’s, “I really liked the business concept. It generates great returns because there are multiple sources of revenue.”

1) SIT-DOWN DINING

Americans eat out at least five or six times a week. And when our customers decide to dine in, they expect unpretentious excellence. They come for the award-winning, made-to-order pizza but stay for the good times that come with it (a fine selection of wine and beer helps, too). Oh, and it wouldn’t be New-York-style pizza if we didn’t also offer it by the slice.

Our dine-in option proves to produce higher ticket averages. Plus, our relationships with national partners help drive guests through your doors.

2) DELIVERY

Nearly 40 percent of adults say they aren’t eating in-restaurant as often as they’d like. When our customers feel like staying in, we’re happy to bring our irresistible food directly to them. All they have to do is use our easy-to-navigate online ordering system. With in-house delivery, we can ensure every guest gets Russo’s-quality service every time.

Having a delivery process built into the restaurant model allows our owners to maximize profitability and remain competitive in a market where other restaurants pay third-party companies to capture delivery orders.

3) TAKEOUT

Many of our customers prefer to place an order for pick-up. On average, 20 to 40 percent of business comes from takeout orders, making this one of our most popular and profitable revenue streams. Counter service also helps keep labor costs down. Plus, takeout allows our customers get the same great Russo’s taste, minus the tip.

4) CATERING

Fast-casual catering has grown 11 percent , year over year. That’s why we offer full-service catering, too. Parties, small and large, can choose from a full menu of Italian specialties or customize buffet-style service. We also have national partners, as well as, proven marketing strategies, that help drive catering sales.

There’s no doubt everyone who visits Russo’s can taste (and feel) the difference compared to competing pizza franchises who focus on quantity rather than quality. That’s what sets Russo’s apart from similar pizza franchise concepts.

With four revenue streams and gourmet-quality food for a reasonable price, it’s easier to capture more of the market share in your local area. Don’t believe us? Russo’s average sales beat those of the industry average for chain stores report by PMQ Pizza Magazine . Make the comparison yourself, reach out to us to learn more today.

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Why Russo’s Is the Only Pizza Franchise You Should Consider

Tue, 12 Feb 2019 21:37:00 GMT

PMQ Pizza Magazine calls the next generation of pizza lovers – Gen-Zers and Millennials – “ discerning diners ,” while Technomic’s Pizza Consumer Trend Report calls the group’s love for pies the “ Rise of the Pizza Connoisseurs .”

Research from these studies shows some pretty saucy findings:

43 percent of consumers eat pizza at least once a week
49 percent of consumers want more authentic pizza offerings
44 percent choose operators who use high-quality/fresh toppings and ingredients
44 percent choose operators who have the best crust

The Future of Pizza is Changing, No Matter How You Slice It

The Technomic study also asked consumers: Which types of regional pizzas would you consider ordering – California-style, St. Louis-style, Chicago-style or New York-style?

New York-style pizza took the biggest slice of the pie (pun intended) with 65 percent of consumers in its favor. The study concluded that Italian pizzas are on the rise as well.

Bruce Irving of Smart Pizza Marketing told PMQ Pizza Magazine , “The younger generation wants to know what’s in their food, and that’s a great opportunity for independents to dominate their market, because they can do that.”

The truth of the matter is people are willing to pay a little more for better-tasting food made with real ingredients. In an increasingly health-conscious world that feeds off a new-found obsession with quality, Russo’s New York Pizzeria stands out above the rest.

Remember the Statistics We Told You About Earlier?

Well, Russo’s fulfills every single one of them. Don’t believe us? Keep reading.

43 percent of consumers eat pizza at least once a week
Whether our customers need a Russo’s fix in our New-York-style restaurant or want to enjoy our pizza and Italian favorites from the comfort of their home, we have them covered. In fact, they can get a taste of our Italian masterpieces four different ways: sit-down dining, online ordering/delivery, takeout, and catering.

49 percent of consumers want more authentic pizza offerings
Russo’s recipes are 100 percent Italian. Although Chef Anthony Russo grew up in New Jersey, his parents immigrated to America from Italy. He learned how to cook in the kitchen of his father’s restaurant and from relatives visiting from Naples and Sicily. The recipes we use are more than 100 years old. And since we are a New-York-style pizzeria, we even offer our pizzas by the slice. It doesn’t get more authentic than that.

44 percent choose operators who use high-quality/fresh toppings and ingredients
Our pizza is award-winning for a reason; we never use packaged ingredients because above all, we value quality – and so do our customers. But what makes our pizza so great? We don’t believe in cutting corners and don’t mind getting our hands dirty.

For instance, we carefully make and hand-toss our dough in-house and hand-crush vine-ripened tomatoes for our sauce. Best of all, we don’t use a conveyor-belt oven; we use a brick oven to bake our New-York-style pizzas to perfection.

We don’t follow a formula, we get in the kitchen and cook using generations-old recipes that keep our customers’ mouths watering. Maybe this picture will get your mouth watering, too.

44 percent choose operators who have the best crust
We know we told you about the dough already, but we forgot to mention we make it with 100 percent semolina wheat, most commonly used in Italy. It’s how our crust gets its perfect golden coloring and unforgettable earthy aroma. Our proprietary flour doesn’t contain additives or preservatives either. We also have a gluten-free option available for more health-conscious guests.

It’s clear; the pizza industry is changing. While our most significant competitors are scrambling to meet the demands that come with the “Rise of Pizza Connoisseurs,” Russo’s barely has to lift a finger. We’ve been serving truly authentic, all-natural, gourmet Italian pizzas and cuisines since we began. And, we serve it in a warm and inviting, NYC-worthy environment.

If you’re looking to invest in a pizza franchise, do it with the guys who are already meeting today’s pizza trends, not struggling to keep up with them.

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Russo’s New York Pizzeria Difference

Tue, 29 Jan 2019 14:20:00 GMT

Pizza. Everybody loves it. You probably do, too. It’s likely one of the major reasons you’re thinking about investing in a pizza franchise in the first place. While it’s deliciously lucky to have limitless options to devour, it also means there are dozens of pizza franchises to choose from. How do you know which to pick?

Big-brand chains seem like the obvious choice, but there’s plenty of data (and complaints) that may change your mind.

WHAT BIG-BRAND PIZZA CHAINS ARE DOING WRONG

First and foremost, they fail their customers on a regular basis. Don’t believe us? Head to any social media platform and search the hashtag of any big-name pizza chain. The results are shocking.

There are never-ending complaints about terrible service and poor-quality food. You’ll find everything from unreasonably long wait times to employees and store managers denying making a mistake at all. Many pizza chains even use frozen dough – or worse – frozen pizzas altogether.

Here are some examples we pulled from public social media posts to give you a sample-sized taste of what we mean:

Yes, big-brand pizza franchises offer quick service and bargain prices, but that also means they have to compromise on something; more often than not, it’s quality. According to consumer trends, that’s a huge misstep in the wrong direction.

Technomic says to get ready for the “Rise of the Pizza Connoisseurs” who prefer quality above all else. PMQ Pizza Magazine says the next generation of pizza lovers is looking for more authentic offerings, fresh ingredients, healthy alternatives, and a fully integrated experience. They don’t mind being wined and dined in a more upscale restaurant environment either.

Foodservice Analyst, Diana Kelter, shares her findings in a recent Mintel Reports study, “As dining habits shift and the landscape gets more competitive, fast casuals look beyond what worked in the past and focus on what lies ahead, including more premium beverages and automation as well as the showcasing of specialty concepts on a mainstream stage.” The report also revealed fast-casual restaurants are “struggling to capture the dinner appeal.”

That’s why so many “Pizza Connoisseurs” are turning to smaller pizza chains that already meet their demands for higher quality everything.

What Russo’s Is Doing Right

At Russo’s New York Pizzeria , quality is the foundation for everything we do. Each pizza and dish is crafted with skill and care using fresh ingredients. That means we make everything in-house, including our unforgettably flavorful sauce and incredibly rich dough. Even our pasta is made fresh.

We’re talking about vine-ripened tomatoes, pure mozzarella cheese, 100-percent Italian semolina wheat…you get the picture. If you don’t, here are a few for reference:

We even have authentic Italian roots and use generations-old family recipes. Our founder, Chef Anthony Russo learned to cook from his parents who immigrated to the United States from Italy. He incorporates flavors from Naples and Sicily into each item on our extensive menu.

Italians are famously known for more than just their food but the experience that comes with eating it. Chef Russo says one of his favorite things about growing up was the memories his family created around the dinner table. That’s why we strive to recreate that feeling with every customer we serve. And we do it all in a New-York-style pizzeria setting.

In a world where consumers are willing to spend a little more for higher quality cuisine and a memorable experience, Russo’s beats out those big-name chains on all fronts.

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Bigger piece of the pie

Sun, 09 Sep 2018 14:20:00 GMT

Bigger piece of the pie

Russo’s New York Pizzeria and Italian Kitchen

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Grand Opening | Russo’s New York Pizzeria Pearland | Best Pizza Franchise

Wed, 01 Aug 2018 20:31:00 GMT

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Russo’s New York Pizzeria Strengthens its Presence in the Houston Area with Opening in Pearland

Mon, 30 Jul 2018 18:06:00 GMT

Multi-Unit Franchisee Opens at Premium Lifestyle, Dining and Shopping Development – Pearland Town Center

PEARLAND, Texas – Houston’s own Russo’s New York Pizzeria, the only authentic New York-style, Italian restaurant and pizzeria franchise concept, is now open in Pearland.

The location, which officially opened Monday, July 16, invites Pearland residents, commuters and visitors to savor the unmistakable tastes and ambiance of the chef-created, chef-inspired and chef-driven fast casual restaurant. Offering dine-in, takeout, delivery, and catering, Russo’s New York Pizzeria is passionate about menu innovation.

Russo’s New York Pizzeria in Pearland, which is located in Pearland Town Center at 11200 Broadway, Suite #635, joins more than 20 additional Russo’s Restaurants locations open in the Houston market.

“After the success of my first Russo’s location, opening a second location in the bustling Pearland Town Center was a strategic move that made sense for both myself and the brand,” said Sam Farouz, local resident and long-time owner of the Russo’s New York Pizzeria at the Marq-E Entertainment Complex in Houston. “Russo’s is popular here in Houston, across the country and abroad because every dish on our menu, whether it’s pizza or pasta, is handcrafted and made with fresh, top-notch ingredients. You’d be hard-pressed to find this type of authenticity at any other pizza restaurant in the area – and we’re honored to bring the Russo’s difference to Pearland.”

The inviting restaurant offers a full menu of authentic New York-style pizza and Italian dishes. Featuring a collection of wide, flat screen televisions and an open kitchen environment with a high-top pizza bar, Pearland’s new Russo’s New York Pizzeria is open for lunch and dinner with an extensive catering menu available, as well. The restaurant blends the freshness of fine ingredients with the magic created around a handcrafted Italian meal.

Farouz has been a member of the Russo’s New York Pizzeria family for decades, starting as a guest and then becoming a franchisee in 2003. He first fell in love with the food, and was then attracted to the franchise opportunity and culture associated with the Russo’s brand.

“Sam is such a valuable, longstanding member of the Russo’s Restaurants family,” said Chef Anthony Russo, CEO, founder and the creative culinary genius behind the brand. “His passion for restaurant operations, experience and commitment to quality makes him a great growth partner for Russo’s New York Pizzeria. I’m confident Sam will continue to carry on the Russo’s family tradition in Pearland.”

Russo’s New York Pizzeria garners a cult-like following for its truly authentic and delicious Italian dishes that trace their origins to a tight-knit family where the kitchen was the center of activity. Every dish is made from the freshest ingredients that are all natural with no preservatives, no additives and zero trans-fats, including its New York-style pizza. Chef Russo’s family promise, “If it isn’t fresh, don’t serve it!” is the mantra of each and every franchisee who is certified under the Russo’s brand operating criteria.

Russo’s recently announced the introduction of several creative new menu items. These new Italian inspired dishes blend generations of Russo family recipes with fresh, seasonal ingredients. Russo’s New York Pizzeria uses only the highest-quality and authentic ingredients. The restaurants import Pecorino Romano cheese from Emilia Romagna, Italy, aged-balsamic vinegar from a centuries-old vineyard in Italy, and, extra virgin olive oil from Partanna, Italy. Russo’s New York Pizzeria menu options are available at www.nypizzeria.com . For more information about the Pearland location, call (281) 272-6898.

About Russo’s Restaurants

Russo’s Restaurants is a national and international franchisor of the casual dining brand Russo’s New York Pizzeria. Based in Houston, Russo’s Restaurants is composed of a mix of corporate and franchised locations across Texas, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Florida. Russo’s has entered international markets as well, with locations in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah, in the United Arab Emirates. Chef Anthony Russo created Russo’s Restaurants by applying his unique, family recipes featuring New York-style pizza, handcrafted pasta dishes, calzones, salads, sandwiches, soups and desserts. At its heart, Russo’s Restaurants reflects Chef Anthony’s commitment to his New York roots where food and family come first. To learn more about Russo’s franchise development opportunities, visit www.russosfranchise.com .

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Unique Ingredients and Gourmet Flavors Shake Up Russo’s New York Pizzeria’s Summer Menu

Mon, 30 Jul 2018 18:06:00 GMT

Chef Anthony Russo Introduces New Menu Items, Focuses on Traditional Favorites and Shares the Art of Authentic Italian Cuisine

HOUSTON – “If it isn’t fresh, don’t serve it!” – that’s the Russo’s New York Pizzeria promise. The brand’s commitment to fresh, made-from-scratch food is the driving force behind its recently introduced menu items, which burst with new and exceptional flavors.

Chef Anthony Russo, founder and CEO of Russo’s New York Pizzeria and the brand’s creative culinary mind, announced today the introduction of several creative new menu items. These new Italian inspired dishes blend generations of Russo family recipes with fresh, seasonal ingredients. Russo’s New York Pizzeria uses only the highest-quality and authentic ingredients. The restaurant imports Pecorino Romano cheese from Emilia Romagna, Italy, aged-balsamic vinegar from a centuries-old vineyard in Italy, and, extra virgin olive oil from Partanna, Italy. The restaurant’s new menu items build on that commitment to authenticity.

“High-quality, authentic ingredients are the key to making sensational food – and if that requires going the extra mile and sourcing items from around the world, we do it,” said Chef Russo. “The new dishes on our menu, which include 100-year-old family recipes, feature nutrient-rich ingredients that focus on authentic favorites with a healthy twist. We’re excited to bring these fresh flavors to our loyal following. The new items will complement our existing dishes perfectly.”

Russo’s New York Pizzeria – which offers dine-in, takeout, delivery, and catering – is passionate about menu innovation. The new appetizer, salad, signature entrée and five pizzas are perfectly crafted to showcase fresh, high-quality ingredients, highlighting Chef Russo’s commitment to imaginative new tastes.

Cauliflower Fritti – Fresh cauliflower, lightly fried with Italian seasoning, served with Russo’s pomodoro sauce
Chicken Avocado Salad – Grilled chicken, romaine lettuce, sliced avocado, arugula, kalamata olives, Roma tomatoes, feta cheese, cucumber and pepperoncini served with honey mustard dressing
Sicilian Trio – Russo’s lasagna, fettuccine and alfredo and handmade gnocchi pesto
Cauliflower Pizza – Roasted cauliflower, smoked pancetta ham, Italian sausage, Portabella mushrooms, mozzarella cheese and Sicilian extra virgin olive oil garlic sauce
Pizza Villagio – Grilled chicken, Portabella mushrooms, arugula, mozzarella, Kalamata olives, sun-dried tomatoes, Gorgonzola cheese and Sicilian extra virgin olive oil garlic sauce
Bianca Pizza – Buffalo mozzarella, prosciutto di Parma, fresh arugula, mozzarella cheese and Sicilian extra virgin olive oil garlic sauce
Prosciutto & Fig Pizza – Prosciutto di Parma, arugula, basil, fig spread, Sicilian extra virgin olive oil, mozzarella and balsamic glaze
Truffle Mushroom Pizza – Fresh Portabella mushrooms, mozzarella cheese and truffle olive oil sauce, topped with fresh arugula

The new chef-driven menu items are now on display at NYPizzeria.com .

“We are committed to staying ahead of dining trends,” said Chef Russo. “It’s a joy to be able to create new dishes and pizza varieties for our life-long fans.”

In 1978 he family opened its first Russo’s restaurant, and the brand’s commitment to quality has been second-to-none for more than 40 years. Russo’s New York Pizzeria uses only all-natural flour and hand rolls and proofs its dough daily in its restaurants.

Russo’s New York Pizzeria and its traditional Italian recipes trace their origins to a tight-knit family where the kitchen was the center of activity. The restaurant is renowned for its show-stopping classics, such as homemade lasagna, authentic New York-style pizza, handcrafted alfredo, marinara, marsala and pesto sauces, pasta a la vodka, eggplant parmesan and pasta di mare.

Russo’s Restaurants offers a rare franchise opportunity for entrepreneurs interested in an established brand that is entirely chef-created, chef-inspired and chef-driven. Russo’s New York Pizzeria is the only authentic New York-style, Italian restaurant and pizzeria franchise concept. To learn more, please visit, www.russosfranchise.com .

About Russo’s Restaurants

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Chef Anthony Russo’s Brings the Magic of a New York Pizzeria to Homes Across Texas

Mon, 16 Jul 2018 18:07:00 GMT

Innovative New Varieties of Handmade Premium Frozen Pizzas Now Available at Nearly 600 Grocery Stores Statewide

HOUSTON – Chef Anthony Russo’s , the Texas-based retail line behind the world-famous Russo’s New York Pizzeria restaurant chain, has partnered with major grocers, including Kroger, H-E-B, and Randalls, to bring its fresh, handmade and artisanal frozen pizzas to more than 600 grocery stores in Texas. The partnerships will allow shoppers across the state to enjoy the innovative, fresh flavors synonymous with the Russo’s brand in their own homes.

Chef Anthony Russo’s has revolutionized the frozen pizza category by delivering a great tasting and quality-driven pizza to the frozen foods aisle. The innovative creations include:

Chicken Rustica – Topped with grilled white chicken, fresh Roma tomatoes, fresh spinach, feta and mozzarella cheeses, olive oil and garlic sauce.
Mulberry – Made with authentic Italian sausage, perfectly spiced pepperoni, Canadian bacon, crumbled beef, mozzarella cheese and full-flavored pizza sauce.
Margherita – A classic-style pizza made with fresh Roma tomatoes, basil, olive oil and premium mozzarella cheese.
New York-Style Cheese – Classic New York-style thin crust cheese pizza with house-made pizza sauce, mozzarella cheese and Italian seasoning.
Pepperoni – New York-style thin-crust pizza loaded with pepperoni, shredded mozzarella cheese and Chef Russo’s house-made sauce.
Greek Pizza – Fresh spinach, juicy Roma tomatoes, Italian black olives, fresh feta and mozzarella cheeses, garlic and extra virgin olive oil.

“Frozen pizza shouldn’t compromise flavor, which is why we prepare our products by hand using the same quality, ingredients and methods as we do in our restaurants,” said Chef Anthony Russo, founder and CEO of Russo’s Restaurants and the creative mastermind for the retail line. “Our recent partnerships with the largest grocers in Texas allow us to bring the unmistakable, better-tasting Russo’s pizza experience to the homes of our lifelong fans and neighbors. We want to make great pizza available to all and these partnerships allow us to do just that.”

Chef Anthony Russo’s products offer diverse and extraordinary flavors, reflecting the brand’s commitment to delivering top-of-the-line frozen pizza with fresh (never pre-frozen), high-quality restaurant-grade ingredients. The pizzas contain no additives, preservatives, artificial flavors, nitrates, rSBT or rennet. Handcrafted with Russo’s family recipe since 1978, each pizza uses premium 100 percent mozzarella cheese, Chef Anthony’s sauce made with fresh-packed Roma tomatoes and extra virgin olive oil imported from the Russo family olive grove in Sicily.

Each of the New York-style pizzas, all of which are gluten-free, is handcrafted with the finest ingredients to ensure quality that lives up to the Russo Family Promise. They were perfected over a span of six months in Chef Anthony’s private kitchen, which included crafting a great tasting authentic, New York-style crust that is unmatched in quality. Chef Anthony Russo’s commitment to quality will not only delight consumers, it also positions the brand to revolutionize the frozen foods space.

While Chef Anthony’s desire to provide gluten-free options to diners is evident, he also has a true passion for supporting the Celiac community. Celiac disease, the inherited autoimmune disorder that affects the digestive process of the small intestine, affects 1 in 133 people making United States the largest gluten-free market globally.

Russo’s is responding to the demand for gluten-free products with a variety of frozen pizzas – the same pizzas made from high-quality ingredients that are sold in its more than 45 restaurants worldwide – that far exceed the quality of your everyday frozen pizza, and any other gluten-free pizza found in the frozen section of grocery stores. With six delicious pizza options – some vegetarian – there’s something for everyone.

Chef Anthony Russo’s all natural, gluten-free pizza has been called one of the “Cleanest Packaged Foods” by Prevention Magazine . Additionally, Muscle and Fitness Magazine named it as the “Nutrition Edge Food of the Month.”

A family-owned business since 1978, Chef Russo’s recipes are handcrafted, authentic and personal to his Italian roots. The Russo’s family promise, “If it isn’t fresh, don’t serve it,” has been at the heart of Russo’s New York Pizzeria, the restaurant concept Chef Anthony Russo first opened more than 25 years ago and is now successfully franchising globally.

Russo’s Restaurants is a national and international franchisor of the fast casual dining brand Russo’s New York Pizzeria. Based in Houston, Russo’s Restaurants is composed of a mix of corporate and franchised locations across Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Tennessee, Florida and Hawaii. Russo’s has entered international markets as well, with locations in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah, in the United Arab Emirates.

For more details, visit www.russosretail.com .

About Chef Anthony Russo’s Retail

Chef Anthony Russo’s retail products reflect the brand’s authentic Italian roots and passion for freshness and quality. Available at more than 3,000 retailers nationwide, including Kroger TX, H-E-B, Ingles, Smart and Final, Alberstons TX, Fairways Market, and Randall’s, Chef Anthony Russo’s all natural, gluten-free pizza has been called one of the “Cleanest Packaged Foods” by Prevention Magazine . Chef Anthony Russo perfected his New York-style, thin crust gluten-free recipe over a span of two years using the finest and freshest Italian ingredients.

For more information and to find products near you, visit www.russosretail.com .

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Franchising Magnate Jeff Moosa Adds Russo’s Restaurants to Portfolio; Acquires Richardson Location

Fri, 13 Jul 2018 18:09:00 GMT

Deal Signed with Prominent Restaurateur Zafar “Jeff” Moosa to Expand Brand’s Texas Footprint

RICHARDSON, Texas – Russo’s Restaurants announced today a development deal with distinguished franchising entrepreneur Zafar “Jeff” Moosa. Backed with more than 30 years of experience in the restaurant franchising industry, Moosa adds the Russo’s name to his portfolio through the acquisition of the Richardson, Texas Russo’s Coal-Fired Italian Kitchen, located at 700 E Campbell Rd. Through the agreement, he will also significantly expand Russo’s Restaurants’ Texas footprint across Dallas, Fort Worth and San Antonio.

Chef Anthony Russo, the brand’s creative culinary mind, founder and CEO of Russo’s Restaurants, the multi-brand franchisor of both Russo’s Coal-Fired Italian Kitchen and Russo’s New York Pizzeria, inked the agreement with Moosa. Moosa’s restaurant franchise investments and operations also include several Taco Bell, Captain D’s and Golden Chick locations. He’s also a former franchisee of Jack in the box and Church’s Chicken.

“Our current pace of growth in Texas – and beyond – is unprecedented for our brands,” said Russo, who has 40 years of culinary expertise featuring fresh, homemade Italian cuisine using family recipes. “With Jeff’s business acumen behind the Russo’s brand, we are equipped to introduce our concepts to more families, friends and business associates. In addition to Jeff’s recent investment, we’re seeing tremendous interest and growth this year with franchising partners in the U.S. and internationally.”

Russo’s Restaurants offers a rare franchise opportunity for entrepreneurs like Moosa interested in proven brands that are entirely chef driven. Beyond consumer convenience, Russo’s is leading the Italian dining category by creating a business model that offers:

A smaller footprint (1,500 – 3,500 sq. ft.) for less overhead
A low-cost entry into the restaurant business with an initial investment starting around $395,000 in select markets
A focus on fresh ingredients to subtract additional supply costs for preservatives and packaging, and also to meet consumer’s demand for quality food
Online ordering, takeout and free delivery options for added customer value

Recently, Chef Anthony shook up the restaurant industry and strengthened his brands’ franchise opportunity by introducing the “Next Generation Pizza & Italian” restaurant model–ideal for on-the-go diners looking for authentic Italian cuisine at shopping malls, strip centers and airports.

The restaurant design and environment blends the freshness of a fine Italian restaurant with the magic created around a homemade Italian meal. Plus, the unique, open kitchen design and one-of-a-kind pizza bar provides guests with the chance to enjoy watching Russo’s chefs prepare their hand-tossed pizzas and homemade meals fresh from scratch and to take in the aromas of authentic Italian cooking.

Moosa continues Russo’s initiative to open dozens of locations across Texas. The family-focused original Italian concept has established itself as a Texas-favorite through its growing presence across the state, especially in large cities such as Houston, Austin, San Antonio and Dallas. In 2018, the brand’s key development focus in Texas is on the Dallas and Fort Worth territories in addition to three in-state openings, one in Austin and two in Houston. For more information on Russo’s available territories in Texas, please visit the link below.

Beyond Texas, the brand also has a U.S. franchising focus throughout key markets including Florida, the Northeast and the middle section of the country. Internationally, key growth territories include the Middle East, Asia and Western Europe.

To learn more about the Russo’s Coal-Fired Italian Kitchen in Richardson, visit https://russosrichardson.com . For more on Russo’s franchise development opportunities, visit https://russosfranchise.com , or call Chef Anthony Russo at (832) 477-7597.

About Russo’s Restaurants

Russo’s Restaurants is a national and international franchisor of the fast casual and casual dining brands Russo’s New York Pizzeria and Russo’s Coal-Fired Italian Kitchen. Based in Houston, Russo’s Restaurants is composed of a mix of corporate and franchised locations across Texas, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Florida. Russo’s has entered international markets as well, with locations in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah, in the United Arab Emirates. Chef Anthony Russo created Russo’s Restaurants by applying his unique, family recipes featuring New York-style pizza, and by developing a broad variety of handcrafted pasta dishes, calzones, salads, sandwiches, soups and desserts. At its heart, Russo’s Restaurants reflects Chef Anthony’s commitment to his New York roots where food and family come first. To learn more about Russo’s franchise development opportunities in the Middle East, visit www.russosfranchise.com .

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Russo’s New York Pizzeria Kicks Off Fundraiser for Life-Saving Cancer Research

Fri, 13 Jul 2018 18:08:00 GMT

Authentic New York-style Pizza Restaurant Launches Brand-wide Fundraising Campaign to Benefit Leukemia & Lymphoma Society

HOUSTON – For the next couple months, Russo’s New York Pizzeria restaurants throughout the region are banding together in support of 1.3 million Americans living with blood cancer.

From January 19-March 1, participating pizzerias are rallying their diners to donate an additional $1 to their bill. The goal is to cure blood cancer once and for all. 100 percent of donations collected at Russo’s will go to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) toward research and assistance programs aimed at helping those with leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin’s disease and myeloma live longer, healthier lives.

“Countless loved ones, including members of my own family, have been struck with cancer and have battled through the hardship,” said Chef Anthony Russo, founder and CEO. “My heart breaks to see people close to me suffer through this terrible disease, so we’re doing everything we can to support LLS’s live-saving research. And how do you cure cancer? You donate.”

Russo’s New York Pizzeria’s fundraising initiative runs parallel to the LLS’s Student of the Year campaign—a philanthropic development program that calls upon the most engaged high-school students and provides them an opportunity to plan and implement their own fundraising campaign for people who have blood cancers and are survivors. Russo’s New York Pizzeria is sponsoring one of the Houston-area students, Anson Moore, by hosting the brand-wide fundraiser to amplify the donation efforts. Donations to the LLS Student of the Year campaign can be made here: https://events.lls.org/txg/HoustonSOY2018/amoore .

What started as a family-owned establishment in Houston in 1992, Russo’s New York Pizzeria features a full menu of authentic New York-style pizza and Italian dishes, blending the freshness of fine ingredients with the magic of a handcrafted Italian meal. Beyond the brand’s specialty traditional crust and gluten-free pizzas, menu items include fresh salads, soups and made-from-scratch sauces and pastas: authentic Italian cannoli, fresh-baked, Italian flatbread sandwiches and, of course, hand-tossed pizzas are just some of the distinctive menu items.

For more information on Russo’s New York Pizzeria, visit www.nypizzeria.com . And for more information on The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, visit www.lls.org .

About Russo’s Restaurants

Russo’s Restaurants is a national and international franchisor of the fast casual and casual dining brands Russo’s New York Pizzeria and Russo’s Coal-Fired Italian Kitchen. Based in Houston, Russo’s Restaurants is composed of a mix of corporate and franchised locations across Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Tennessee, Florida and Hawaii. Russo’s has entered international markets as well, with locations in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates: Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Sharjah. Chef Anthony Russo has created his concepts from years of applying his unique, family recipes featuring New York-style pizza, along with a broad variety of handcrafted pasta creations, calzones, salads, sandwiches, soups and desserts, reflecting his commitment to his New York roots where food and family come first. To learn more about Russo’s franchise development opportunities visit www.russosfranchise.com or call us at 1.855.978.7767.

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Entrepreneur Magazine Named Russo’s Restaurant Top 200 Food and Restaurant Franchises of 2018

Fri, 13 Jul 2018 18:08:00 GMT

Russo’s New York Pizzeria Ranked #24 in Full-service Restaurants

HOUSTON – Russo’s New York Pizzeria was recently ranked number 24 on Entrepreneur “Top 200 Food and Restaurant Franchises List of 2018”.

This prestigious ranking reflects the substantial growth the company has seen in the past year. Further, the ranking comes just as the brand premieres its innovative new menu that blends generations of Russo family Italian recipes with fresh quality ingredients.

“We’re honored to be included in Entrepreneur’s prestigious Top 200 ranking for the second year in a row. It validates the drive, commitment to quality and innovation behind Russo’s Restaurants,” said Chef Anthony Russo, CEO and founder of Russo’s Restaurants. “This ranking is a testament to the support, strength and success of our brand.”

The key factors that go into Entrepreneur ’s evaluation include costs and fees, size, growth, support, brand value, and financial strength and stability. All franchises are given a cumulative score based on more than 150 data points, and the 500 franchises with the highest cumulative scores become the Franchise 500 ^® in ranking order. The Top 200 rankings are based on the score each company received when evaluated by the Franchise 500® formula.

“We spend months gathering and crunching data in order to produce the Franchise 500 ranking. We’re proud of the result and the way it continues to be a resource for the franchise community,” says Jason Feifer, editor in chief of Entrepreneur . “Like every industry, franchising is ever-evolving and must smartly react to new technologies and consumer demands. We know it takes a lot to stay competitive, and are excited to celebrate those that do it best.”

Russo’s New York Pizzeria garners a cult-like following for its truly authentic and delicious Italian dishes made from the freshest ingredients, and its New York-style pizza. The restaurants blend premium recipes with the freshest ingredients that are all natural with no preservatives, no additives and zero trans-fats. Chef Russo’s family promise, “If it isn’t fresh, don’t serve it!” is the mantra of each and every franchisee who is certified under the Russo’s brand operating criteria.

To view Russo’s New York Pizzeria in the full ranking, visit: https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/313513

To learn more about Russo’s New York, visit: https://nypizzeria.com .

About Russo’s Restaurants

Russo’s Restaurants is a national and international franchisor of the fast casual and casual dining brand Russo’s New York Pizzeria. Based in Houston, Russo’s Restaurants is composed of a mix of corporate and franchised locations across Texas, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Florida. Russo’s has entered international markets as well, with locations in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah, in the United Arab Emirates. Chef Anthony Russo created Russo’s Restaurants by applying his unique, family recipes featuring New York-style pizza, and by developing a broad variety of handcrafted pasta dishes, calzones, salads, sandwiches, soups and desserts. At its heart, Russo’s Restaurants reflects Chef Anthony’s commitment to his New York roots where food and family come first. To learn more about Russo’s franchise development opportunities in the Middle East, visit www.russosfranchise.com .

To learn more about Russo’s franchise development opportunities, visit www.nypizzeria.com .

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Texasfoodgawker

Mon, 21 May 2018 14:22:00 GMT

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What is a franchise fee?

Fri, 18 May 2018 14:26:00 GMT

The money that franchisees invest in the proprietary franchising system is what is known as the franchise fee. The fee essentially grants entrepreneurs the rights to operate an independent location of that franchise at a certain location under the brand name. Paying the upfront franchise fee unlocks the door to the franchisors’ proprietary business systems and more.

Franchising fees in the fast casual and casual dining segment vary widely and can range from around $25K to upwards of $50K. Russo’s New York Pizzeria franchise fee is $39,500 for a single unit or discounted to $29,500 per location in an area development. Or in some cases, a franchisor may offer a Master Franchise or Area Development, which allows a franchisee to license more than one location. Franchisees typically pay an initial franchising fee to cover upfront transfer of proprietary materials and to get the business started. Once the business is launched, franchisees may also pay an ongoing royalty fee which is payment to the franchisor for continued use of proprietary materials, the investment in research and development, new business strategies, and continued national and regional marketing materials.

The franchise fee amount even within one casual dining segment can vary depending on the kind of model the entrepreneur is looking to buy from a low footprint model to a higher end experience.

A few franchisors might dangle the promise of decreased franchise fees as way of luring franchisees into signing on the dotted line but in franchising, as in everything else, you get what you pay for. Russo’s franchise fee is $49,500 and in turn franchisees get to a part of the best restaurant franchise.

The Russo’s franchise fee, which varies between $29,500 and $39,500, covers a whole assortment of valuable services that help businesses get on the right track. Russo’s franchise fees includes help with site selection, access to marketing materials and proprietary recipes, extensive training onsite and off, front-of-house (FOH) and back-of-house (BOH) operations and staffing and additional valuable business strategies.

Russo’s is leading the Italian dining category by creating a business model that offers:
A smaller footprint (1,500-3,500 sq. ft.) for less overhead
A low-cost entry into the restaurant business with an initial investment starting around $454,350 in select markets
Average food costs and labor costs are 20.7% and 25.2% respectively*
Average sales volume per franchised unit is $ $988,401*

You get what you pay for when it comes to franchising

The Italian restaurant franchise has been tweaking its recipes and procedures for more than 30 years. Additionally, Russo’s franchisees are our partners and are like family, and by buying into the system, they bring an additional degree of commitment to building the brand from the ground up.

The Russo’s franchise fee includes:
Access to marketing materials, recipes, handboooks
Help with site selection and lease negotiation
Business advice
Architect consultant for buildout
Lists for furnishing, decor, lighting, kitchen ordering, and inventory
Help with developing soft and grand opening timelines
Extensive training at home office and on-location training for two weeks once the new restaurant is built
Training in 100+ year old recipes, the “secret sauce” of Russo’s product
FOH & BOH operations and staffing
Assistance with benchmarking and consultation on business plan
Help with grand opening marketing and PR plan

Investing into a ground-floor opportunities is one of the most exciting aspects being a Russo’s franchisees. The owners are investing in great food, and also in the potential to have a prominent seat at the table as the restaurant franchise makes rapid inroads into new territories in the near future. Being a part of an emerging brand like Russo’s is a great way for passionate entrepreneurs to channel their expertise into a venture that’s slated for rapid growth.

Franchise fees that go above and beyond

With the franchise fees, franchisees access extensive suite of marketing materials, recipes and handbooks. Site selection is an important component of business success and Russo’s experienced real estate team goes out, tours the area, reviews and approves the franchisee’s site. Because the Italian restaurant franchise has decades of experience with these procedures, Russo’s helps franchisees hone their business specifically for their market.. Russo’s also helps with lease negotiation and analyzes demographic trends in the area so franchisees can fine tune their business strategies.

With Russo’s, franchisees also get training on every aspect of the restaurant business from front-of-house to back-of-house operations to marketing and public relations. The Italian restaurant franchise supports its franchise partners with every kind of material and training and ongoing support needed to truly build a successful location. Given that the cost of consultants for each aspect of routine business operations is extremely steep, the Russo’s franchise fee is a true bargain as it gives franchisees a proven formula and access to consulting and strategies to make the system work.

Hot concept in demand

Equally important, the demand for a pizza franchise like Russo’s is skyrocketing. The fast-casual concept that Russo’s is based on is growing at a steady clip. A Technomic report showed that the industry grew by 8.1 percent in 2016. Of that, pizza is currently the largest sector at 37 percent.

The Russo’s Italian restaurant franchise is spearheaded by experienced team members who know what it takes to win a significant slice of the industry. Rex Street, Director of Operations, Kyle Dennis, Sous Chef Trainer, and Lynn Zeller-Aldana, Sr. Director of Training and Development, are just few of Russo’s staff who routinely share their expertise for franchisee success.

At the end of the day, you get what you pay for when it comes to franchising. Russo’s franchising fees cover every aspect of the fast-casual restaurant business and gives its franchisee partners a comprehensive arsenal of tools to ensure long-lasting success in a market where demand for quality food continues unabated.

Visit Russo’s Restaurants to learn more about what it means to become a franchisee.

* These figures represent the average restaurant revenue of six (6) U.S. domestic Company-operated Russo’s New York Pizzeria locations of various designs and sizes for fiscal year ending December 31, 2016, along with average Food Costs and Net Income for the six (6) U.S. domestic Company-operated Russo’s New York Pizzeria outlets only. Actual results could vary substantially from unit to unit and Franchisor cannot estimate the results of any particular franchise

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Russo’s New York Pizzeria Opens In Cedar Park

Sun, 01 Apr 2018 14:21:00 GMT

Russo’s New York Pizzeria, one of the most iconic, authentic New York pizzerias in the Lone Star State, is now open in Cedar Park. The location , which officially opened Monday, March 19, offers authentic New York-style pizzeria.

The popular, chef driven, fast casual Italian restaurant — “that brings to life old-world charm and hospitality,” officials described — is located within the Cypress Creek Plaza at 1320 Cypress Creek Rd. Suite #120 . Russo’s Cedar Park location is one of three locations now open in the Austin area, including an existing spot in Pflugerville.

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Meet Chef Anthony Russo at the AAHOA Convention & Trade Show

Wed, 28 Mar 2018 14:27:00 GMT

You’re invited to meet Chef Anthony Russo, the creative culinary mind, founder and CEO of chef-driven concepts Russo’s New York Pizzeria and Russo’s Coal-Fired Italian Kitchen, at the Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA) Convention & Trade Show.

Chef Anthony Russo will be meeting with interested and qualified investors while at the AAHOA Convention & Trade Show (Booth 788).

The event will be held at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland from March 27-30.

Prospective franchisees are welcome to sample Russo’s Italian cuisines and learn a bit more about Russo’s three compelling franchise models: Russo’s New York Pizzeria, Russo’s Coal-Fired Italian Kitchen and Russo’s Next Generation Pizza & Italian. These adaptable models have the flexibility to be added to hotels as a value-add for savvy hotel owners.

Especially attractive to investors looking to add value to their hotels is the full-service Russo’s Coal-Fired Italian Kitchen concept. Upscale and chic, the restaurant’s dark wood interior and large coal-fired oven lend a cozy, classy feel for customers to enjoy a glass of wine and an authentic Italian meal.

The time is now to grab your very own slice of the $45 billion pizza industry. According to PMQ , both the US and worldwide pizza markets have grown from 2016 to 2017, with even more growth projected in 2018. Even better, the study found that average unit sales are on the rise as well, making it a great time to invest in a pizza franchise such as Russo’s.

Russo’s Restaurants have garnered a cult-like following for its truly authentic and delicious Italian dishes made from the freshest ingredients, and its New York-style pizza. The restaurants blend premium recipes with the freshest ingredients that are all natural with no preservatives, no additives and zero trans-fats. Chef Russo’s family promise, “If it isn’t fresh, don’t serve it!” is the mantra of each and every franchisee who has been certified and mastered the Russo’s brand operating criteria.

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Russo’s Italian Catering Services Are the Secret Ingredient For a Hit Event

Mon, 05 Mar 2018 14:30:00 GMT

An extensive variety of menu options that accommodate varied dietary restrictions and palates means Russo’s is the best catering solution

Old-world Italian pizzerias focus on fresh ingredients, superior taste and a sense of warmth around shared food. Chef Anthony Russo has been steeped in that tradition ever since he learned the craft of homestyle Italian cooking in his grandmother’s kitchen. Now, he brings that same Old-World rustic taste and handcrafted goodness to his restaurants across the country. What’s more, you don’t have to travel far to bite into a taste of authentic Italian, because Russo’s restaurants offer the best catering services tailored to your every need. This means you can enjoy the delicacies from Russo’s New York pizzeria at home, an event or at work. Russo’s Italian catering takes care of all the cooking while you enjoy the festivities.

Russo’s delivers and sets up mouthwatering Italian delicacies and has a range of menu options to suit every palate. You can choose from Russo’s famous homemade meatballs, garlic knots and calamari fritti among a variety of appetizers or start with a caprese or chicken and kale pesto salad. Choose from over a dozen different pasta presentations including specialties such as pasta flava and penne arrabbiata.

Delicious Italian dishes are anchored by Russo’s extensive selection of pizzas made from a proprietary recipe. Choices include Chicken Rustica, Paesano Napoletana, Caprese, Greek, and many more. Catering options can also include custom pizza options where you can choose from sizes and sauces including homemade pizza to olive oil garlic sauce. You can customize the cheeses, too, from buffalo mozzarella to Romano and top it off with an assortment of fresh vegetables and meats.

Vegetarian lovers of fine Italian food also have plenty to choose from Russo’s with our affordable catering menu. There’s the Heart-Healthy Veggie, Vegetarian, Margherita, Spinach, Kale and Artichoke and Mona Lisa pizzas and many kinds of pasta and salad dishes as well.

Chef Russo is particularly committed to ensuring a variety of gluten-free options. Russo’s serves the best gluten free pizza including gluten free Margherita, gluten free Mulberry (Italian sausage, pepperoni, Canadian bacon, hamburger, and mozzarella, with homemade pizza sauce) and gluten free Chicken Rustica. Gluten free soups and salads add to the assortment for those with dietary restrictions.

Catering can be customized according to your needs and budget. The Pizza Party option delivers Russo’s famous X-large 28” Party Pizza that can serve up to 10, perfect for birthday parties for hungry kids. Complement the pizzas with fresh Italian entrees and salads and even delicious antipasto trays. Russo’s family-style catering options feature family-style entrees such as Eggplant Parmesan, Chicken Marsala, Veal Parmesan and more. Each tray serves 6-8 people.

Looking for corporate catering? Russo’s boxed lunch options made with delectable Italian flatbread are perfect for lunch meetings and brainstorming sessions. Lunch box sandwiches include one cookie and a choice of House, Greek, or Caesar salad. Handcrafted sandwiches can include Chicken Portobello, Sausage and Peppers, Primavera, Eggplant Parmesan and more. Russo’s full assortment of New York pizzeria style authentic Italian dishes with gourmet pizzas and specialty pastas can add a dash of cheer to holiday events or larger corporate events. The trays serve up to six people.

Affordable catering options from Russo’s work especially well to feed large crowds of hungry kids. Parents approve because the delicious Italian dishes are made with care using fresh, healthy ingredients and with no added preservatives or trans fats. Russo’s catering also wins top grades at school events and for teachers’ lounge parties.

No matter the event—baby showers, church gatherings, graduation parties, Bingo tournaments—whether you’re looking for pizza catering or pasta catering or a combination of both with an extensive complement of authentic Italian salads and appetizers, Russo’s has you covered. The best catering solution in Houstontakes care of each and every one of your guests no matter how many they are and what they might like to eat.

“Our fresh, handcrafted food reflect the Old-World values and Italian authenticity that Russo’s brings to each and every dish we carefully prepare,” says Chef Anthony Russo. “We deliver the same fresh taste to every event we cater to, large or small. The key ingredient for us is customer satisfaction and we will go above and beyond to make sure that every last detail, from gluten free pizza options to healthy choices are presented and lovingly taken care of.”

Russo’s New York pizzeria restaurants are the best catering choice for your needs. We can usually accommodate same-day service, too, so find out how best our affordable catering menu can take care of your event’s food needs so you can concentrate on what’s truly important. Don’t forget to ask about restaurant deals or restaurant specials. If you can’t make it into one of our fine dining establishments, we bring the best of Italian home cooking to you, whether it’s for a party of four or forty.

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Russo’s New York Pizzeria Rolls Out “Next Generation Pizza & Italian” Restaurant Design

Mon, 05 Mar 2018 14:30:00 GMT

You know and love our fast-casual concept, Russo’s New York Pizzeria, and our more upscale, full-service model, Russo’s Coal-Fired Italian Kitchen. Now, with the dawn of a new year comes a brand-new Russo’s to nourish your body and soul – the Next Generation Pizza & Italian concept.

Next Generation Pizza & Italian is shaking up the restaurant franchise industry with a new, fast-casual, pizza and pasta-focused concept offering a fresh approach to classic Italian dining.

Chef Anthony Russo, founder and CEO of the chef-driven concept, announced the brand’s “Next Generation Pizza & Italian” restaurant model –ideal for on-the-go diners looking for authentic Italian cuisine at shopping malls and neighborhood strip centers.

Beyond consumer convenience, Russo’s Next Generation Pizza & Italian restaurant model is leading the fast casual Italian dining category by creating a business model that is meeting customer demand:

A smaller footprint (1,200-4,000 sq. ft.)
A lower barrier to entry for entrepreneurs entering the restaurant franchise business with an initial investment less than $500,000 in select markets
A focus on fresh ingredients, reducing additional supply costs for preservatives and packaging, and also meeting consumers’ demand for high quality food
Online ordering and free delivery options for added customer value
Average food costs and labor costs are 21.8% and 25.4% respectively*
Item 19 financials put net income at an average of 17.4%*
Average sales volume per unit is $1,020,383 million*

“This new format meets the customer demand for fresh, quality cuisine for pick-up, on the go, or delivered,” said Russo, who has 40 years of culinary expertise that is reflected in the fresh, homemade Italian cuisine served in each of his restaurants using family recipes since 1978. “Our success starts with the food. We serve only high-quality ingredients. Our motto is, ‘if it’s not fresh, don’t serve it,’ and we live by that – our customers have come to expect it from us. A few of our house specialties include freshly made fettuccini Alfredo, homemade gnocchi, handmade mozzarella cheese, lasagna, eggplant parmesan, and of course, gourmet New York-style pizzas.”

Chef Anthony puts an emphasis on gluten-free pizza, pasta and other dishes, which thrills an often-underserved population with serious gluten allergies. Prior to adding gluten-free items to the menus in each of his restaurant franchises, he spent nearly two years developing a gluten-free pizza crust recipe that doesn’t skimp in flavor, texture or quality.

Chef Anthony Russo helms an acclaimed restaurant group which was ranked No. 25 Top Food Franchise by Entrepreneur Magazine i n 2017.

The media has shown great interest in the new Russo’s Next Generation Pizza & Italian concept as well – it’s clear that the word is getting out about the pizza franchise’s latest foray into offering even more of the brand’s highly regarded regular and gluten free pizza to customers in new markets across the world.

Coverage has already run in pizza publications and restaurant websites that tell the story of the Italian restaurant franchise’s ascent to the top of its class.

Fans of the pizza franchise can read about Russo’s Next Generation Pizza & Italian concept in Fast Casual , one of the most prominent online and print publications for those interested in restaurant franchise news. An article ran that describes the new model’s tech specs, including a great quote from Chef Anthony that hits home the powerhouse that is Russo’s Restaurants.

Additionally, a story ran on Pizza Marketplace , a popular news site for pizza franchise and pizza catering trends, which further solidified Russo’s Next Generation Pizza & Italian as one of the frontrunners in the on-the-go Italian restaurant franchise industry.

Russo’s Next Generation Pizza & Italian is just one of three great Russo’s Restaurants concepts that our franchisees can take advantage of adding to their portfolios – several of our franchisees are multi-unit owners who have found great success as owners of a pizza franchise.

“The Russo’s team goes above and beyond in terms of site selection, restaurant design and construction to make sure that each restaurant is up and running as quickly as possible,” said Guillermo Medellin, a Russo’s multi-unit owner of three locations in the Houston area. “The training is excellent and has taught me a lot about what it means to lead several teams.”

Medellin’s passion is working with people at each of his Russo’s locations to watch them grow as professionals.

“My first priority each day is to visit all three locations. I talk with the managers to see what they need in order to achieve the goals we’ve set,” he said. “We identify areas of growth and improvement, and together, we feel our best when our customers are served well.”

The pizza industry is booming and the opportunity to own a Russo’s Next Generation Pizza & Italian means that motivated individuals can grab their own slice of a $44 billion industry. To learn more about Russo’s franchise development opportunities and the Next Generation Pizza & Italian restaurant model, visit www.russosfranchise.com .

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People Skills is Secret Sauce for Success Says Russo’s Star Franchisee

Sun, 18 Feb 2018 14:31:00 GMT

Guillermo Medellin has expanded to three Houston locations over a few short years and credits winning pizza franchise recipe and staff for impressive growth

Guillermo Medellin knows how to translate customer service skills from one field to the other. He worked in the manufacturing industry in Mexico and has applied much of that know-how to the restaurant franchise he now is a thriving member of, Russo’s.

Medellin, a multi-unit Russo’s franchisee, owns three locations of the Italian restaurant franchise in the Houston area where he resides: Woodlands, Conroe and Spring. All three are built out in Russo’s signature New York Pizzeria ^® style. This franchise model is suited for the lunch guest in a rush as it features fast and friendly counter service where a slice of pizza and salad can be ready in under seven minutes.

Russo’s award-winning pizza anchors the New York Pizzeria ^® and is complemented by a mouthwatering selection of appetizers, salads and pasta dishes and beer and wine. The NY pizzeria model recreates the atmosphere of authentic Italian-style pizzerias where everything is made from scratch with hand-picked ingredients, a recipe that has proven to be a hit for Medellin in all three of his locations. While takeout and delivery are primary drivers for this franchise model, which Medellin has seen success with, customers can choose to dine in as well in a fast-casual environment.

Medellin has been with the Russo’s family since 2009 when he moved from Mexico. He started out by purchasing an existing location before building out two more in short order in 2014 and 2015. What about the Russo’s pizza franchise appealed to him? “The concept itself is excellent—fresh, New York-style, brick-oven pizza and original recipes are created with fresh and natural ingredients,” Medellin points out. From all indicators, the Houston-area customers can’t get enough. They appreciate that they can dine in a casual, pleasant New York pizzeria ambiance and the delicious food, made following chef Russo’s tried and tested recipes, keeps them coming back for more.

Medellin leveraged his experience in the manufacturing industry and successfully applied those skills to an Italian restaurant franchise. Being on call seven days a week comes with the territory of owning a restaurant franchise, Medellin says, but he is grateful to have great managers, who have made a world of difference. It’s one of the many things he enjoys about his job. “I love working with people and seeing them grow as professionals. Together, we feel our best when our customers give us positive feedback. We love serving our customers,” Medellin says.

It is that passion for customer service and people skills that has earned Medellin an impressive growth streak in the pizza franchise business and to win Russo’s Restaurants coveted Franchisee of the Year Award in 2017. The award is presented by participating franchisors and honors sales achievements, dedication to industry advocacy and community leadership. In accepting the award, Medellin said he was honored to have been recognized and that the award was a testament to the hard work that his team puts in each and every day at all three locations and to the strength of “the amazing people we have on board to help us to do so. I can’t wait to celebrate the award with my team,” Medellin added.

Chef Anthony Russo, the creative culinary genius behind the brand who also serves as its CEO, said the award recognized Medellin’s passion for the business. “He’s willing to put in hard work, learn and help others. And, while we have dozens of incredible franchisees in our network, Guillermo really set himself apart this year–I couldn’t think of someone more deserving of our ‘Franchise of the Year’ award.”

Medellin’s advice to potential franchisees looking for pizza franchise opportunities: “ Be sure that you understand the restaurant industry and the demands of a business of this kind. I have found that in a hospitality/customer service-oriented field, a good basic understanding of business management is key, and experience leading and motivating people are necessary for success.” He points out that he treats employees with respect. “We offer them competitive wages and give them ample opportunity for promotion,” Medellin adds.

That recipe, along with Russo’s NY pizzeria mouthwatering dishes and rotating restaurant specials, all topped with stellar customer service has helped Medellin achieve an impressive growth track. His expansion has mostly been self-funded although he does have a small group of private investors. Medellin hopes one day to have ten Russo’s locations open including one in Mexico City. Throughout, Medellin continues to stand by a simple business philosophy: Keep it simple and maintain a trusting environment. With the Russo’s pizza franchise, he is able to do just that.

As for what Medellin’s favorite dishes at Russo’s? It’s hard to pick, he admits. “But my top selections are the Spinach, Kale & Artichoke Pizza, Penne a la Vodka, Prosciutto Arugula Pizzoto, Eggplant Rollatini, Chicken and Kale Pesto Pasta and Tomato Basil Soup.”

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Chef Chat: Anthony Russo Talks the Importance of Ingredients and Keeping it Fresh

Wed, 10 Jan 2018 14:24:00 GMT

It’s hard not to fall a little bit in love with Chef Anthony Russo’s genuine, engaging excitement. Maybe it’s that New York, Italian twang he still possesses, even though his family moved to Galveston when he was 12. Maybe it’s that his eyes light up when he smiles, or, maybe it’s his intense devotion to using fresh ingredients with his family’s time-honored recipes.

Russo caught the restaurant bug early on from his parents and since opening Russo’s Pizzeria in Galveston at the young age of 17, hasn’t lost momentum. Now, he owns and franchises Russo’s New York Pizzeria and Russo’s Coal-Fired Italian Kitchen in 36 locations nationally and internationally (with nine in development.)

What’s interesting about Russo’s franchising model is that no matter how far-reaching his franchises are (Saudi Arabia for one), he and his crew personally train each franchisee to make everything fresh from scratch. Even the gnocchi which, if you know, is all about feel.

In the last several years he has branched into retail, selling frozen gluten-free pizzas. Russo states, “My gluten-free pizza you find in the freezer aisle [of grocery stores] is the same gluten-free pizza you would eat in the restaurant today.”

We sat down with Chef Anthony Russo to talk about his origin, sourcing balsamic vinegar, and his go-to 3 a.m. pasta…

EOW: How does a full-blooded Italian male get into making gluten-free products?

AR: (Laughs) Well, six years ago I used to make this low-carb pizza. Some of the customers coming in had Celiac Disease. I didn’t know what that was so I looked into it. I started playing with our dough recipes and came up with a gluten-free crust. I was surprised at how many people were coming to Russo’s because of this particular menu item.

I decided to develop it across our franchise system and then take it into retail. I always wanted to make frozen pizzas but I didn’t want to make bad frozen pizza. I wanted to make good frozen pizza. It took me years to find a co packer (a company that will package your product) where I could bring in my raw, fresh ingredients to make the pizza sauce on site. We launched it three to four years ago. My gluten-free pizza crust is thin so you can taste all the ingredients.

EOW: How long did it take you to nail that gluten-free pizza dough recipe?

AR: About two years.

EOW: Where are you from originally?

AR: New York, New Jersey. My parents came from Italy. My dad is from Naples and my mom is from Sicily. They moved to New York in 1962, and in the mid ‘60s we moved to Patterson, New Jersey. My mom’s side of the family owned restaurants in Italy and the Brooklyn area. My dad always wanted to cook. He decided to move us to Texas in 1978 and we opened our first restaurant in Galveston [Russo’s Italian Restaurant]. After school, my homework was: work in the restaurant.

EOW: What was your first job in the kitchen?

AR: Washing dishes and prepping. My dad used to hire chefs from Sicily and different parts of Europe to come cook with us. So, for a few years we had all these great chefs come to Galveston to work with us. Osso buco, fish stock, chicken stock, everything was made fresh. We even had a machine to make fresh pasta. [Russo’s had] all original recipes that my parents were making up.

EOW: How long was Russo’s Italian Restaurant open?

AR: About 21 years. I always had a passion for food. Working in my parents’ restaurant, as I got older, I wanted to open my own restaurant. So, when I was 17 years old, I opened up my first pizza shop.

EOW: You were 17?

AR: Yeah (excited). My dad said I needed to go to college and not [go into] the restaurant business. I went to college part-time. He finally told me, ‘well if you want to do it you have to get your own money.’ He was hard for an Italian guy, he said if you want to do it you have to do it yourself. I said ‘no problem.’ I put together a business plan and went to different banks for a small loan. One banker, gave me a loan.

EOW: What bank was this?

AR: Moody Bank in Galveston. I got a loan for about $26,000 dollars. That was just enough money to buy a pizza oven, a dough mixer and a prep table. That was it.

EOW: What about rent?

AR: Well, rent, I had some savings. Then my parents gave me a few bucks when they found out, surprised, that I got a loan from the bank. I opened my first store in Galveston, a tiny little pizzeria, called Russo’s Pizza. It was open for about four years and then I moved to Clear Lake to open up Anthony’s Pizza. That was a big hit. It was a simple menu; pizzas, salads, calzones.

From that point on I never looked back. I wanted to come to Houston, the big city. So, I brought Anthony’s to Montrose in the late ‘80s, it was fine dining Italian. In ’96 I opened up Russo’s Pizzeria… that I wanted to franchise. That’s where it started. I wanted to develop a franchise brand that was fresh from scratch. I didn’t want to have a commissary or buy pre-made dough or pre-made sauces. It took me a few years to put it all together, really good recipes, because we would be training these franchisees to make everything [in house.]

EOW: You’re doing all this fresh in-house stuff, is this at every location?

AR: Every location.

EOW: How extensive is your training?

AR: It’s six to eight weeks training. We start [in the] back of the house to make our own salad dressings, marinara sauce, chicken stock. [The] same way we do it today is how we did it back in the ‘80s at my parent’s restaurant. Pretty few restaurants today do it [make everything in house.] Unless you go to a nice fine dining restaurant, but, in the franchise world it doesn’t exist.

EOW: Do you personally help open each store?

AR: Everyone comes here [5727 Westheimer] to train and then when they open I go out there with my staff and spend about two weeks at their location. These guys that are buying the franchises, they have pride in selling their pizza because they made it [themselves]. They have pride in serving their guest high quality food and watching the customers’ reaction. They are passionate about what they create in their kitchen.

If you have a good pie, that’s what’s going to build your business. My focus has always been on the food. Food comes first. Also, using the right ingredients. As I built these stores, I went to Italy to [source ingredients]. Balsamic vinegar I get direct from Italy, also, because of my family’s connections I get my extra virgin olive oil from Sicily. I bring in containers of the stuff. I bring in great mozzarella cheese from this small dairy farm in Wisconsin that I sourced out.

Thirty years doing this and that’s what I put together, this nice package where we could franchise the concept. So, we opened up our restaurants in new markets and we built them differently. They all look unique with different style to give that personal neighborhood feel.

EOW: How was sourcing out balsamic vinegar?

AR: I went to this place called Giuseppe [Giusti] to try balsamic vinegar. (excited) He had balsamic vinegar from 100 years ago in a barrel!

EOW: Did you try that straight or with parmesan?

AR: No, no, no, no, no straight. They put it in a small little spoon (laughs) its 100-year-old balsamic right? It was like syrup it was so thick, it was amazing. I liked the story of the place. It’s a family vineyard and the family still owns it. They had all these different small barrels with the years [aged balsamic]. So, I’m buying vinegar from them for the stores.

EOW: How aged?

AR: I’m buying the 18-month aged. I love the stuff. It’s pure, clean balsamic.

EOW: What ingredient are you most excited for in 2018?

AR: I like Cauliflower. I added a Cauliflower Fritti to our menu here. I think it’s really good if you roast it, and makes a good topping on a pizza.

EOW: If Sicily or Naples were disappearing tomorrow and you could only save one which would it be?

AR: Oh, that’s hard. I like the Amalfi coast. That’s tough. In Sicily I like Taormina, that’s my favorite. I like the food better in Sicily. (pauses) I’d say Sicily because of the food.

EOW: Cannolo or Tiramisu?

AR: Tiramisu.

EOW: What’s your favorite beach to lie on and what’s typically in your glass?

AR: Wow, that’s a tough one. I like Hawaii beaches or Sicily. I like white sand beaches.

EOW: What are you drinking on the beach?

AR: Wine, for sure.

EOW: Which kind?

AR: Barolo is my favorite wine. I like Amarone and Barolo.

EOW: Say it’s 3 a.m. and you’re making pasta for yourself and a friend, what would it be?

AR: Angel hair pasta with fresh vegetables, zucchini, olive oil.

EOW: Aglio e olio?

AR: Yeah, aglio e olio, some peppers and that’s it, I’m done.

EOW spots a massive pizza on display.

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A Restaurant’s Survival Guide to Natural Disasters

Thu, 30 Nov 2017 14:27:00 GMT

Every restaurant should be ready for the worst-case scenario.

The news has been hard to miss lately. Four major hurricanes hurtled toward American shores, knocking out power, flooding buildings, and ruining lives and businesses in one fell swoop.

And many experts agree these catastrophic events are only going to get worse and more frequent. An important task for all restaurants is to create a natural disaster preparedness plan. This will ensure your business sustains as little damage as possible; your people—employees and customers—are cared for; and you are back on your feet, operationally and financially, as soon as possible.

Your Building

Russo’s Restaurants, which includes Russo’s New York Pizzeria and Russo’s Coal Fired Kitchen, is headquartered in Houston, and therefore braced itself for the recent arrival of Hurricane Harvey. Both the concept’s franchised and corporate stores in Houston sustained damage from the storm.

“We loaded up our windows with storm shutters, lined the perimeter of restaurants with sand bags, lifted chairs onto table tops and tried to remove as much equipment as possible ahead of the storm’s landfall,” says founder and president Anthony Russo.

Before disaster hits, it’s important to stay up to date with maintenance on your building, to reduce the risk of fires, for example, during a natural disaster. This includes items like ensuring your hood exhaust system is regularly cleaned, says Rusty Amarante, director of operations, Belfor Property Restoration, in Exton, Pennsylvania.

Secure your building by closing doors, trimming nearby trees, and protecting windows by either boarding them up or installing hurricane shutters. Ensure all doors and windows are clear of obstructions in case the building has to be evacuated.

If there is a threat of flooding, the electricity, gas, and water should be turned off at the main breaker.

Your Equipment and Supplies

If your restaurant is in an area prone to flooding, try to keep electrical items, such as computers and kitchen appliances, elevated above flood level, Amarante says. “It’s also a good idea to stock up on sandbags and consider updating landscaping around the outside of the restaurant,” he explains, to divert any floodwater away from the building.

Russo invested in powerful backup generators, which really reduced loss, “especially when it comes to keeping your fridge full of food running,” he says.

Datz Restaurant Group, which is headquartered in Tampa, Florida, and has three restaurants—Datz, Dough, and Roux in that city—has a gas generator for each location so they wouldn’t lose any stock. As it was, the restaurants didn’t sustain any serious damage and reopened within four days.

The Datz group also developed a smaller menu ahead of time that could be executed by a smaller staff, in case employees couldn’t make it in after the storm, or if the restaurants had limited equipment, due to damage or power outages. This, founder and co-owner Suzanne Perry says, would allow the restaurants to at least be functional, though turned out to not be needed.

In terms of equipment, Russo’s removed as much from the locations as possible, especially any that could be damaged by water exposure. And, the restaurants stored all computers in a safe, dry area and backed them up.

If you have enough time, Russo recommends moving heavier items off-site, but otherwise, lift them onto wood to stay above flooding, and cover them with heavy plastic sheeting to keep out water.

The Datz restaurants disconnected all equipment from outlets, shut off the gas, and took everything it could to the second floors.

Paperwork

Review your insurance policy to confirm the building and all equipment is included in the coverage, Amarante advises.

On top of its basic property damage and business insurance, Datz Restaurant Group carries wind coverage, flood coverage for properties in a flood zone, and income interruption insurance.

Also, create copies of all important documents, Amarante says, including contracts, insurance policies and other legal documents. Additionally, invest in disaster-proof containers that will protect these documents in case of a flood or fire.

And make sure you have a list with contact information for all your employees, as well as major utility companies, who you’ll likely need to contact after the disaster.

Your Employees

The safety of people should be your top priority. “In the event that a natural disaster strikes while staff and customers are in the restaurant, a plan should be in place for where and how to take shelter. Employees and customers should move to a secure room if there is a tornado or hurricane, but if flooding is anticipated, it’s best to evacuate the restaurant,” Amarante says. He advises against going so high in a building to avoid flooding that there’s no roof access or other means of egress.

He also says to stay away from windows, skylights, and glass doors. And contrary to popular belief, do not stand in doorways during an earthquake but instead take cover under something sturdy—as far away from windows as possible, since the glass may shatter.

Regularly train staff on what to do in the event of an emergency. They should all know the evacuation plan and where emergency supplies are stored.

Datz Restaurant Group took a lot of trouble before the arrival of Hurricane Irma over its employees. The three restaurants were closed for four days before the storm hit to allow employees time to evacuate. “We also pulled and printed all the shelter information and information from the county on where to pick up sandbags, shelter locations and where flood zones are for the staff, and went through the information with them one by one,” Perry says. “We also ordered 50 cases of water and gave it out to staff so they had water to go home with.”

Write a Plan

Perry knew communication was going to be tricky once the hurricane had arrived, so she implemented a “phone tree” from the managers on down to let staff know when to come back into work. “This was really helpful to get back up and running,” she says.

Before any emergency strikes, write a plan of action, then clearly display it in the dining room, says Amarante. This plan should:

Include an evacuation plan, featuring an agreed-upon location where staff will meet at a safe place away from the restaurant to ensure everyone is accounted for.
Identify all available exits.
Designate group leaders among staff who can help direct others to safety.

Plan Against Looting

Think about having a locked location in your restaurant to keep emergency supplies as well as expensive products like top shelf liquors and smaller pieces of equipment safe, to protect against potential looters.

Have an Emergency Kit

At each of Datz’ restaurants, there’s always a couple of power tools, like a power drill and a small power saw, for opening or cutting into things and boarding windows, in addition to basic tools,” Perry says, to expedite clean up.

Every restaurant should have a disaster recovery kit, says Amarante. The basics these should include are:
Non-perishable foods like canned goods and dry foods like crackers
Water
Flashlights and batteries
Local maps
A manual can opener
A first aid kit
Cash, preferably in small bills
A battery-powered or hand crank radio
Dust masks
Whistles (to call for help)
Garbage bags (for sanitation)
Wipes or hand sanitizer
Tools to turn off utilities

It’s not all about preparing for disasters; there’s also a mountain of work to be done afterward. Hospitality industry leaders including Ti Adelaide Martin, Tom Douglas, and Lally Brennan have established October 2 as a fundraiser evening to help restaurants hit by the recent hurricanes.

Through “One Night, One Meal, One Nation” participating restaurants will donate a percentage of proceeds to benefit industry workers and organizations in the affected areas. They’ll provide relief to hurricane victims and assist the families in the hospitality industry that were affected by the disasters.

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Russo’s New York Pizzeria in Clearwater Celebrates One Year Anniversary with Free Pizza for a Year

Fri, 17 Nov 2017 18:09:00 GMT

Owners of Authentic New York-style Pizza Restaurant Thank Clearwater Community for Support, First Year in Business

CLEARWATER, Fla. – In celebration of its anniversary and to thank its extraordinary fan base, residents and guests are invited to Russo’s New York Pizzeria in Clearwater on Saturday November, 11 for a chance to win free pizza for a year. Guests who dine-in or carry out throughout the day can drop their name in a raffle for a chance to win one free large pizza every week for one year. Those planning to stop by for dinner can also expect wine specials and the introduction of several new menu items.

In addition to celebrating one year in business, the restaurant, owned and operated by Mike Daner and his family, is recognizing a milestone in a regular partnership the restaurant has with Florida Sheriffs Youth Ranches, which mentors and develops young men and women through several residential care facilities. The Daners have reached the $5000 mark in donations made through “spirit nights” hosted by the restaurant where a certain percentage of proceeds are donated to the organization.

“Russo’s has been a great addition to our Donor Family, raising awareness and funds in support of our mission,” said Wayne Witczak, director of development at Florida Sheriffs Youth Ranches. “They have used their business to give back to their community through unconditional support. We look forward to future possibilities and the positive impact they will continue to make on our children and agency.”

A family-owned establishment, the restaurant features a brick oven along with an open-air kitchen as a focal point for the space, which seats 80 guests for lunch and dinner.

The Daners run the restaurant with their wives and have plans to open five more locations in the area. The traditional and inviting restaurant features a full menu of authentic New York-style pizza and Italian dishes. The restaurant blends the freshness of fine ingredients with the magic created around a handcrafted Italian meal.

“It’s amazing how quickly a year can fly by,” said Mike. “We’re thankful to the Clearwater community and will continue to show our gratitude. We’re very appreciative of our relationship with Florida Sheriffs Youth Ranches and our other local partnerships. They’ve supported us since day one and we couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate – come on by for a night of fun!”

Russo’s New York Pizzeria and its traditional Italian recipes trace their origins to a tight-knit family where the kitchen was the center of activity. Along with its sister brand, Russo’s Coal-Fired Italian Kitchen, Russo’s New York Pizzeria has garnered a cult-like following for its truly authentic and delicious Italian dishes made from the freshest ingredients, and its New York-style pizza. The restaurants blend premium recipes with the freshest ingredients that are all natural with no preservatives, no additives and zero trans-fats. Chef Russo’s family promise, “If it isn’t fresh, don’t serve it!” is the mantra of each and every franchisee who has been certified and mastered the Russo’s brand operating criteria.

Complete Russo’s New York Pizzeria menu options are available at www.nypizzeria.com .

About Russo’s Restaurants

Russo’s Restaurants is a 47-location national and international franchisor of the fast casual and casual dining brands Russo’s New York Pizzeria and Russo’s Coal-Fired Italian Kitchen. Based in Houston, Russo’s Restaurants is composed of a mix of corporate and franchised locations across Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Tennessee, Florida and Hawaii. Russo’s has entered international markets as well, with locations in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah, in the United Arab Emirates. There are an additional 30-plus units in development both in the United States and internationally. Chef Anthony Russo has created his concepts from years of applying his unique, family recipes featuring New York-style pizza, along with a broad variety of handcrafted pasta creations, calzones, salads, sandwiches, soups and desserts, reflecting his commitment to his New York roots where food and family come first.

To learn more about Russo’s franchise development opportunities, visit www.nypizzeria.com .

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After Harvey damage, Russo’s New York Pizzeria reopens in Kingwood’s Town Center

Tue, 14 Nov 2017 14:31:00 GMT

After closing due to damages from Hurricane Harvey, Russo’s New York Pizzeria reopened Oct. 28 at 42 N Main Street, Kingwood. The counter-service restaurant offers a variety of pizza options including specialty flavors, build-your own, a 28-inch party size and giant slices. Guests can also choose from pastas, salads, soups, calzones, wine and bottled beer. 281-361-3100.

www.nypizzeria.com/locations/kingwood

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Chef Anthony Russo’s intros new varieties of handmade frozen pizza

Tue, 14 Nov 2017 14:29:00 GMT

HOUSTON — Chef Anthony Russo’s unveiled at PLMA Italian-style meat lovers and prosciutto and fig handmade frozen pizzas with both gluten-free and New York–style crusts. These two new varieties bring the company’s portfolio to a total of eight.

Each pizza from the Chef Anthony Russo’s line is made with premium mozzarella cheese, and the sauce is made with fresh-packed tomatoes and extra virgin olive oil from the Russo family olive grove in Sicily, the company said.

“After finding success by providing guests the only New York–style gluten-free frozen pizzas on the market with six delectable options, we decided to expand our flavors ad crusts,” said Chef Russo, founder and CEO of Russo’s Restaurants and the creative mastermind for the retail line that is currently sold in more than 3,000 U.S. grocery stores. “Our pizzas use the highest quality ingredients and are handmade, offering a healthy alternative to consumers.”

Each pizza, he added, is handcrafted with fresh, all-natural ingredients, no preservatives, nitrates, rSBT and zero pre-frozen toppings. The new artisanal prosciutto and fig pizza is topped with Sicilian olive oil, fresh arugula, sliced prosciutto and fig preserves, while the Italian-style meat lovers pizza is made with Italian sausage, spiced pepperoni, beef sausage, roasted red peppers, mozzarella cheese and full-flavored pizza sauce.

Chef Anthony Russo’s retail products are available at more than 3,000 retailers nationwide, including private label distribution in Wegmans, Topco, Shoprite and Delhaize.

Click here for more information.

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More businesses open, scheduled to reopen in Lake Houston area

Fri, 10 Nov 2017 14:32:00 GMT

Business in the Lake Houston area had a big week as several owners reopened their doors after they were devastated from flooding at the end of August.

The Lake Houston Area Chamber of Commerce is keeping tabs on which businesses in the area have reopened, including businesses that are not members of the chamber. Data from the Federal Emergency Management Agency shows that 40 percent of small businesses do not reopen after a disaster and the chamber’s goal is to see more than 60 percent reopen.

The following businesses are now open.

Family Vision Center of Kingwood

The Mudpie Company

Papa John’s Pizza

Kingwood Barbershop No. 3

Massage Heights Kingwood Kings Crossing

Sanke Hairdresser

Burger King

Gnome Sweet Gnome

MOD Pizza was scheduled to reopen Nov. 10

Russo’s New York Pizzeria, 42 N. Main St. in Kingwood, plans to hand out free
giant slices of pizza to celebrate its reopening Nov. 10-12 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

State Rep. Dan Huberty’s Office and Joseph Chris Partners are scheduled to
open Monday, Nov. 13.

And Randall’s, 4540 Kingwood Dr., has a ribbon cutting ceremony scheduled for
10 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 15, with food sampling and a presentation to
Kingwood High School.

Costco has announced it will reopen in Humble on Thursday, Nov. 30.

“We are continuing to gather information on businesses re-opening on a daily
basis and the retention on businesses is greater than expected,” stated Andrew
Cardenas, business recovery coordinator with the Lake Houston Area Chamber.
“We continue to have high hopes for the area as we continue to facilitate their
recovery”

Here are some updates on businesses re-opening soon.”

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Russo’s New York Pizzeria in Kingwood Free Pizza – Nov. 10 – 12

Wed, 08 Nov 2017 14:33:00 GMT

When: Saturday, Nov. 11 ^th , 2017

Time: 11am – 2 pm (Nov. 10 – 12)

Where: Russo’s New York Pizzeria – Kingwood

42 N Main Street, Kingwood, TX 77339

Cost: Free

Categories: Community, Food & Drink

Event Details:

Russo’s New York Pizzeria in Kingwood is celebrating its re-opening after Hurricane Harvey by offering free giant pizza slices during lunch all weekend. Everyone is encouraged to stop by for a bite to eat and to check out the newly remodeled, upgraded space.

Friday, November 10th – 11 am to 2 pm
Saturday, November 11th – 11 am to 2 pm
Sunday, November 12th – 11 am to 2 pm

Website: https://nypizzeria.com/locations/kingwood/

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Russo’s New York Pizzeria Opens Second Austin Restaurant

Tue, 07 Nov 2017 14:32:00 GMT

One of Austin’s most highly anticipated restaurant openings of the year, Russo’s New York Pizzeria, opened mid-September at The Arboretum at 10721 Research Boulevard in Austin.

“Russo’s is an admired name in the restaurant industry,” said Amin Esar, local restaurateur and owner of the new Russo’s New York Pizzeria. “Every dish on our menu, whether it’s pizza, calzones or pasta, is handcrafted and made with fresh ingredients. You’d be hard-pressed to find this authenticity anywhere else in the area and I can’t wait to bring it to the community – Benvenuto, Austin!”

With nearly 20 years of restaurant operating experience under his belt, Esar is happiest when on the restaurant floor visiting with guests. Esar’s work in the industry, solid financial base, ties to the community and customer relationships make him an ideal member of the Russo’s franchise network.

Austin’s new Russo’s New York Pizzeria, which joins the Pflugerville location in the Austin market, is open for lunch and dinner with an extensive catering menu available. The traditional and inviting restaurant features a full menu of authentic New York-style pizza and Italian dishes. The restaurant blends the freshness of fine ingredients with the magic created around a handcrafted Italian meal.

As a Russo’s franchisee like Amin, you’ll benefit from three decades of success. During that time, we’ve fine-tuned our business – from P.O.S. systems, to training, to management structure, to marketing, to culinary research…and more. So you start out with three decades of experience at your back. You don’t have to worry about getting all the systems in place. You just have to run your business.

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Where’s the Best Pizza in Houston?

Sat, 04 Nov 2017 14:37:00 GMT

October was National Pizza Month, and I took this as my personal mission to eat as much pizza as I possibly could in order to make this list for you. YOU ARE WELCOME.

OK, I know this is completely subjective, but these are some of my favorite ‘za spots to enjoy a slice.

Russo’s

The largest slice of pizza I’ve ever had was from Russo’s . We got one at work, and this pizza slice must have been like a foot and a half long. It was just cheese, but it was yum. Russo’s is famous for its 28-inch pizzas, and they barely fit through a standard door, FYI. I ventured into the actual restaurant (just across the street from my work, on Westheimer) to discover that it, a. had normal sized pizzas and b. was a very popular lunch spot for pizza, pasta and even salads (seems wrong to order salad at a delicious pizza place, but I trust they are THAT good of salads).

We ordered the spinach, kale and artichoke dip, you know, to get some greens in and be healthy. It was absolutely decadent and kind of easy to throw back. FYI, we also got yummy house bread and olive oil dip too, so we were way caroboloaded before our pizza even arrived. We ordered the New York Village pizza, again, because NYC represent (and because it’s one of the most popular). It was like a next-level supreme pizza and was so good. Might be ruined on normal supreme pizzas now.

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Chef Anthony Russo Unveils Strategy to Bring Russo’s Restaurants Concepts to Asia

Thu, 19 Oct 2017 18:10:00 GMT

Fast-Casual New York Pizzeria and Upscale Coal-Fired Italian Kitchen Targets Malaysia, Singapore and The Philippines for Expansion

HOUSTON – Chef Anthony Russo, the creative culinary mind, founder and CEO of chef-driven concepts Russo’s New York Pizzeria and Russo’s Coal-Fired Italian Kitchen, has announced a growth strategy to expand the brands’ international footprint after successfully launching more than 48 locations worldwide with an additional 35 in development.

This growth phase comes on the heels of recent Middle East development including openings in United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Kuwait. The brand is targeting Malaysia, the Philippines and Singapore as priority markets for future multi-unit deals, and to kick-off the brand’s plans, Chef Anthony Russo will be meeting with interested and qualified investors while at the Franchising & Licensing Asia expo. The event will be held at the Marina Bay Sands Convention Center in Singapore and runs October 12 –14.

“Growing in Asia has been on our minds for awhile and now is the time,” said Russo, who has spent nearly a decade leading both Russo’s Restaurants brands through strategic international growth. “Following some incredible development in the Middle East, we’re confident our brands bring communities together no matter the country. Plus, our franchise opportunities can’t be beat – we have exciting opportunities in lucrative international markets for franchise growth.”

Franchisees have found success in Russo’s proven concepts, which boasts more than 32 years in the pizzeria business. The New York Pizzeria is family-style casual, and the Coal-Fired Italian Kitchen is a bit more upscale casual. Franchisees who searched for an authentic New York Pizzeria experience have found just that in Russo’s, and have begun expanding into multiple units.

“Franchising with Russo’s has been an amazing experience for me and my family,” said Guillermo Medellin, who owns three Russo’s Restaurant franchises and recently won the brand’s “Franchisee of the Year” award. “I looked at over 200 different franchises, but Russo’s fit the business model I was looking for.”

The average sales volume per unit is $1.1 million. The most recent Russo’s opening saw a weekly sales income between $35,000-$60,000, with food costs accounting for about 22 percent.

Russo’s New York Pizzeria and Russo’s Coal-Fired Italian Kitchen trace their origins to a tight-knit family where the kitchen was the center of all activity. As a young child, Russo helped his grandmother roll dough for cannoli, carefully wrapping it around four-inch wooden broomsticks to get the right shape before cooked. By the age of 12, Russo was learning authentic Italian recipes. Earning the Chef’s distinction as an 18-year-old, Russo honed his skills as a culinary expert working in his parent’s fine Italian restaurant, and then opened his own pizzeria.

Chef Russo’s creativity and commitment to expanding his menu to meet growing consumer demands, and to strengthen the depth and breadth of his authentically Italian selections, continues to strengthen the brands. He clearly demonstrates and reflects the growing trend among diners for chef-driven concepts with authentic recipes and chef-inspired culinary cuisine.

The family-centered restaurants surround diners with warm, inviting décor to enjoy heart-healthy menu items made fresh without preservatives, additives or trans fats. Beyond the brands’ specialty pizzas, menu items include fresh salads, soups and made-from-scratch sauces and pastas. Authentic Italian cannoli, fresh-baked, Italian flatbread sandwiches and, of course, hand-tossed pizzas are just some of the distinctive craveable items on the menu.

To learn more about Russo’s franchise development opportunities, visit https://russosfranchise.com .

About Russo’s Restaurants
Russo’s Restaurants is a 48-location national and international franchisor of the fast casual and casual dining brands Russo’s New York Pizzeria and Russo’s Coal-Fired Italian Kitchen. Based in Houston, Russo’s Restaurants is composed of a mix of corporate and franchised locations across Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Tennessee, Florida and Hawaii. Russo’s has entered international markets as well, with locations in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah, in the United Arab Emirates. There are an additional 30-plus units in development both in the United States and internationally. Chef Anthony Russo has created his concepts from years of applying his unique, family recipes featuring New York-style pizza, along with a broad variety of handcrafted pasta creations, calzones, salads, sandwiches, soups and desserts, reflecting his commitment to his New York roots where food and family come first.

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Lavecchia Assumes Culinary Leadership Role for Russo’s Restaurants

Sun, 15 Oct 2017 14:41:00 GMT

By fesmag.com

Multiconcept operator Russo’s Restaurants appointed Vincenzo Lavecchia to serve as corporate chef. In his new role Lavecchia will lead menu expansion, staff development and more.

The new corporate chef will spend time at every Russo’s New York Pizzeria and Russo’s Coal-Fired Italian Kitchen location training managers on proper food preparation and culinary techniques, according to a release announcing his hiring.

A two-time world champion pizza maker and a three-time United Arab Emirates pizza champion, Lavecchia’s culinary background includes more than six years’ experience working as a head chef at Eataly and Ronda Locatelli in Dubai.

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WREG – Russo’s New York Pizzeria

Fri, 13 Oct 2017 14:45:00 GMT

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Russo’s Brings on Pizza Champ

Tue, 10 Oct 2017 14:47:00 GMT

By www.modernrestaurantmanagement.com

Russo’s Restaurants, which includes Russo’s New York Pizzeria as well as Russo’s Coal-Fired Italian Kitchen , recently appointed award-winning Vincenzo “Enzo” Lavecchia as corporate chef, where he will lead menu expansion, staff development and more.

The new corporate chef will spend time at every Russo’s Restaurants location training managers on proper food preparation and culinary techniques. A native of Italy, Lavecchia will ensure each Italian-inspired dish is as authentic as possible by passing his skills and knowledge on to each location’s kitchen team.

“When I was growing up, the most popular room in the house was the kitchen,” said Lavecchia. “I feel very lucky to be making a living doing something I love. Being able to share my experiences and skills with other talented chefs has always been a dream of mine, so I can’t wait to bring my experiences and authentic Italian cooking to Texas and beyond.”

A two-time world champion pizza maker and a three-time United Arab Emirates pizza champion, Lavecchia is no stranger to the kitchen. His strong background in the culinary industry includes more than six years experience working as a head chef at Eataly and Ronda Locatelli in Dubai.

Lavecchia piqued his culinary interest at a young age at home in Italy, where he grew up learning how to create a wide variety of Italian dishes. While attending Armando Perotti catering school, he learned the importance of adding a signature twist to dishes without compromising authenticity.

“This was an incredibly important decision and we couldn’t have made a more solid choice for the role of corporate chef,” said Chef Anthony Russo, owner and CEO of Russo’s Restaurants. “We wanted someone with both a strong culinary background and a lifelong passion for cooking – Enzo gives us that and more.”

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Russo’s Restaurants Names Two-Time World Champion Pizza Maker Vincenzo Lavecchia as Corporate Chef

Tue, 10 Oct 2017 14:46:00 GMT

By Franchise Farm
By FranchiseHarbor

By www.restaurantnews.com

Houston, TX – Russo’s Restaurants, which includes Russo’s New York Pizzeria as well as Russo’s Coal-Fired Italian Kitchen , recently appointed award-winning Vincenzo “Enzo” Lavecchia as corporate chef, where he will lead menu expansion, staff development and more.

Russo’s New York Pizzeria and its traditional Italian recipes trace their origins to a tight-knit family where the kitchen was the center of activity.

Along with its sister brand, Russo’s Coal-Fired Italian Kitchen, Russo’s New York Pizzeria has garnered a cult-like following for its truly authentic and delicious Italian dishes made from the freshest ingredients, and its New York-style pizza. The restaurants blend premium recipes with the freshest ingredients that are all natural with no preservatives, no additives and zero trans-fats. Chef Russo’s family promise, “If it isn’t fresh, don’t serve it!” is the mantra of each and every franchisee who has been certified and mastered the Russo’s brand operating criteria.

About Russo’s Restaurants

To learn more about Russo’s franchise development opportunities, visit www.nypizzeria.com .

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Russo’s Franchisee Guillermo Medellin Named 2017 ‘Franchisee of the Year’

Fri, 06 Oct 2017 14:48:00 GMT

Russo’s Restaurants is pleased to announce seasoned franchise owner Guillermo Medellin as the recipient of its coveted “Franchisee of the Year” award.

Winners are recognized annually at the International Franchise Association’s gala held during its Public Affairs Conference in Washington, D.C. The award is presented by participating franchisors and honors sales achievements, dedication to industry advocacy and community leadership.

“I’m honored to be recognized as Russo’s ‘Franchisee of the Year’,” said Guillermo Medellin, who owns three Russo’s Restaurants franchises. “This award is a testament to the hard work we put in each and every day at all of our restaurants, and the amazing people we have on board to help us do so. I can’t wait to share the news and celebrate this award with my team.”

Medellin, originally from Mexico, worked in the manufacturing industry before moving to the United States. Since purchasing his first Russo’s franchise in 2009, he now operates three Russo’s Restaurants concepts in Texas: The Woodlands, Spring and Houston, and has made an impact in each market through partnerships and regular community giveback.

“Guillermo’s passion makes him an excellent leader here at Russo’s,” said Chef Anthony Russo, the creative culinary genius behind the brand who also serves as its CEO. “He’s willing to put in hard work, learn and help others. And, while we have dozens of incredible franchisees in our network, Guillermo really set himself apart this year – I couldn’t think of someone more deserving of our ‘Franchise of the Year’ award.”

Learn more about multi-unit franchising with Russo’s Restaurants.

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It’s National Pizza Month!!

Thu, 05 Oct 2017 14:49:00 GMT

https://news4sanantonio.com/sa-living/its-national-pizza-month

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Russo’s Restaurants names Guillermo Medellin 2017 “Franchisee of the Year”

Mon, 02 Oct 2017 14:50:00 GMT

By Hello Woodlands

Russo’s Restaurants, the family of dining concepts that includes Russo’s New York Pizzeria and Russo’s Coal-Fired Italian Kitchen, recently announced seasoned local franchise owner Guillermo Medellin as the recipient of its coveted “Franchisee of the Year” award.

Read about our visit to Russo’s The Woodlands and Guillermo’s favorite dishes.

Russo’s New York Pizzeria and its traditional Italian recipes trace their origins to a tight-knit family where the kitchen was the center of activity.

Learn more about Russo’s New York Pizzeria and view menu options available at www.nypizzeria.com .

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Why Franchise With Russo’s? We Asked One Multi-Unit Russo’s Franchisee…

Fri, 14 Apr 2017 14:34:00 GMT

Why is Russo’s a rewarding franchise opportunity? Guillermo Medellin, a multi-unit franchisee of three Russo’s locations in the Houston area, shares his thoughts:

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN FRANCHISING WITH RUSSO’S?

I’ve been with the Russo’s family since 2009 – I first purchased an existing location and then started up two more, one in 2014 and the other in 2015.

WHAT ABOUT RUSSO’S APPEALED TO YOU?

The concept itself is excellent – fresh, New York-style brick-oven pizza and original Italian recipes created with fresh, natural ingredients. Customers can dine in a casual, pleasant New York pizzeria ambiance, and there are lots of great opportunities in delivery and catering. The food itself is delicious!

HOW HAVE YOU FOUND THE HOME OFFICE SUPPORT?

I’ve found that the entire home office team is there for me when I need them.

WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR OTHERS LOOKING INTO A RUSSO’S FRANCHISING OPPORTUNITY?

Be sure that you understand the restaurant industry and the demands of a business of this kind. I have found that in a hospitality/customer service oriented field, a good basic understanding of business management is key, and experience leading and motivating people are necessary for success.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE MENU ITEM?

It’s hard to pick just one favorite, but my top selections are the Spinach, Kale & Artichoke Pizza, Penne ala Vodka, Prosciutto Arugula Pizzoto, Eggplant Rollatini, Chicken and Kale Pesto Pasta and Tomato Basil Soup.

WHAT IS THE MOST GRATIFYING PART OF YOUR JOB?

It’s very gratifying to work with a great staff and to be recognized by our customers for our food, service and ambiance. I also love all of the opportunities we have to get involved with our community through Russo’s.

For the second year in a row, the Russo’s system-wide sales grew more than 20% with Average Unit Sales up over 24%. Visit us here to discover more about domestic and international franchise opportunities with Russo’s New York Pizzeria!

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THE HOUSTON GUIDE TO CATERING YOUR SUPER BOWL PARTY

Mon, 06 Feb 2017 14:54:00 GMT

If you’re like us, you’ve been pinning and saving Super Bowl recipes for making things like Buffalo chicken mac & cheese pizza rollups
for weeks now. If you’re like us even more so, you’re going to wake up on Super Bowl Sunday, realize you have exactly zero of the
ingredients required for such a feat, and come to the quick conclusion that there’s no way you’re going to face the crowds at H-E-B to
get said ingredients because you wasted all your efforts trying to get into that Taylor Swift show at Club Nomadic. Don’t be like us —
think ahead, and let these local eateries put in 100% of the hard work for you and throw the greatest Houston Super Bowl party
without much, if any, hassle.

RUSSO’S NEW YORK PIZZERIA

MIDTOWN (& OTHER LOCATIONS)
Availability: Offered through Monday, February 6, with delivery available
and locations are offering a Super Bowl Game Day Lineup Party
Package, featuring a giant, 28in party pizza with two toppings and 20 buffalo wings for $59.95. Rumor has it the pie alone feeds eight
to 10, but you might as well give it a shot even if you have a smaller group. Leave it all on the field, as the pros say.

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Super Bowl 2017 Finale: Where to Eat around NRG Stadium in Houston!

Sun, 05 Feb 2017 14:57:00 GMT

It’s the final game of the football season, Super Bowl LI , and you have tickets for NRG Stadium but don’t want to pay for NRG stadium restaurants . There’s always tailgating, but would you eat a hot dog from the back of some guy’s pickup truck who you barely know?

Especially with a game as important as this. Do you want to miss Super Bowl 2017’s finale because of a bad sausage link? Luckily, there are restaurants near NRG Stadium, and luckily for you, we’ve gone through the Houston restaurants closest to NRG Stadium and picked out some of the best so you can dine with confidence.

Restaurants Around NRG Stadium in Houston

Asahi Sushi
Located very close to NRG Stadium, if you are on the lookout for something close and a little different than what the tailgaters are serving, this might be the ticket for you. Good sushi and Asian cuisine at an incredibly reasonable price.

Pugon de Manila

Much like Asahi, this spot might be a great idea if you’re looking for something a little different. Pugon de Manila is a Filipino restaurant that serves traditional Filipino dishes along with Filipino barbecue. It’s a bit different than your normal football fare, but it’s good and filling.

Dimassi’s Mediterranean Kitchen

Now if you want to get completely stuffed, Dimassi’s might be your ticket to paradise. This buffet-style restaurant carries all of your favorites like falafel, lamb shank, and chicken maklouba, and it’s guaranteed to fill your stomach up so you don’t have to leave your seat during the big game.

Pappas Bar-B-Q

Texas’s state food is barbecue. OK, technically it’s not, but it should be. Everyone in Texas has their own favorite barbecue joint, but if you are looking for one close to the stadium, your best option is Pappas Bar-B-Q. Located near NRG stadium, they have all of your barbecue favorites like ribs, brisket, and sausage. It’s a great way to get your tailgating in and not have to stand in a parking lot.

Russo’s New York Pizza

If pizza is more your thing, then heading over to Russo’s New York Pizza should be your goal. It’s close to the stadium and pretty good. If you’re not looking for pizza, Russo’s also offers up a ton of other Italian food, salad, and dessert options.

Davis St.

If you are looking fine dining and don’t mind a bit of a walk, Davis St. has got you covered. Steak and lobster, chicken and shrimp pappardelle, blackened salmon, all of the finer foods you may be craving can be found here. It is a bit more of a walk than the other places on this list but we’ve been told that it’s definitely worth it.

There you have it. Six excellent choices for your dining pleasure and all within walking distance Super Bowl Houston. But if those Super Bowl food near NRG Stadium isn’t to your liking, take a glance around. There are tons of restaurants and bars in the area, ready and waiting to serve you.

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20 PIZZA FRANCHISES CHALLENGING

Tue, 26 Apr 2016 15:02:00 GMT

By Annie Pilon – https://smallbiztrends.com

There’s certainly no shortage of pizza businesses already in existence. But there’s always room for more. If you’re interested in owning your own pizza franchise, but want more options than just Pizza Hut and Domino’s take a look at the list of pizza franchises below.

Available Pizza Franchises

Papa John’s is one of the more popular nationwide brands that has franchising opportunities available. The company offers both traditional and non-traditional franchise opportunities, so even those with access to unique venues or locations can consider it as an option. New franchisees should expect initial startup costs for an average sized restaurant to come out to about $250,000.

Little Caesars

Little Caesars started with just one pizza restaurant in Metro Detroit in 1959. And since then it has grown to become an internationally recognized brand. The company prides itself on unique offerings, like its $5 Hot-N-Ready pizzas, along with quality, training and community involvement. The initial investment can range from $314,000 to $1,335,500. And the company has markets available for franchise growth around the country.

Marco’s Pizza

Marco’s Pizza currently has hundreds of stores throughout the U.S., with even more opportunity for growth in select markets. If you want to start a multi-unit development, you can sign a three to five store deal for access to an exclusive territory. You’ll need to spend between $221,592 and $421,592 to get started with a traditional franchise location.

Sam & Louie’s

Sam & Louie’s currently has locations in five states, with interest in expanding even further. The company has heavy interest in expanding in Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Texas. The total initial investment ranges from $327,500 to $468,700. And there are royalties and marketing fees involved as well.

Red Brick Pizza

RedBrick Pizza specializes in brick oven pizzas made with quality ingredients. The fast casual restaurant chain currently has franchise opportunities available in Missouri, Kentucky, Nebraska and Illinois, as well as further growth in its current markets. You can choose between single and multi unit developments. And the cost depends on which option you choose.

Hungry Howie’s

Hungry Howie’s is a nationwide brand with further expansion opportunities in select states. There are even more opportunities available for those interested in multi unit developments. The company offers training, a nationwide distribution network and marketing assistance. The initial investment typically falls between $239,700 and $472,000.

The Pizza Press

The Pizza Press is a restaurant chain that uses the concept “publish your own pizza.” Guests get to create their own custom pizzas. So franchisees can create a real experience for the customers in their area. The company is currently seeking out franchise expansion in several states, mainly those in the western half of the country. And you’ll need a minimum liquidity of $200,000 per restaurant to get one of these pizze franchises.

Papa Romano’s

Papa Romano’s is a Michigan based pizza chain that also offers things like subs, salads and wings. The company offers training and ongoing support for franchisees. And there are both single and multi unit developments available.

Pizza Ranch

Pizza Ranch has a dine-in/carryout restaurant model with a focus on creating a welcoming environment for guests. The company provides training, marketing assistance and ongoing support to franchisees. The total initial investment starts at above $1 million. And single and multi unit developments are available.

CiCi’s Pizza

CiCi’s is a pizza buffet chain with 442 locations nationwide. Franchisees are required to invest $125,000 per restaurant. The company provides marketing support, training and distribution. And there are even incentives available to veterans to make the initial investment easier.

East of Chicago Pizza Company

East of Chicago Pizza Company is a Midwestern chain that has been in business for more than 20 years. The company has a proven business model and a dedication to creating pizzas and other food items with quality ingredients.

Happy’s Pizza

Happy’s Pizza is a chain that provides delivery, carry-out, dine-in and catering options for customers. The company provides services for training, real estate, marketing and more. Happy’s has existing locations throughout the country and even more slated to open soon.

My Pie Pizza

My Pie is part of the growing fast casual custom pizza market. Franchise opportunities are currently available nationwide. You’ll need between $190,000 and $545,000 in build-out costs. There are also royalties and local ad fees involved when buying these pizza franchises.

Papa Murphy’s

Papa Murphy’s has over 1,500 stores nationwide that serve take ‘n’ bake pizza. The company provides training and support to franchisees. And there are current and future markets open to expansion around the country.

Russo’s New York Pizzeria

The Russo’s brand actually contains two restaurant chains, Russo’s New York Pizzeria and Russo’s Coal Fired Italian Kitchen. Both restaurants exemplify the fast casual restaurant environment and focus on using quality ingredients. The company has been in business for more than 30 years and provides, training, marketing, management structure and even culinary research to franchisees.

Rosati’s Pizza

Rosati’s is a restaurant chain that specializes in authentic Chicago style pizza. The company provides training and assistance with site selection and various other aspects of running your franchise. You’ll need at least $100,000 in liquid assets to get started.

Vocelli Pizza

Vocelli Pizza specializes in artisan pizzas and other classic Italian dishes. The company has been around for more than 25 years and falls into the growing fast casual segment. Your total startup costs can range from $146,000 to $317,900.

Kono Pizza

Kono offers a unique take on pizza. The Kono Cone changes the entire shape of traditional pizza in an effort to make it easier to eat. The company also aims to provide healthier alternatives to pizza fans. If this opportunity appeals to you, you’ll just need some business savvy and at least 100,000 in liquid capital to get one of these pizza franchises.

Fox’s Pizza Den

Fox’s Pizza Den is a family owned business that prides itself on being accessible to potential franchisees. The company’s $10,000 franchise fee and flat $300 per month royalty rate make it a fairly affordable option compared to other pizza franchises. The company also helps with site selection, business plans, inventory and more.

Jet’s Pizza

Jet’s is a pizzeria chain that provides carryout and delivery. The company provides training, opening assistance and ongoing support to franchisees. Jet’s charges a $20,000 franchise fee and collects royalties based on a percentage of acquired inventory rather than just taking a percentage of gross sales.

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EXPLORING THE FULL RANGE-AND MONEYMAKING POTENTIAL-OF ITALIAN MEATS

Fri, 01 Apr 2016 15:07:00 GMT

By LIZ BARRETT – https://www.pmq.com

These gourmet proteins can be paired with nearly everything on your existing menu, with delicious results.

You already know that pepperoni has been America’s favorite pizza topping for decades-but times are changing, and so are consumer tastes. When was the last time you introduced your guests to something different, such as an imported Italian salami or a beautiful prosciutto di Parma? Maybe it’s time to expand your horizons, explore the full range of Italian meats and discover how you can pair them with nearly everything on your existing menu.

“We use all kinds of meat, from raw to cured to dry-aged to dehydrated,” says Fabio Viviani, celebrity chef and owner of a growing list of restaurants in Chicago, including Siena Tavern and Bar Siena. “The most common meats we use for our pizzas are cold cuts and housemade sausages. We do a lot of salami, coppa, prosciutto sausage and housemade pepperoni. We chose these because they cook in the oven very well. Prosciutto di Parma and prosciutto di San Daniele are the best options when you want to slice the meat very thinly and place it on the pizza after cooking; everything else cooks and crisps very well.”

As for the rest of the menu beyond pizza, Viviani say you can pair Italian meats with almost everything. “Put them together with sharp cheeses, any kind of vegetable, mozzarella, truffles, mushrooms, Brussels sprouts, figs or pickled vegetables-really anything but fish,” he says.

Anthony Russo’s list may be slightly shorter, but the founder/CEO and head chef of Houston-based Russo’s restaurants also takes full advantage of cold cuts. “The main three Italian meats I use are soppressata salami, prosciutto di Parma and mortadella ham,” he says.

Good choices, all of them. So let’s take a closer look at each one.

PROSCIUTTO DI PARMA
A first choice for many chefs is prosciutto di Parma, thanks to its salty flavor and versatility. “I use prosciutto di Parma on pizza, salads, pasta and sandwiches, because it slices really thin and is very soft,” Russo says. “I also wrap it around fresh buffalo mozzarella and grill it with a little olive oil for a great appetizer.”

One of the favorites at Russo’s is a flatbread sandwich with fresh mozzarella, prosciutto di Parma, arugula and pesto. “You can tell if a prosciutto is from Parma because it has a nice red color and it’s nice and soft, not chewy like some of the domestic prosciuttos can be,” Russo notes. (Learn more about prosciutto in the sidebar, “The Prosciutto Puzzle,” on this page.)

SOPPRESSATA SALAMI AND DRY ITALIAN SAUSAGE
Much like prosciutto, salami and Italian sausage can be a great addition to the menu if you’re looking for something that’s easy to pair with many diverse dishes. “Dry Italian sausage and salami are very versatile,” Viviani says. “We use salami for salad, pizza, pasta, vinaigrette and more. Salami-whether dry or wet-is a very user-friendly, headache-free kind of cold cut that is delicious by itself or paired with a lot of things.”

For a little kick, try a spicy soppressata and see how your customers react. After all, today’s consumers are more attracted to dishes with a kick. “I don’t want to buy the regular salami that you can get anywhere else, so I use soppressata for my sandwiches,” Russo says. “Soppressata is a little spicy and really good.”

MORTADELLA
Mortadella, an Italian pork sausage flavored with various spices, plays a featured role on artisanal pizzas made by famed chefs such as Giada de Laurentiis, Marc Vetri and Emeril Lagasse. “There’s a lot of different types of mortadella ham, some with pistachio in it, some without,” Russo says. “I like the imported mortadella with pistachios from Italy. You can really taste the flavors in the imported one.”

“People get tired of the same old pepperoni and sausage. They want something unique and different. You can do a lot with prosciutto and pancetta on a pizza.”
-Anthony Russo, Russo’s New York Pizzeria

CHOOSE QUALITY OVER PRICE
When adding any new menu item, price is always a concern. But when it comes to high-end ingredients such as imported Italian meats, consider the benefits of choosing quality over price. A little goes a long way when the bold flavors of a spicy soppressata or salty prosciutto di Parma are paired with a gorgeous, fresh salad or housemade cheese.

“As a chef, I do look at the price, but what sells me is the quality,” Russo says. “The quality will set us apart from other pizza chains, and customers nowadays know the difference. We encourage our servers to promote the fact that we’re serving quality imported ingredients as well. When you look at it as $9 a pound versus $14 a pound and break it down by ounces, it’s a difference of pennies.”

“Start with a good salami, a good prosciutto and a good pepperoni,” Viviani agrees. “Everyone knows them, they’re easy to source, and if you want to make your own, salami and pepperoni are easy to make.”

NOT SO FOREIGN ANYMORE
If you’re worried that your customers won’t understand what mortadella or soppressata is, fear not. Russo, who owns restaurant locations in places such as Texas, Florida, Oklahoma and Tennessee, says that customers are ingredient-savvy nowadays. “Ten years ago, not too many people used prosciutto on their pizza,” he says. “Now prosciutto is more of a foodie dish. Mortadella may not be as popular, but we serve it on our sandwiches, and customers really enjoy it.”

Russo believes that today’s customers get a little bored with the same old pepperoni and sausage. “They want something unique and different. You can do a lot with prosciutto and pancetta on a pizza-add arugula, kale or artichoke hearts. You can also use Italian meats for calzones, pasta, bruschetta and antipasto salads, or create an Italian meat tray with prosciutto, mortadella, and Genoa salami.”

No matter how you decide to experiment with adding new cuts of Italian meats to your topping lineup, start small and test the waters. Focus on quality over quantity and let your sales forge a path toward increased creativity.

Liz Barrett is PMQ’s editor at large and author of Pizza: A Slice of American History.

This article appears in the April 2016 issue of PMQ Pizza Magazine

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LUNCH AT RUSSO’S COAL FIRED ITALIAN KITCHEN

Tue, 29 Mar 2016 18:13:00 GMT

BY BETSY LEAVE A COMMENT – The Dallas Socials

Everyday when it comes to lunch, my husband and I scratch our head. Since we work from home, it’s always nice to get out of the house but we always struggle to find new restaurants to visit that can provide fast service, delicious food and won’t break the bank.

As I’m sure you’ve heard, Richardson has been all over the news with it’s growth and how retailers and restaurants are flocking to the suburb. My husband and I usually stay in our little bubble but we have vowed to get out of it and go to better restaurants so we started heading to check out the scene in Richardson.

My husband could eat a Subway sandwich for lunch every single day. Me, on the other hand, can’t do that. So we usually try to find a place that serves good sandwiches so he can get his fix. We happened to find Russo’s Coal-Fired Italian Kitchen located at the corner of Campbell and 75.

We started our meal with a dish that I’ve never had before – Arancini. Have you ever heard of it? Arancini is sicilian rice balls loaded with Italian herbs, Grana Padano romano cheese, in a rich bolognese sauce. This appetizer would have been perfect to order if you want a lite lunch.

They were full of flavor and were the perfect appetizer. I ordered from the lunch menu for my meal and didn’t realize it also came with a salad so I actually got two appetizers! I was able to choose between a house salad or greek salad. I quickly learned that all of Russo’s plates were going to be huge.

Russo’s recently launched a few new menu items that included kale and I couldn’t be more excited to give it a try. I love kale and make it at home often but it’s not an item that I find in restaurants often. This is the lunch portion which literally fed me for days.

Remember how I told you my husband is obsessed with sandwiches? Lucky for him, Russo’s had a large selection! He instantly chose the Italian Deli which is one of the biggest sandwiches that I have ever seen. The crazy part about it – we were told the dinner portion was double in size.

No meal is complete without dessert! We had an early lunch and the tiramisu wasn’t ready yet (Yes, it’s made in house so you know it’s got to be good). We opted for the chocolate cake which like all of the other portions we were served, was huge! The cake comes all the way from New York and is definitely on the top of list of best cakes I’ve ever eaten. Their colossal chocolate cake is layer upon layer of dark, moist chocolate cake sandwiched with our silkiest smooth chocolate filling, piled high with chunks of cake.

We loved every bit of our meal. Not only did we have tons of food to take home and eat on the rest of the week but everything on the menu was very reasonably priced. Stop in and check it out. Don’t forget to let me know what you think!

Russo’s Coal Fired Italian Kitchen is located at 700 East Campbell Rd, Richardson, TX 75081.

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RUSSO’S RESTAURANTS OUTPERFORM 2015 SALES PROJECTIONS

Tue, 06 Oct 2015 17:05:00 GMT

By https://www.fastcasual.com

Russo’s Restaurants, which includes Russo’s New York Pizzeria and Russo’s Coal-Fired Italian Kitchen, announced that restaurant revenue increases are 9.8 percent higher than original 2015 projections. This performance is accelerating strategic plans for U.S. and international expansion, according to a company press release. Russo’s plans to open an additional seven restaurants by the end of 2015 throughout markets such as Austin, Dallas, Houston and the Middle East.

“We have continued to outperform our sales projections each year. For instance, in 2014, Russo’s Restaurants generated sales increases systemwide of more than 20 percent compared to the year prior,” said Anthony Russo, founder and CEO of Russo’s New York Pizzeria and Russo’s Coal-Fired Italian Kitchen. “Remarkably, this year we’re ahead of our 2014 performance – dramatically outpacing the pizza segment and the overall restaurant industry. The numbers are outstanding, and our model is to thank.”

Highlighting the performance of Russo’s New York Pizzeria and Russo’s Coal-Fired Italian Kitchen, average unit volume at the restaurants surpasses $1 million annually, the release stated.

“We are advancing our strategic growth plan in 2016 with plans to add 20 to 30 restaurants in the next three years. The new phase of franchising will more than double our number of international and domestic locations,” said Jim Carr, director of franchise development for Russo’s Restaurants.””In addition to growth in U.S. markets, we are in discussions with developers in France, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Canada, Mexico, the Philippines, Thailand and China. The world is becoming infatuated with Russo’s.”

Based in Houston, Russo’s Restaurants are composed of a mix of corporate and franchised stores in 46 locations.

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ITALIAN TREATS SERVED FRESH HEAD TO RUSSO’S NEW YORK PIZZERIA AT THE DELMA MALL FOR AUTHENTIC FLAVOURS

Wed, 02 Sep 2015 17:08:00 GMT

By Anjana Sankar, Senior Reporter – gulfnews.com

Abu Dhabi: If you love pizza but are bored with the ones you get at food courts in malls, then head to Russo’s New York Pizzeria at the Delma Mall for a great Italian treat.

You can feast on some authentic brick oven pizzas, pastas and more at this Italian eatery that runs on a simple culinary ethic – “If it is not fresh, don’t serve it!”

The first taste of freshness came in a tall glass of chilled passion fruit mojito with muddled mint that felt so refreshing.

For antipasti, we tried eggplant rollatini which had lightly breaded eggplant stuffed with ricotta cheese and all-natural mozzarella, served in a tomato cream sauce, parmesan cheese and extra virgin olive oil.

The buffalo chicken wings were juicy and packed with flavours – exactly the way I like it. The crunchy celeries and ranch dressing made a great bite and dip.

There is a good selection of salads and zuppe as well.

For pizza lovers, the variety is good enough to satisfy even the pickiest of eaters. The pizza napoletana is extra thin, square-crust and prepared and hand-tossed to order. You can pick your favourite from soho, paisano, bresaola rucola and Italian village, to name a few.

The calzones pizzas come stuffed with your favourite ingredient, folded and oven baked and served with a side of marinara sauce. For vegetarians, there is a special ‘heart-healthy veggie pizza’.

Our favourites were New York Village pizza with beef pepperoni, Italian beef, mushrooms, black olives, white onions and mozzarella, and a ‘make-your-own pizza’ we made with grilled chicken and bell peppers. The crust was neither too thin nor too thick, and the toppings, even when you individually tasted them, excelled in their freshness and taste.

I was equally impressed with the chicken pesto pasta as the homemade pesto sauce struck all the right notes on my tastebuds.

For dessert lovers, Russo’s has some amazing homemade cakes like the colossal New York cheesecake that you would want to devour.

The Russo’s menu is sure to get you to over-eat, and that is the only thing you have to be wary of.

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RUSSO’S NEW YORK PIZZERIA SIGNS FOUR-UNIT DEVELOPMENT DEAL

Sat, 15 Aug 2015 21:24:00 GMT

Renowned South Texas Development Group to Open Fast Casual New York Pizzeria Locations in Rio Grande Valley

HOUSTON – Russo’s New York Pizzeria, the authentic New York-style pizza fast casual dining experience complete with handcrafted Italian recipes passed down from generations, announced today a multi-unit agreement that further advances the company’s strategic growth initiative.

The Houston-based brand, which has a collection of more than 73 restaurants open or under development, has completed the deal with VKL Franchise, LLC. The experienced team of entrepreneurs currently run more than 100 franchise businesses in south Texas including several restaurants.

“The newly formed deal with VKL Franchise, LLC represents a significant step in our franchise development strategy,” said Chef Anthony Russo, founder and CEO of Russo’s Restaurants. “Russo’s has the ability to fully immerse itself into the fabric of many of America’s most attractive communities, and we are thrilled to introduce our unique and beloved brand to new markets throughout this attractive region.” Gabriel Kauachi, Jorge Kauachi and Javier Lara are the principal operating partners behind the four new Russo’s New York Pizzeria planned for Brownsville, Harlingen, Laredo and South Padre Island in Texas. The first location in Brownsville is expected to open this fall.

“Russo’s New York Pizzeria is an obvious fit for south Texas and the Rio Grande Valley. Brownsville, Harlingen, Laredo and South Padre Island are in for a delicious New York-style pizza surprise,” said Gabriel Kauachi. “The brand is in a prime position for growth and we’re proud to be the group carrying on its rich history and family tradition.”

Russo’s New York Pizzeria has garnered a cult-like following for its truly authentic and delicious Italian dishes made from the freshest ingredients and its New York-style pizza. The restaurant blends the freshness of fine ingredients with the magic created around a homemade Italian meal.

“We are continuing to advance our strategic growth plan in 2015 with plans to add 20 to 30 restaurants in the next three years. The new phase of franchising will more than double our number of international locations,” said Jim Carr, director of franchise development for Russo’s Restaurants. “In addition to the Middle East markets, we are in early discussions with developers in France, Canada, Mexico, the Philippines and China.”

Highlighting the performance of Russo’s New York Pizzeria and its upscale sister brand Russo’s Coal-Fired Italian Kitchen, is the nearly 24 percent average net profit, which includes average food costs of less than 21 percent, a figure well below the national average for the fast casual pizza/Italian sector. Plus, the brands’ average unit volume surpasses $1 million. The most recent Russo’s opening saw weekly sales between $35,000 to $60,000. Russo’s branded restaurants are profitable during their first year of operations.

For proven restaurant operations teams and driven entrepreneurs interested in pizza franchise opportunities, most commercial loans require a low down payment of 20 to 30 percent of the total investment to launch a restaurant. Moreover, Russo’s works with a collection of preferred third party financing sources to support its franchisees.

For more information, please visit www.nypizzeria.com .

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LOCAL ENTREPRENEURIAL COUPLE SIGNS LEASE TO OPEN RUSSO’S NEW YORK PIZZERIA IN KATY

Wed, 12 Aug 2015 21:03:00 GMT

Authentic New York Style Pizzeria to Open at the Firethorne Community Later This Year

KATY, Texas – Russo’s New York Pizzeria announced today a signed deal to bring the authentically Italian fast-casual restaurant to the Firethorne community in Katy later this year. Local entrepreneurs Eduardo and Jessica Haas will open their restaurant in the attractive residential and retail area, located at 1708 Spring Green Blvd, #180, in November 2015.

“There’s no denying the demand for quality Italian dining options here in Katy. We offer original Italian recipes that visitors and local residents will fall in love with,” said Chef Anthony Russo, founder and CEO of Russo’s Restaurants. “As the city grows, the community seeks newer, fresher concepts that are fun for the entire family. We can’t wait to give our loyal fans even more of what they crave – delicious, New York-style pizza and handcrafted Italian recipes in a cool and trendy interior that is a cozy, family-friendly atmosphere.”

The Russo’s name has become synonymous with delicious New York-style pizza and authentic Italian meals. Beyond the brand’s specialty pizzas, menu items include fresh salads (insalata), soups (zuppe) and homemade pastas. Authentic Italian cannoli, fresh seafood, chicken, veal and flatbread sandwiches are just some of the distinctive dishes on the menu.

“If it’s not fresh, we don’t serve it,” said Russo. “The emphasis on quality food is apparent from our menu creations to our open kitchen concept. We want our guests to know that serving great food is our No. 1 priority.”

The majority of Russo’s Restaurants locations are in south central Texas. There are additional multi-unit franchise opportunities throughout Texas, in the Greater Houston market, as well as San Antonio, Austin and Dallas-Fort Worth. This will be Katy’s fourth New York Pizzeria – existing locations are on Echo Lane, Westgreen Road and Cinco Ranch.

Today, Russo’s New York Pizzeria has garnered a cult-like following for their truly authentic and delicious Italian dishes made from the freshest ingredients and its New York-style pizza. The restaurants blend premium recipes with the magic created around a homemade Italian meal.

For more information, please visit www.nypizzeria.com .

About Russo’s Restaurants

Russo’s Restaurants is a 44 location national and international franchisor of the fast casual and casual dining brands Russo’s New York Pizzeria and Russo’s Coal-Fired Italian Kitchen. Based in Houston, Russo’s Restaurants are composed of a mix of corporate and franchised locations across Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Tennessee, Florida and Hawaii. Russo’s has entered international markets as well, with locations in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah, in the United Arab Emirates. There are an additional 29-plus units in development both in the United States and Internationally. Chef Anthony Russo has created his concepts from years of applying his unique, family recipes featuring New York-style pizza, along with a broad variety of handcrafted pasta creations, calzones, salads, sandwiches, soups and desserts, reflecting his commitment to his New York roots where food and family come first. To learn more about Russo’s franchise development opportunities, visit www.nypizzeria.com . For International development, contact our international franchise development manager, Suzanne Boyadjian at suzanne@nypizzeria.com or for the U.S. contact Jim Carr, director of franchise development at j.carr@nypizzeria.com or by phone at (832) 980-6407.

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Authentic Italian Restaurant Arrives In San Antonio With Highly Anticipated Opening of Russo’s Coal-Fire Italian Kitchen

Sat, 01 Aug 2015 20:15:00 GMT

Upscale Italian Restaurant Opens at The Rim

SAN ANTONIO – The wait is over in San Antonio.

Russo’s Coal-Fired Italian Kitchen has arrived as one of San Antonio’s most highly anticipated restaurant openings. Local residents, commuters and visitors can now savor the tastes, aromas and unmistakable ambiance of the upscale Italian restaurant brimming with old-world charm and hospitality. Russo’s Coal-Fired Italian Kitchen opens at the premium mixed-use residential and shopping destination, The Rim, located at 17631 La Cantera Pkwy, off of I-10, just north of the 1604 Loop in San Antonio.

“From the moment customers walk in, they will know they’ve come somewhere special. They’re getting a truly authentic experience,” said Paula Matthews, General Manager of Russo’s Coal-Fired Italian Kitchen in San Antonio. “Everything is made with fresh ingredients. From our crispy coal-fired pizza and calzones to our baked pastas, handmade meatballs and specialty seafood pastas, we serve traditional Italian dishes just the way our guests expect.”

Russo’s Coal-Fired Italian Kitchen in San Antonio is open for lunch and dinner with an extensive catering menu available. The sleek and inviting restaurant features an open kitchen where guests can see their food being prepared and dishes coming out of the massive coal-fired oven. The unique, open design, which reflects local flair, also includes a wide bar with an impressive selection of locally sourced and imported Italian wines. The bar will also serve beers from Pearl Brewing Company and Lone Star Brewery, as well as locally sourced craft brews. At more than 3,500 square feet, the Italian eatery also features a 1,000-square-foot outdoor patio.

“Opening in San Antonio is a momentous occasion for Russo’s Coal-Fired Italian Kitchen,” said company CEO Anthony Russo, a formally trained chef who opened his first Russo’s New York Pizzeria in 1992. “We couldn’t be happier about carrying on the Russo’s tradition with a new restaurant in San Antonio.”

Russo’s Coal-Fired Italian Kitchen and its traditional Italian recipes trace their origins to a tight-knit family where the kitchen was the center of all activity. As a young child, Anthony Russo helped his grandmother roll dough for cannoli, carefully wrapping it around four-inch wooden broomsticks to get the right shape before cooking. By the age of 12, Anthony was learning authentic Italian recipes and spent many summers in Sicily and Milan training with Italian chefs. After earning the Chef’s distinction at 18, Anthony honed his skills as a culinary expert working in his parent’s fine Italian restaurant and then opened his own pizzeria while still a young man. He then opened Anthony’s Pizzeria in Clear Lake, Texas, and later two restaurants in Houston; one named Café Anthony and the other named Russo Café Anthony, an upscale Italian restaurant. After establishing himself as a household name in Houston, he launched Russo’s New York Pizzeria in 1992, followed three years later by Russo’s Coal-Fired Italian Kitchen.

Complete Russo’s Coal-Fired Italian Kitchen menu options are available at www.russoscoalfired.com.

About Russo’s Coal-Fired Italian Kitchen

Presenting a true authentic Italian experience, Russo’s Coal-Fired Italian Kitchen lives by a family promise that dates back more than half a century, “If it isn’t fresh, don’t serve it.” This phrase has guided Russo’s Coal-Fired Italian Kitchen since founder Anthony Russo opened his first restaurant more than two decades ago. The brand’s success has inspired the launch a number of successful franchises, and today more than 44 Russo’s restaurants are operating globally and dozens more are expected to open in the next three to five years. The concept has gained recognition for its remarkably fresh food and authentic Italian specialties. Preparation of pure ingredients and the execution of memorable Italian food keep customers coming back for more. Chef Russo’s commitment to maintaining the freshest products insures that all customers who walk through the door, irrespective of which Russo’s location, receive the bona fide Russo’s experience.

For more information about Russo’s Restaurants visit www.nypizzeria.com . To learn about available franchise opportunities call (855) 978-7767. For International development, contact our international franchise development manager, Suzanne Boyadjian at suzanne@nypizzeria.com or for the U.S. contact Jim Carr, director of franchise development at j.carr@nypizzeria.com or by phone at (832) 980-6407.

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RUSSO’S RESTAURANTS TARGETS REGIONAL GROWTH THROUGHOUT HAWAII

Mon, 20 Jul 2015 18:24:00 GMT

Unique Fast-Casual New York Pizzeria and Upscale Coal-Fired Italian Kitchen Concepts Announce Strategic Expansion Plan Across Hawaiian Islands

EWA BEACH, Hawaii – Chef Anthony Russo, the founder of dining concepts that include Russo’s New York Pizzeria and Russo’s Coal-Fired Italian Kitchen, announced today plans to expand the brands’ footprint in the Hawaiian islands in order to continue his growth plan in key markets.

“Hawaii’s first franchised Russo’s restaurant has become the favorite choice for authentic Italian in the Aloha State,” said Chef Anthony, a formally trained chef who opened his first Russo’s New York Pizzeria in 1992 and later introduced the upscale Russo’s Coal-Fired Italian Kitchen. “Our plan is to add two additional locations to Oahu, Maui, Kona and Hawaii over the next 12 to 18 months, resulting in a strong showing of Chef Anthony’s restaurant concepts. Each location will add 25 to 30 new jobs and boost the local economies while enhancing the city’s revenue stream.”

Already established in Ewa Beach with a thriving Coal-Fired Italian Kitchen, franchise partner Robert Carlisle has experienced excellent results by delivering exceptional guest service, crafting delicious Italian selections and providing an engaging customer experience, which has resulted in strong sales. Chef Anthony’s unique menu features its signature Coal-Fired Pizzas along with a broad selection of handmade pasta dishes, made-from-scratch Italian selections and fresh all natural salads, all true to Chef Russo’s Italian roots where food and family come first.

Russo’s charts 2015 with openings in Spring, San Antonio, Katy and Brownsville, Texas and celebrates the signing of two additional units in Austin and locations in Harlingen, Laredo and South Padre Island, Texas. An additional 10-12 restaurants are planned to be signed this year throughout Texas markets like Dallas, Houston, San Antonio and Austin. Currently, in all, there are 28 Russo’s restaurants in development system-wide.

Entrepreneurs who have been searching for an authentic New York Pizzeria concept with a unique Italian menu are finding just that with the Russo’s brands and proven franchise system.

“With Hawaii’s growing economy and room on the islands for more of our authentic Italian options, the state offers access to promising locations. We anticipate a very successful expansion with our established brands and a management team committed to supporting our franchisees every step of the way, we’re confident in our future with Hawaii,” said Chef Anthony.

Russo’s Restaurants offers a rare franchise opportunity for entrepreneurs interested in proven brands that are entirely chef created, chef inspired and chef driven. Interested franchise prospects should have between $600,000 and $1 million net worth per location, and $175,000 to $400,000 in liquid assets. Prospective candidates can find out more by visiting www.franchiserussos.com.

About Russo’s Restaurants

Russo’s Restaurants is a 44 location national and international franchisor of the fast casual and casual dining brands Russo’s New York Pizzeria and Russo’s Coal-Fired Italian Kitchen. Based in Houston, Russo’s Restaurants are composed of a mix of corporate and franchised locations across Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Tennessee, Florida and Hawaii. Russo’s has entered international markets as well, with locations in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah, in the United Arab Emirates. There are an additional 28-plus units in development both in the United States and Internationally. Chef Anthony Russo has created his concepts from years of applying his unique, family recipes featuring New York-style pizza, along with a broad variety of handcrafted pasta creations, calzones, salads, sandwiches, soups and desserts, reflecting his commitment to his New York roots where food and family come first. To learn more about Russo’s franchise development opportunities, visit www.nypizzeria.com . For franchise development in the U.S. and Mexico, contact Jim Carr, director of franchise development at j.carr@nypizzeria.com or by phone at (832) 980-6407.

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FIRST SAUDI ARABIAN RUSSO’S NEW YORK PIZZERIA – FRANCHISE COMING TO RIYADH

Tue, 14 Jul 2015 18:25:00 GMT

Hospitality & Catering Company to Continue Brand’s International Franchise Growth

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – Chef Anthony’s authentic Italian franchise is on the way.

Continuing its meteoric rise in the Middle East, the well known, Houston-based Italian restaurant announced today its first signed agreement in Riyadh with the Hospitality & Catering Company. The location is due to open in the urban metropolis by the end of this year. Saudi Arabia is about to enjoy a giant slice of New York.

“Riyadh is about to have a taste of something it’s never experienced before. We’re not just offering original Italian recipes – we’re offering a unique dining experience in an unrivaled interior highlighting our Open Kitchen, where our guests can see the quality and care we incorporate with every dish we prepare,” said founder and CEO Chef Anthony Russo. “There is an unmistakable demand here for the kind of family-friendly and refined dining that only Russo’s can offer. We will be the first to give Riyadh carefully crafted New York-style pizza and hand-made pastas, soups, salads and sandwiches, in a cozy yet luxurious setting.”

To kick off their historic first opening in Saudi Arabia, the location will feature a warm, friendly environment with trendy and modern design elements Chef Anthony has cultivated in his locations worldwide. Additionally, this will be the first Middle East location to offer the Giant 28″ XL Pizza and Giant Slices.

“Chef Anthony has customized the menu to adapt to the local trade area by creating recipes using local fresh ingredients and spices. His authentic Italian cuisine and hand-crafted New York-style pizzas will delight Russo’s newest guests in Riyadh, along with our locally sourced, farm fresh produce & meats,” said international franchise development manager Suzanne Boyadjian. “Chef Anthony’s focus is on his authentic Italian recipes that he has painstakingly perfected to adapt to the region, featuring fresh, local seafood, Halal meats, risotto and saffron, truffle mushroom soup, eggplant pizza, gnocchi pasta and Mediterranean-influenced dips and spreads. Our great food coupled with Chef Anthony’s custom-designed interior and the seasoned management team of our franchise partner is sure to culminate in exceptional guest service and great success at Riyadh’s first Russo’s franchised location.”

Menu innovation is at the heart of the Russo’s Restaurants brands, blending generations of the Russo’s family Italian recipes. Through Chef Anthony’s handpicked ingredients and a commitment to research and development, the brands have continued to stay ahead of culinary trends. A prime example is the development of a full line of gluten-free pizzas and pastas – a sincere response to the request for great-tasting, gluten-free menu selections from health conscious families and thousands living with Celiac disease, worldwide.

Riyadh marks the next step in Russo’s bold initiative to open 28 locations across the Middle East. The family-focused original Italian concept has established an ever-growing presence in the UAE, with locations open in Al Wahda Mall and Dalma Mall in Abu Dhabi, Jumeirah Centre in Dubai and Sahara Centre in Sharjah. This summer, the Russo’s brand will open new franchised locations in Dubai and expand further across the region.

Russo’s Restaurants offers a rare franchise opportunity for entrepreneurs interested in proven brands that are entirely chef created, chef inspired and chef driven. Russo’s New York Pizzeria is the only authentic New York-style pizzeria as a franchise concept. “We have a bold plan in place for the next three years. Russo’s is on course to add 30 restaurants, more than doubling our number of domestic and international locations,” said Jim Carr, director of franchise development for Russo’s Restaurants. “The Middle East is just the beginning. We are hosting initial talks with developers throughout Europe, Canada, Mexico and the Far East, and our domestic expansion continues to flourish.”

About Russo’s Restaurants

Russo’s Restaurants is a national and international franchisor of the up-scale fast casual and casual dining brands Russo’s New York Pizzeria and Russo’s Coal-Fired Italian Kitchen. Based in Houston, Russo’s Restaurants are composed of a mix of corporate and franchised locations across Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Tennessee, Florida and Hawaii. Russo’s has entered international markets as well, with locations in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah, in the United Arab Emirates. There are 73 locations open and under development both in the United States and internationally. Chef Anthony Russo has created his concepts from years of applying his unique, family recipes featuring New York-style pizza, along with a broad variety of handcrafted pasta creations, calzones, salads, sandwiches, soups and desserts, reflecting his commitment to his New York roots where food and family come first. To learn more about Russo’s franchise opportunities, visit www.nypizzeria.com . For international development, contact our international franchise development manager, Suzanne Boyadjian at suzanne@nypizzeria.com or for the U.S. and Mexico contact Jim Carr, director of franchise development at j.carr@nypizzeria.com or by phone at (832) 980-6407.

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CHECK OUT THE BEST PIZZA SLICES IN TULSA

Wed, 08 Jul 2015 17:09:00 GMT

By SCOTT CHERRY – World Scene Writer

Let’s get to the crux – and the crust – of finding Tulsa’s best slices

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HEY CHEF, WHAT CAN I DO WITH TAHINI?

Thu, 25 Jun 2015 17:10:00 GMT

By Jacqueline Raposo (National Chef Whisperer) – Serious Eats

Tahini, Middle Eastern ground sesame paste, often gets shunned as a supporting player when blended into hummus or smeared on shawarma. But it’s versatile (and shelf-stable) enough to earn a permanent spot on our refrigerator shelves. We polled a panel of pro chefs on how they like to let it shine.

SAVORY SANDWICH SPREAD

Chef Anthony Russo is the founder of Russo’s Coal-Fired Italian Kitchen and Russo’s New York Pizzeria based in Houston.

Tahini is super flavorful, and it’s great with grilled meats and roasted tomatoes or peppers.I smear flatbread with tahini, then add grilled chicken, romaine, Roma tomatoes, and red onion for a really quick snack or sandwich, like an Italian hero with a tiny twist.

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Local Entrepreneur To Open Russo’s New York Pizzeria – Agreement Signed To Bring Fast Casual Italian Concept To Cedar Park

Sat, 20 Jun 2015 20:58:00 GMT

CEDAR PARK, Texas – “Mangiamo! Let’s eat.”

The phrase heard around the world in Italian family kitchens will soon be on the tip of Cedar Park residents’ tongues as Russo’s New York Pizzeria readies itself to serve authentically Italian meals come mid-2016.

Local resident and experienced franchise owner Raymond Rosario has signed a franchise agreement with Russo’s Restaurants to open a Russo’s New York Pizzeria in Cedar Park. The well-known Houston-based Italian restaurant will offer lunch and dinner with the options of dining in, carrying out, delivery, and catering. This will be Cedar Park’s first Russo’s New York Pizzeria, with just one other location situated nearby in Pflugerville.

“There’s no denying the demand for quality Italian dining options here in Cedar Park. We offer original Italian recipes that visitors and local residents will fall in love with,” said Chef Anthony Russo, founder and CEO of Russo’s Restaurants. “As the town grows, the community seeks newer, fresher concepts that are fun for the entire family. Now that Raymond and his wife are spearheading the operations behind this restaurant, we’re confident we’ll give our loyal fans even more delicious, New York-style pizza and handcrafted Italian recipes in a trendy, family-friendly atmosphere.”

Rosario has extensive business ownership and franchising experience. In addition to his strong sales career of over 30 years, he has previously served as a restaurant franchise owner, business partner, and general manager for various local businesses. Rosario is an active member of both the Cedar Park Chamber of Commerce and the Meander County Chamber of Commerce.

The Russo’s name has become synonymous with New York-style pizza and authentic Italian meals. Beyond the brand’s specialty pizzas, menu items include fresh salads (insalata), soups (zuppe) and homemade pastas. Authentic Italian cannoli, fresh seafood, chicken, veal and flatbread sandwiches are just some of the distinctive dishes on the menu.

“We are continuing our strategic growth plan throughout the year with plans to add 20 to 30 restaurants in the next three years. The new phase of franchising will more than double our number of U.S. locations,” said Jim Carr, director of franchise development for Russo’s Restaurants. “In addition to the U.S. markets, we have targeted international territories as well, and are in early discussions with developers in Canada, Mexico, the Philippines and China.”

Today, Russo’s New York Pizzeria has garnered a cult-like following for its truly authentic and delicious Italian dishes made from the freshest ingredients and its New York-style pizza. The restaurant blends premium recipes with the magic created around a homemade Italian meal.

The new Russo’s New York Pizzeria menu is available for viewing at: www.nypizzeria.com .

About Russo’s Restaurants

Russo’s Restaurants is a 44 location national and international franchisor of the fast casual and casual dining brands Russo’s New York Pizzeria and Russo’s Coal-Fired Italian Kitchen. Based in Houston, Russo’s Restaurants are composed of a mix of corporate and franchised locations across Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Tennessee, Florida and Hawaii. Russo’s has entered international markets as well, with locations in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah, in the United Arab Emirates. There are an additional 20-plus units in development both in the United States and Internationally. Chef Anthony Russo has created his concepts from years of applying his unique, family recipes featuring New York-style pizza, along with a broad variety of handcrafted pasta creations, calzones, salads, sandwiches, soups and desserts, reflecting his commitment to his New York roots where food and family come first. To learn more about Russo’s franchise development opportunities, visit www.nypizzeria.com . For International development, contact our international franchise development manager, Suzanne Boyadjian at suzanne@nypizzeria.com or for the U.S. contact Jim Carr, director of franchise development at j.carr@nypizzeria.com or by phone at (832) 980-6407.

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NEW MOM PLANS TO OPEN MORE RUSSO’S ITALIAN RESTAURANTS IN SOUTH FLORIDA

Wed, 03 Jun 2015 17:11:00 GMT

By Emon Reiser – South Florida Business Journal

Karla Tomás plans to open two more Russo’s Coal-Fired Italian Kitchen restaurants in South Florida by the time she sends her first child off to kindergarden.

The driven new mom, who gave birth to a baby girl in March, is the owner and original South Florida franchisee of the brand at 14910 Pines Blvd. in Pembroke Pines.

Since she opened the Russo’s on Valentine’s Day 2012, it has commanded an impressive annual sales of about $2 million, she said. She believes she can recreate her recipe for success and open two other locations in the tri-county area “in the next five to six years,” she told the South Florida Business Journal. She is still seeking spaces for the restaurant.

“I’ve lived in this area 20 years now, that’s why we chose to have the restaurant in this area,” Tomás, 30, said.

Tomás’ Russo’s Coal-Fired Italian Kitchen in Pembroke Pines employs 26 people, which is the expected number of new employees each additional store will need.

Director of franchise development for the Russo’s brands (which includes Russo’s New York Pizzeria restaurants) Jim Carr says Tomás’ business is strong and he expects she and other franchisees can support up to 15 locations in South Florida.

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SIXTH RUSSO’S NEW YORK PIZZERIA FRANCHISE COMING TO UAE

Tue, 26 May 2015 18:28:00 GMT

UAE’s Prime Hospitality to Continue Brand’s Middle East Franchise Growth
HOUSTON – On the heels of its fifth signed agreement to bring Russo’s New York Pizzeria to the United Arab Emirates, the well-known, Houston-based Italian restaurant and brand is now announcing its sixth signed franchise agreement with the well-established UAE restaurant developer and operator, Prime Hospitality. The new 1,774-square-foot restaurant is slated to open this summer at the Panaroma development in the mixed residential, leisure and retail space, The Greens, in Dubai.

“We are bridging the New York pizzeria gap in the UAE. With our handcrafted recipes, old-world charm and warm hospitality, there is nothing quite like Russo’s in the market currently. We offer original Italian recipes that visitors, shoppers and local residents will fall in love with,” said Chef Anthony Russo, founder and CEO of Russo’s Restaurants. “You simply cannot deny the demand for family-friendly quality Italian dining at The Greens community. We can’t wait to give our loyal fans even more of what they crave – delicious, New York-style pizza and handcrafted Italian recipes in a cool and trendy interior that is a cozy, family-friendly atmosphere.”

“Right from the moment customers walk in, they know they’ve come somewhere special. They’re getting a true ‘slice’ of New York,” said Henrik Andersen Director of Prime Hospitality, which owns and operates Russo’s New York Pizzeria in the UAE. “Russo’s has become a staple in the area since we opened the first restaurant less than two years ago, our fan base on social media has grown exponentially and our pizzas recently were voted as some of the best in the market,” added Andersen.

Russo’s has established an ever-growing presence in the UAE, with locations open in Al Wahda Mall and Dalma Mall in Abu Dhabi, Jumeirah Centre in Dubai and Sahara Centre in Sharjah. This summer, Russo’s will open new locations at Palm Jumeirah in The Golden Mile and at The Greens. These are two of the 28 slated to open in the Middle East with locations set to open in Saudi Arabia in 2015.

Highlighting the performance of Russo’s New York Pizzeria and its upscale sister brand Russo’s Coal-Fired Italian Kitchen, is the nearly 24 percent average net profit, which includes average food costs of less than 21 percent, a figure well below the national average for the fast casual pizza/Italian sector. Plus, the brands’ average unit volume surpasses $1 million. The most recent Russo’s opening saw weekly sales income between $35,000 to $60,000. Russo’s branded restaurants are profitable during their first year of operations.

Russo’s New York Pizzeria and its traditional Italian recipes trace their origins to a tight-knit family where the kitchen was the center of all activity. As a young child, Anthony helped his grandmother roll dough for cannoli, carefully wrapping it around four-inch wooden broomsticks in order to perfectly shape the traditional Italian pastry. By the age of 12, Anthony was learning authentic Italian recipes. Earning the Chef’s distinction at the young age of 18, Anthony honed his skills as a culinary expert working in his parent’s fine Italian restaurant and then opened his own pizzeria just a few years later. He then opened Anthony’s Pizzeria in Clear Lake, Texas, and later two restaurants in Houston; one named Café Anthony and the other named Russo Café Anthony, an upscale Italian restaurant.

Today, Russo’s New York Pizzera and Russo’s Coal-Fired Italian Kitchen have garnered a cult-like following for their truly authentic and delicious Italian dishes made from the freshest ingredients and its New York-style pizza. The restaurants blend premium recipes with the magic created around a homemade Italian meal.

About Russo’s Restaurants

Russo’s Restaurants is a 36-location national and international franchisor of the fast casual and casual dining brands Russo’s New York Pizzeria and Russo’s Coal-Fired Italian Kitchen. Based in Houston, Russo’s Restaurants are composed of a mix of corporate and franchised locations across Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Tennessee, Florida and Hawaii. Russo’s has entered international markets as well, with locations in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates. There are an additional 20-plus units in development both in the United States and internationally. Chef Anthony Russo has created his concepts from years of applying his unique, family recipes featuring New York-style pizza along with a broad variety of handcrafted pasta creations, calzones, salads, sandwiches, soups and desserts, reflecting his commitment to his New York roots where food and family come first. To learn more about Russo’s franchise development opportunities, visit www.nypizzeria.com or contact Jim Carr, director of franchise development at j.carr@nypizzeria.com .

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Next Stop, Las Vegas: Russo’s Continues Trade Show Circuit With Appearance at Multi-Unit Franchising Conference

Tue, 19 May 2015 15:08:00 GMT

The Multi-Unit Franchising Conference took place April 8-10 at Caesars Palace in the heart of Las Vegas. Known around the world for its fresh, delicious Italian fare in a casual, family-friendly ambiance, Russo’s New York Pizzeria made an appearance in Sin City to spread its multi-unit franchising message.

Representing the Russo’s team, David Martinez, a Russo’s franchisee and multi-unit operator of three units with plans for a fourth, was a panel speaker at a conference session. Martinez helped represent the band as it powers through an outstanding 2015, which has already included the opening of the company’s twenty-first Houston-area location in Spring, Texas.

An additional 10-12 restaurants are planned to open during the remainder of the ear throughout markets like Dallas, Houston, San Antonio and Austin. Currently, there are 20 Russo’s Restaurants in development, including two signed agreements in the UAE, bringing its total to six in the Middle East.

“We have excellent opportunities in fantastic U.S. markets for franchise growth,” said Chef and CEO Anthony Russo. “For entrepreneurs looking to develop three or more units of our proven concepts, our low cost of entry and flexible incentives are your one-stop shop for opportunity.”

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RUSSO’S NEW YORK PIZZERIA RAISING THE FOOD GAME IN DOWNTOWN HOUSTON FOLLOWING COMPLETE REDESIGN

Mon, 11 May 2015 18:29:00 GMT

Catering to the business lunch crowd, the new location boasts new décor, an open kitchen and make-your-own pizza and pasta stations

What: Russo’s New York Pizzeria has reopened on Polk Street in downtown Houston following a complete redesign of the interior.

The new Russo’s features an open kitchen, appealing décor, digital menu boards, and a self-serve digital Coca-Cola machine. Lunch guests from neighboring office buildings can enjoy the make-your-own pizza and pasta stations, which feature lunchtime portions of your favorite pizza and pasta dishes with a side salad.

Located nearby Russo’s New York Pizzeria in Midtown, at 306 Gray Street, the new location in downtown Houston has been designed to reinforce the Russo’s brand image many Houstonians have grown to know and love.

Where: Russo’s New York Pizzeria – 604 Polk Street, Houston

Hours: Monday: 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., Tuesday through Friday: 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

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RUSSO’S NEW YORK PIZZERIA OPENS FOURTH LOCATION IN THE UAE

Thu, 07 May 2015 18:30:00 GMT

Prime Hospitality Brings Taste of Authentic New York-Style Pizza to Abu Dhabi at Dalma Mall

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – The wait for Russo’s New York Pizzeria at Abu Dhabi’s Dalma Mall is over.

Now Abu Dhabi’s raving Russo’s fans, who have grown to love the brand since the first UAE location opened in 2013, can savor the tastes, aromas and unmistakable ambiance of an authentic New York-style pizzeria at the second Russo’s restaurant in Abu Dhabi. The well-known fast casual Italian restaurant that brings to life old-world charm and hospitality recently opened in Dalma Mall located on the Abu Dhabi-Tarif-Al Ain highway, opposite Mohammed Bin Zayed City, in the Mussafah area of Abu Dhabi.

A well established UAE restaurant developer and operator, Prime Hospitality recently opened the restaurant on the second floor of the Dalma Mall, proudly serving local residents, businesses and thousands of hungry shoppers.

“Customers entering a Russo’s New York Pizzeria anywhere in the world know they are getting a true ‘slice’ of New York,” said Henrik Andersen Director of Prime Hospitality, which owns and operates Russo’s New York Pizzeria in the UAE. “The ingredients are fresh in everything from the calzones to the pasta. Guests expect something special from these traditional Italian dishes, and we aim to deliver.”

Russo’s has established an ever-growing presence in the UAE, with locations open in Al Wahda Mall in Abu Dhabi, Jumeirah Centre in Dubai and Sahara Centre in Sharjah. The newest Abu Dhabi location is the fourth of 28 slated to open in the Middle East, with locations set to open in Saudi Arabia this year.

Russo’s Restaurants supplies a rare franchise opportunity for entrepreneurs interested in proven brands that are entirely chef created, chef inspired and chef driven. Russo’s New York Pizzeria and Russo’s Coal-Fired Italian Kitchen offer the only authentic New York-style pizzeria franchise concept, tracing their origins to a tight-knit family where the kitchen was the center of all activity.

“Every dish is delicious, our menu has something for every taste and our franchisees are happy and growing. Opening in Dalma Mall is a great step for Russo’s Restaurants,” said CEO Anthony Russo, a formally trained chef who opened his first Russo’s New York Pizzeria in 1992. “We couldn’t be happier about carrying on the Russo’s tradition with a second restaurant in Abu Dhabi and doing so with a group with a track record as proven as Prime Hospitality’s. With their qualifications, Russo’s can look forward to a bright future in Abu Dhabi, the UAE and the Middle East.”

Chef Russo customizes the menu to adapt to the local trade area by creating recipes using local fresh ingredients and spices. Menu innovation is at the heart of Russo’s Restaurants’ successes. Blending generations of Russo family Italian recipes, Chef Anthony’s handpicked ingredients and a commitment to research and development, the brands have continued to stay ahead of culinary trends. A prime example is the development of a full line of gluten-free pizzas and pastas – a sincere response to the request for the great-tasting gluten-free pizza from health conscious families and thousands living with Celiac disease worldwide.

About Russo’s Restaurants

Russo’s Restaurants is a 44-location national and international franchisor of the fast casual and casual dining brands Russo’s New York Pizzeria and Russo’s Coal-Fired Italian Kitchen. Based in Houston, Russo’s Restaurants are composed of a mix of corporate and franchised locations across Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Tennessee, Florida and Hawaii. Russo’s has entered international markets as well, with locations in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates. There are an additional 20-plus units in development both in the United States and internationally. Chef Anthony Russo has created his concepts from years of applying his unique, family recipes featuring New York-style pizza along with a broad variety of handcrafted pasta creations, calzones, salads, sandwiches, soups and desserts, reflecting his commitment to his New York roots where food and family come first. To learn more about Russo’s franchise development opportunities, visit www.nypizzeria.com . For international inquiries, contact Suzanne Boyadjian, international franchise development manager at suzanne@nypizzeria.com . For United States inquiries, contact Jim Carr, director of franchise development at j.carr@nypizzeria.com .

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RUSSO’S FRANCHISEE MAKES HOUSTON HEADLINES

Wed, 22 Apr 2015 21:19:00 GMT

One of the benefits of joining the Russo’s Restaurants franchise system is unlimited access to professional public relations (PR) and marketing support to help promote your new location every step of the way at no additional cost.

Recently, multi-unit Russo’s franchisee Guillermo Medellin opened his third location in Spring, Texas. He made headlines in the Houston market and was profiled in the Houston Chronicle to its 6 million-plus unique monthly visitors.

“The reception from the community has been phenomenal,” Guillermo said in the article. “Each day is busier than the last, especially considering we’ve only been open for a week! We have a great team that is doing a wonderful job of keeping things running smoothly.”

The article also provided a summary of the menu, hours and location. With such favorable media attention, it’s no wonder that Guillermo’s third location is off to an incredible start!

Click here to read the full article in the Houston Chronicle.

If you’re interested in taking the entrepreneurial leap as a multi-or single-unit owner in either Russo’s Restaurant concept, please visit nypizzeria.com for more information.

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Bonjour, Paris! Russo’s Attends Franchise Expo Paris

Sun, 19 Apr 2015 15:11:00 GMT

The Franchise Expo Paris took place during March in France’s most famous city. Known worldwide for delicious, fresh Italian fare in a casual, family-friendly environment, Russo’s New York Pizzeria and Russo’s Coal-Fired Italian Kitchen took its talents to the City of Lights to spread the Russo’s Restaurants franchising message.

Attracting a crowd of more than 37,000 franchisees, franchisors, vendors, media and visitors, the Expo Paris provides an international opportunity for all interested in franchising to come together to see the industry’s best and brightest. With a significant presence established in the U.S. and the Middle East, Russo’s stood out at the Expo as a successful collection of concepts deeply rooted in authentic, fresh Italian cuisine with a commitment to serving the community and friendly, casual service.

Russo’s brought with them their huge brick oven so that all in attendance could taste true New York-style pizza, something that is virtually unheard of in France.

“Russo’s is an ingrained part of dozens of communities here in the U.S. – people gather with friends and loved ones for a fresh, delicious Italian meal that they feel good about sharing,” said Chef Anthony Russo, CEO and founder of Russo’s Restaurants. “We loved sharing the food and franchising opportunity with our French neighbors – they can’t get enough of Russo’s already and we’re thrilled to expand our international footprint even further.”

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PEOPLE ON THE MOVE IN HOUSTON: STEVE HUBBARD RECOGNITION PLAQUE

Fri, 10 Apr 2015 17:12:00 GMT

By Houston Business Journal

STEVE HUBBARD

Date added: April 10, 2015

Submission Type: New Hire

Current employer: Russo’s New York Pizzeria

Current title/position: Director of Operations

Industry: Retailing & Restaurants

Position level: Director

Duties/responsibilities: Steve Hubbard is a seasoned operations expert. In his new role, he will manage and increase the efficiency of processes within Russo’s. He has a significant role in making decisions for the company’s financial management, organizational effectiveness, organizational leadership and risk management.

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GUIDANT FINANCIAL PARTNERS WITH RUSSO’S RESTAURANTS TO OFFER CREDIT ACCESS TO FRANCHISEES

Sun, 05 Apr 2015 18:30:00 GMT

By Brooks Wallace – Hollywood Public Relations
Bellevue, Wash. – April 6, 2015 – Together with BoeFly , Guidant Financial has announced a new partnership with Russo’s Restaurants to increase credit access to restaurant franchisees, enabling more entrepreneurs to make Russo’s Restaurants franchise ownership a reality.

“This easy prequalification process will give Russo’s franchisees confidence about their ability to get financing and identify potential sources, said David Nilssen, CEO and co-founder of Guidant Financial. “We’re thrilled to work with Chef Russo’s team to help ease the often complex financing process and enable more individuals to realize their dream of franchise ownership.

“It’s our passion to produce authentic New York-style pizza and quality Italian dining, and this partnership furthers that mission, one new franchisee at a time, said Chef Anthony Russo, founder and CEO of Russo’s Restaurants. “Our partnership with franchise experts Guidant Financial and BoeFly will help more entrepreneurs expand our brands and join the Russo’s Restaurants family.

# # #

About Guidant Financial

Guidant Financial works with entrepreneurs to identify, evaluate and deploy intelligent business financing strategies. Their services include, but are not limited to, rollovers as business start-ups (ROBS), SBA loans, unsecured credit and portfolio loans. In 2015, Guidant pledged to deploy $350 million through small business and franchising. Visit Guidant on the web at guidantfinancial.com .

About Russo’s Restaurants

Russo’s Restaurants is a 42-location national and international franchisor of the fast casual and casual dining brands Russo’s New York Pizzeria and Russo’s Coal-Fired Italian Kitchen. Based in Houston, Russo’s Restaurants are composed of a mix of corporate and franchised locations across Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Tennessee, Florida and Hawaii. Russo’s has entered international markets as well, with locations in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates. There are an additional 20-plus units in development both in the United States and internationally. Chef Anthony Russo has created his concepts from years of applying his unique, family recipes featuring New York-style pizza along with a broad variety of handcrafted pasta creations, calzones, salads, sandwiches, soups and desserts, reflecting his commitment to his New York roots where food and family come first. To learn more about Russo’s franchise development opportunities, visit www.nypizzeria.com/franchise .

About Boefly

BoeFly makes it easier to obtain small business loans by reducing the time, cost, complexity, inefficiency and frustration associated with small business lending. Its online proprietary matching technology connects small business borrowers with multiple lenders from among its more than 3,600 participating banks, based on the lending profiles provided by the banks and the information provided in the borrower’s loan request. Before seeking a loan business, borrowers can find out their fundability and may get prequalified for a business loan through bQual . The bQual report will deliver a business borrower’s FICO and SBSS Small Business Credit Scores, a personal consumer credit score and credit bureau report, and a detailed financing assessment of a borrower’s fundability.

BoeFly, now a strategic ally of the International Franchise Association to expand credit access within the franchise community, offers a Franchise Solution bringing these benefits to the large and growing small business franchisee community and is the choice of more than 125 brands, including Dunkin’ Donuts, Carl’s Jr., and Kiddie Academy, among many others. For more information, visit boefly.com .

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RUSSO’S RESTAURANTS NAMES SEASONED FRANCHISE AND CORPORATE EXPERT STEVE HUBBARD AS DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS

Fri, 03 Apr 2015 18:31:00 GMT

By Callie Forkenbrock – All Points Public Relations

HOUSTON – Russo’s Restaurants, which includes Russo’s New York Pizzeria as well as Russo’s Coal-Fired Italian Kitchen, announced today the appointment of Steve Hubbard as its new director of operations.

In his new role as director of operations, Hubbard will focus his efforts toward planning operational excellence within Russo’s. He will manage and increase the efficiency of processes within the company and will enhance the communication between the brand’s corporate and franchise sectors. He has a significant role in making decisions within Russo’s financial management, organizational effectiveness, organizational leadership and risk management.

“We were striving to find someone for this role with a strong operational background complemented with a lifelong passion for cooking,” said Chef Anthony Russo, owner and CEO of Russo’s Restaurants. “That’s how we know we absolutely hit the jackpot with Hubbard-he embodies and exceeds those two important qualities.”

Hubbard has utilized his enthusiasm toward operations and passion for food throughout his successful career within both corporate and franchise businesses. A seasoned restaurant operator, Hubbard has more than 20 years of experience working with Applebee’s and Apple Investors Group.

Much like Chef Anthony Russo, Hubbard developed his passion for cooking at a young age. He grew up cooking for his parents and seven siblings and used his talent to pay his way through college. Now, Hubbard can be found in the kitchen during his time off passing down his “tools-of-the-trade” to his children.

About Russo’s Restaurants

Presenting a true New York-style pizza tradition, Russo’s New York Pizzeria and Russo’s Coal-Fired Italian Kitchen live by a family promise that dates back more than half a century, “If it isn’t fresh, don’t serve it. “This motto has served Russo’s Restaurants well since founder Anthony Russo opened his first pizzeria more than two decades ago. The brand’s success has inspired the launch a number of successful franchises, and today 42 Russo’s restaurants are operating in the United States and the United Arab Emirates. Dozens more are expected to open in the next three to five years. The concept has gained recognition for its remarkably fresh food and the affordable price of menu options. Preparation of pure ingredients and the execution of memorable Italian food keep customers coming back for more. Chef Anthony’s commitment to maintaining the freshest products insures that all customers who walk through the door, irrespective of which Russo’s location, receive the bona fide Russo’s experience.

For more information about Russo’s Restaurants visit www.nypizzeria.com . To learn about available franchise opportunities call (855) 978-7767.

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RUSSO’S RESTAURANTS FAST-TRACKS U.S., INTERNATIONAL EXPANSION

Tue, 31 Mar 2015 18:31:00 GMT

By Jackson Lewis – All Points Public Relations

Houston-Based Italian Concepts Look Ahead to Next Phase, Will Showcase at Multi-Unit Franchising Conference

HOUSTON – Russo’s Restaurants, the founders of dining concepts that include Russo’s New York Pizzeria and Russo’s Coal-Fired Italian Kitchen, announced today plans to significantly enhance the brands’ footprint in the Greater Memphis Area in order to continue expansion into key markets.

Demonstrating the excitement around the brand, Russo’s kicked off 2015 with the opening of the company’s twenty-first Houston location in Spring, Texas. An additional 10-12 restaurants are planned to open this year in Texas markets like Dallas, Houston, San Antonio and Austin. Currently, there are 20 Russo’s restaurants in development. Additionally, Russo’s New York Pizzeria has just signed two new agreements in the UAE, bringing its total to six.

“We’ve exceeded our growth goals,” said Chef Anthony Russo, a formally trained chef who opened his first Russo’s New York Pizzeria in 1992 and later developed Russo’s Coal-Fired Italian Kitchen. “Russo’s expansion just cannot be contained, and we are pleased to target Memphis as a growth market for qualified single and multi-unit franchisees.”

Today’s news follows an extraordinary year for Russo’s Restaurants. In 2014, Russo’s signed agreements to open seven new restaurants and opened several. The year ahead represents the brand’s most aggressive growth phase yet.

Already established in the Memphis area with a thriving New York Pizzeria in Germantown, Russo’s dedicated customer following in the area has ensured success for the market with repeat business, strong sales and a unique menu.

With a significant presence already existing in dozens of major U.S. cities including Memphis and the Middle East, Russo’s franchise development team is looking to Riverside, Downtown (Beale Street area), Midtown, Collierville and Cordova in Tennessee, as well as Oxford and Southaven in nearby Mississippi for growth.

Franchisees have found success in Russo’s proven concepts, which boasts over 32 years in the pizzeria business. The New York Pizzeria is a family-style fast casual format, while the Coal-Fired Italian Kitchen is a more upscale casual dining concept. Franchisees who searched for an authentic New York Pizzeria experience have found just that in Russo’s, and have begun expanding into multiple units. The Russo’s locations boast a unique design for each, separating it from it’s “one-look” competitors, with each unit reflecting a one of a kind design, thus setting these concepts apart in the cluttered restaurant industry.

The system wide average sales volume per unit is $1.1 million. The most recent Russo’s opening saw weekly sales revenue, between $35,000-$60,000, with food costs accounting for only about 22 percent.

“Our franchise opportunities can’t be beat – we have exciting and favorable conditions in lucrative U.S. and international markets for franchise growth,” said Russo. “For those looking to develop three or more units, our flexible incentives are sure to impress. Russo’s New York Pizzeria is the only authentic New York-style pizzeria that is available as a franchise.”

In addition to the unique restaurant designs, menu innovation is at the heart of Russo’s Restaurants. Blending generations of Russo family Italian recipes, Chef Anthony’s handpicked ingredients and his commitment to research and development, his brands have continued to stay ahead of culinary trends. A prime example is the development of a full line of gluten-free pizzas – a sincere response to the request for the great-tasting gluten-free pizza from thousands living with Celiac disease. The gluten-free pizza that originated in the restaurant is now available at thousands of grocery stores nationwide.

Russo’s New York Pizzeria and Russo’s Coal-Fired Italian Kitchen trace their origins to a tight-knit family where the kitchen was the center of all activity. As a young child, Chef Anthony helped his grandmother roll dough for cannoli, carefully wrapping it around four-inch wooden broomsticks to get the right shape before cooked. By the age of 12, Anthony was learning authentic Italian recipes. Earning the Chef’s distinction as an 18-year-old, Anthony honed his skills as a culinary expert working in his parent’s fine Italian restaurant, and then opened his own pizzeria.

The Russo’s name has become synonymous with authentic Italian meals. Beyond the brand’s specialty New York-style pizzas, menu items include fresh salads (insalata), soups (zuppe) and homemade pastas. Authentic Italian cannoli, fresh seafood, chicken, veal and flatbread sandwiches are just some of the distinctive dishes on the menu.

About Russo’s Restaurants

Russo’s Restaurants is a 38-location national and international franchisor of the fast casual and casual dining brands Russo’s New York Pizzeria and Russo’s Coal-Fired Italian Kitchen. Based in Houston, Russo’s Restaurants are composed of a mix of corporate and franchised locations across Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Tennessee, Florida and Hawaii. Russo’s has entered international markets as well, with locations in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates. There are an additional 20-plus units in development both in the United States and internationally. Chef Anthony Russo has created his concepts from years of applying his unique, family recipes featuring New York-style pizza along with a broad variety of handcrafted pasta creations, calzones, salads, sandwiches, soups and desserts, reflecting his commitment to his New York roots where food and family come first. To learn more about Russo’s franchise development opportunities, visit www.russoscoalfired.com or contact Jim Carr, director of franchise development at j.carr@nypizzeria.com .

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GLUTEN-FREE SPOTLIGHT: CHEF ANTHONY RUSSO’S PIZZA

Wed, 18 Mar 2015 17:13:00 GMT

By Lena Burkut – Way 2 Good Life

Our Friday tradition is a pizza night. Great end of the working week is to share a big pizza with the family (or a few small ones). Recently, we started baking two small ones instead of one big one – kids always want cheese and the adults in my house prefer something more fun. Besides that, I hate the thought of missing every pizza night because of my gluten sensitivity.

Solution: Chef Anthony Russo’s Gluten Free Pizza.

The Russo family opened “Russo’s Italian Restaurant” in 1978, after moving from New York to Texas. Russo’s Italian Restaurant was a fine dining establishment that featured Russo family recipes passed down through generations, updated with a modern sensibility. The New York Pizzeria concept was introduced in 1992 in the Houston market in an area where most customers were from New York City, so they truly appreciated the New York pizza style, giant slices, and calzones in Texas. Anthony also quickly gained recognition for his fresh Italian food and his affordable prices. Today Russo’s has over 30 locations, from Hawaii to Dubai.

RUSSO’S PIZZA – NOT JUST IN THE RESTAURANT
Taste the Tradition in Every Bite. Expanding the tradition of artisanal baking, Russo’s now offers a complete line of the best-tasting, gluten-free frozen pizzas. With their passion for freshness and quality, you can now take home the authentic Italian flavors perfected by Chef Russo.

ABOUT INGREDIENTS

Chef-Selected Tomatoes All Natural Toppings
100% Premium Mozzarella Cheese
Egg-Free
Soy-Free
Trans Fat-Free
Certified Organic EVO
Meat Toppings (Free of BHA & BHT)

6 DIFFERENT VARIETIES:
NEW YORK-STYLE CHEESE
Our classic New York style thin crust cheese pizza made with house made pizza sauce, mozzarella cheese and Italian seasoning.

MARGHERITA
A classic style pizza made with olive oil garlic sauce, fresh roma tomatoes, mozzarella cheese and Italian seasoning.

UNCURED PEPPERONI
New York-style thin crust pizza loaded with pepperoni, shredded mozzarella cheese and Chef Russo’s house made pizza sauce.

CHICKEN RUSTICA
Grilled chicken, spinach, full-flavored roma tomatoes, basil, mozzarella cheese, feta cheese and garlic with extra virgin olive oil.

MULBERRY
Italian sausage, perfectly spicy pepperoni, Canadian bacon, crumbled hamburger, mozzarella cheese and full-flavored pizza sauce.

GREEK
Fresh spinach, juicy roma tomatoes, Italian black olives, fresh feta and mozzarella cheese, garlic and extra virgin olive oil.

Yes, it is gluten free – with a thin crunchy crust and a great variety of toppings! I personally loved Chicken Rustica, Greek, and Margherita – I never had feta cheese on my pizza before and it is absolutely out of this world. Tomatoes came out perfect on every pizza we tried.

If you like different meats on your pizza – you have to try Mulberry with Italian sausage, spicy pepperoni, Canadian bacon crumbled hamburger.

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RUSSO’S RESTAURANTS TARGETS INTERNATIONAL GROWTH ACROSS EUROPE

Thu, 12 Mar 2015 21:28:00 GMT

Authentic Italian Fast-Casual Pizzeria Concept Initiates Strategic Expansion Plan

HOUSTON – Russo’s New York Pizzeria, the U.S.-based fast-casual pizzeria concept best known for its authentic cuisine and brick oven pizzas, announced today plans to significantly enhance the brand’s footprint in France and throughout Europe.

“We’ve exceeded our growth goals,” said Founder and CEO Chef Anthony Russo, a formally trained chef who opened his first Russo’s New York Pizzeria in 1992 and later developed Russo’s Coal-Fired Italian Kitchen. “Russo’s expansion just cannot be contained, and we are pleased to provide our loyal fans with additional Russo’s locations in these promising markets.”

Today’s news follows an extraordinary year for Russo’s Restaurants. In 2014, Russo’s signed agreements to open seven new restaurants and opened four. The year ahead represents the brand’s most aggressive growth phase yet.

“France is a key growth area for Russo’s in the upcoming months. There’s nothing like Russo’s in the area,” said Russo. “Our international franchise partners have had nothing but exceptional success expanding into new markets like Dubai and the rest of the UAE. We’re confident France will be a stunning success as well.”

With a significant presence already established in dozens of major U.S. cities and the Middle East, Russo’s franchise development team is looking to Paris, Nice, Marseilles and Cannes for growth. Other European countries of interest are Spain, the UK and Germany, among others.

“Our franchise opportunities can’t be beat – we have exciting opportunities in profitable international markets for franchise growth. We are the only authentic New York-style pizzeria available as a franchise,” said Russo. “For those looking to develop three or more units of one of the best pizza concepts or a distinctive full-service Italian restaurant, our flexible incentives are sure to impress. Our pilot program is designed for a franchisee that is looking for the chance to own part of a brand that is built to stand the test of time.”

Franchisees have found success in Russo’s proven concept – the New York Pizzeria is family-style casual. From traditional Italian appetizers such as bruschetta and fried calamari to quick-fired pizzas, homemade pastas and an authentic Italian dessert selection, diners at the New York Pizzeria run an average of sales at $600 per square foot in the U.S.

Menu innovation is at the heart of Russo’s Restaurants’ successes. Blending generations of Russo family Italian recipes, Chef Anthony’s handpicked ingredients and a commitment to research and development, the brands have continued to stay ahead of culinary trends. A prime example is the development of a full line of gluten free pizzas – a sincere response to the request for the great-tasting gluten-free pizza from thousands living with Celiac disease.

Today, Russo’s New York Pizzeria has garnered a cult-like following for its truly authentic and delicious Italian dishes made from the freshest ingredients and its New York-style pizza. The restaurants blend premium recipes with the magic created around a homemade Italian meal.

For more information about Russo’s New York Pizzeria, please visit www.nypizzeria.com .

About Russo’s Restaurants

To learn more about Russo’s franchise development opportunities, visit www.nypizzeria.com/franchise or contact Suzanne Boyadijan, Director of International Franchise Sales, at Suzanne@nypizzeria.com .

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Russo’s on KHOU – Heart Healthy Italian Recipes

Wed, 04 Mar 2015 21:25:00 GMT

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RUSSO’S RESTAURANTS TARGETS REGIONAL GROWTH THROUGHOUT GREATER MEMPHIS AREA

Sun, 01 Mar 2015 21:29:00 GMT

Authentic Fast-Casual New York Pizzeria and Refined Coal-Fired Italian Kitchen Concepts Initiate Strategic Expansion Plan for Greater Memphis Area

About Russo’s Restaurants

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Franchise Expo South Recap

Fri, 27 Feb 2015 15:12:00 GMT

The Franchise Expo South took place during the first week of February in Houston, our home market. Conveniently, there are also more than 20 Russo’s New York Pizzerias and Russo’s Coal-Fired Italian Kitchens in Houston as well.

Drawing a crowd of more than 10,000 franchisees, franchisors, vendors, media and visitors, the Expo South provides an opportunity for all interested in franchising to come together to see the industry’s best and brightest. With a significant presence established in Houston, Russo’s stood out at the Expo South as a successful collection of concepts deeply rooted in authentic, fresh Italian cuisine, a commitment to serving the community and friendly, casual service.

After showcasing the concepts at the Expo South, Russo’s took interested parties on a tour of the Russo’s Restaurants in town as well as gave them an opportunity to meet current employees and franchisees. Russo’s also held two discovery days in order to educate and inform future single- and multi-unit owners.

“Many people have considered owning their own businesses – they’re tired of working for the man, but they’re nervous about the financial risk. That’s why Russo’s is such a great fit – the concept is proven, and dozens of people have found success in owning one or both of the restaurants,” said Jim Carr, director of franchise development for Russo’s Restaurants. “The Expo South was an incredible way to get to know the future of Russo’s. We encourage anyone interested in business ownership to reach out – we’re happy to discuss why Russo’s is the perfect choice.”

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Deal Inked To Bring The Fifth Russo’s New York Pizzeria Franchise To UAE

Fri, 20 Feb 2015 20:24:00 GMT

UAE’s Prime Hospitality to Continue Brand’s Middle East Franchise Growth

HOUSTON – Russo’s fans in The United Arab Emirates just can’t get enough.

A well-established UAE restaurant developer and operator, Prime Hospitality, has signed a franchise agreement with Russo’s Restaurants to open another Russo’s New York Pizzeria in the United Arab Emirates. The well-known, Houston-based Italian restaurant brand and its sister concept, Russo’s Coal-Fired Italian Kitchen, continue to bring to life old world charm, handcrafted recipes and warm hospitality.

This will be Prime Hospitality’s fifth Russo’s location in the UAE. The new restaurant is slated to open at the trunk of Palm Jumeirah in the mixed residential, office and retail space, The Golden Mile.

“There is nothing quite like Russo’s in the UAE. We offer original Italian recipes that visitors, shoppers and local residents will fall in love with,” said Chef Anthony Russo, founder and CEO of Russo’s Restaurants. “You simply cannot deny the demand for quality Italian dining at The Golden Mile. With so many tourists coming to the area year-round, the community seeks newer, fresher concepts that are fun for the entire family. We can’t wait to give our loyal fans even more of what they crave – delicious, New York-style pizza and handcrafted Italian recipes in a cool and trendy interior that is a cozy, family-friendly atmosphere.”

“Right from the moment customers walk in they know they’ve come somewhere special. They’re getting a true ‘slice’ of New York,” said Henrik Andersen Director of Prime Hospitality, which owns and operates Russo’s New York Pizzeria in the UAE. “Everything is made from fresh ingredients. From the giant slices of pizza and the calzones to the pasta, these are traditional Italian dishes served just the way our guests would expect.”

“Russo’s has become a staple in the area since we opened the first restaurant less than two years ago, our fan base on social media has grown exponentially and our pizzas recently were voted as some of the best in the market,” added Andersen. “Once you have visited a Russo’s Restaurant, you want to come back again – that’s how we create loyal customers and build long term success and further growth.

Russo’s has established an ever-growing presence in the UAE, with locations open in Al Wahda Mall and Dalma Mall in Abu Dhabi, Jumeirah Centre in Dubai and Sahara Centre in Sharjah. The newest location is the fifth of 28 slated to open in the Middle East, with locations set to open in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia in 2015.

“We are continuing to advance our strategic growth plan in 2015 with plans to add 20 to 30 restaurants in the next three years. The new phase of franchising will more than double our number of international locations,” said Jim Carr, newly appointed director of franchise development for Russo’s Restaurants. “In addition to the Middle East markets, we are in early discussions with developers in Canada, Mexico, the Philippines and China.”

Highlighting the performance of Russo’s New York Pizzeria and its upscale sister brand Russo’s Coal-Fired Italian Kitchen, is the nearly 24 percent average net profit, which includes average food costs of less than 21 percent, a figure well below the national average for the fast casual pizza/Italian sector. Plus, the brands’ average unit volume surpasses $1 million. The most recent Russo’s opening saw weekly sales income between $35,000 to $60,000. Russo’s branded restaurants are profitable during their first year of operations.

Russo’s New York Pizzeria and its traditional Italian recipes trace their origins to a tight-knit family where the kitchen was the center of all activity. As a young child, Anthony helped his grandmother roll dough for cannoli, carefully wrapping it around four-inch wooden broomsticks in order to perfectly shape the traditional Italian pastry. By the age of 12, Anthony was learning authentic Italian recipes. Earning the Chef’s distinction at the young age of 18, Anthony honed his skills as a culinary expert working in his parent’s fine Italian restaurant and then opened his own pizzeria just a few years later. He then opened Anthony’s Pizzeria in Clear Lake, Texas, and later two restaurants in Houston; one named Cafe Anthony and the other named Russo Café Anthony, an upscale Italian restaurant.

About Russo’s Restaurants

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PRIME HOSPITALITY TO OPEN FIFTH RUSSO’S LOCATION IN UAE

Fri, 20 Feb 2015 17:18:00 GMT

By www.qsrmagazine.com

Established UAE restaurant developer and operator, Prime Hospitality, has signed a franchise agreement with Russo’s Restaurants to open another Russo’s New York Pizzeria in the United Arab Emirates. The well-known Houston-based Italian restaurant brand and its sister concept, Russo’s Coal-Fired Italian Kitchen, continue to bring to life old world charm, handcrafted recipes and warm hospitality.

This will be Prime Hospitality’s fifth Russo’s location in the UAE. The new restaurant is slated to open at the trunk of Palm Jumeirah in the mixed residential, office, and retail space, the Golden Mile.

“There is nothing quite like Russo’s in the UAE. We offer original Italian recipes that visitors, shoppers, and local residents will fall in love with,” says Chef Anthony Russo, founder and CEO of Russo’s Restaurants. “You simply cannot deny the demand for quality Italian dining at The Golden Mile. With so many tourists coming to the area year-round, the community seeks newer, fresher concepts that are fun for the entire family. We can’t wait to give our loyal fans even more of what they crave: delicious, New York-style pizza and handcrafted Italian recipes in a cool and trendy interior that is a cozy, family-friendly atmosphere.”

Russo’s New York Pizzeria has garnered a cult-like following for its authentic Italian dishes made from fresh ingredients and its New York-style pizza.

“Right from the moment customers walk in they know they’ve come somewhere special. They’re getting a true ‘slice’ of New York,” says Henrik Andersen, director of Prime Hospitality, which owns and operates Russo’s New York Pizzeriain the UAE. “Everything is made from fresh ingredients. From the giant slices of pizza and the calzones to the pasta, these are traditional Italian dishes served just the way our guests would expect.”

“Russo’s has become a staple in the area since we opened the first restaurant less than two years ago, our fan base on social media has grown exponentially and our pizzas recently were voted as some of the best in the market,” Andersen adds. “Once you have visited a Russo’s Restaurant, you want to come back again: that’s how we create loyal customers and build long-term success and further growth.

Russo’s has established an ever-growing presence in the UAE with locations open in Al Wahda Mall and Dalma Mall in Abu Dhabi, Jumeirah Centre in Dubai, and Sahara Centre in Sharjah. The newest location is the fifth of 28 slated to open in the Middle East with locations set to open in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia in 2015.

“We are continuing to advance our strategic growth plan in 2015 with plans to add 20 to 30 restaurants in the next three years. The new phase of franchising will more than double our number of international locations,” says Jim Carr, newly appointed director of franchise development for Russo’s Restaurants. “In addition to the Middle East markets, we are in early discussions with developers in Canada, Mexico, the Philippines, and China.”

Highlighting the performance of Russo’s New York Pizzeria and its upscale sister brand Russo’s Coal-Fired Italian Kitchen, is the nearly 24 percent average net profit, which includes average food costs of less than 21 percent, a figure well below the national average for the fast casual pizza/Italian sector. Plus, the brands’ average unit volume surpasses $1 million. The most recent Russo’s opening saw weekly sales income between $35,000 to $60,000. Russo’s branded restaurants were profitable during their first year of operations.

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Anthony Russo Takes The Wheel…Of Pizza

Fri, 13 Feb 2015 20:06:00 GMT

Russo’s New York Pizzeria has locations across the United States, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and soon, Doha. Anthony Russo credits his fresh ingredients stance for the successful expansion and many slices of famous New York cheesecake sent in from New York.

You have a Honolulu location, lots of mainland ones and a Dubai restaurant. Do you adjust the pizza to local tastes? And in things as small as dough consistency, too?

Absolutely. We want customers in every market, whether locally or internationally, to enjoy their experience at Russo’s. A big part of that is incorporating local cuisine into dishes.

At our Ewa Beach location in Hawaii, we created a pulled pork pizza as a specialty. Dishes like the Calamari Fritti – along with other seafood – is really popular there. SO, we also added in more pasta entrees with seafood, using whichever fish is in season on the island. Things like Salmon Piccata and Tuna Piccata are always a big hit.

The menu in Dubai is really reflective of local and traditional cuisine. Seafood dishes there will have more white fish. As far as meat, anything involving lamb will fare very well – for instance our Lamb Rigatoni is popular. We also took into consideration local seasonings, and added ingredients like saffron to risotto dishes to give it that comforting flavor.

Additionally, the Middle East is not nearly as big on alcohol as we are here in the U.S. So in place of a traditional bar that serves alcoholic beverages, we put in a fruit juice bar. Customers can choose from fresh pineapples, mangos and other fruits to create their own drinks.

How can someone enjoy your food in a less greasy means while still getting the cheese and other pleasurable ingredients? Is there a specific healthier dish (though not ‘diet’ food?)

Since opening our restaurants, we’ve abided by the Russo family promise: “If it isn’t fresh, don’t serve it.” All of our pizzas and entrees are made with quality ingredients that I, along with a few others, hand pick specifically for Russo’s brands. We don’t buy products in the marketplace that are mass-produced because they’re full of junk. I go through careful procedures to hand pick ingredients, and develop the recipes myself to maintain the integrity and freshness of the produce.

We also use only 100 percent, cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil, which is made from olives picked from my family’s grove in Southern Italy.

As far as healthier dishes, you can enjoy something small, but hearty, like a Minestrone Soup, which is prepared traditionally with all fresh vegetables. We also have chicken and vegetable entrees that offer high protein and a low calorie count. Of course, our gluten-free options are a favorite amongst those who not only suffer from Celiac disease, but for people that abide by a gluten-free lifestyle.

Whether you want to eat light or go a little crazy, our menu accommodates everyone.

Do men and women have different favorite picks at your restaurants? What are they? What do both men and women like equally?

Men gravitate more towards the meat dishes. For instance, our New York Village Pizza is big favorite. It has spicy Italian sausage, pepperoni, Canadian bacon, and beef… It’s a big favorite amongst the guys.

For women, they’ll go with a bit of a lighter pizza option, like the Margherita Pizza. It’s definitely not as heavy. The Mediterranean and Caprese salads are also favorites among female diners.

The common denominator with both men and women is the pizza. Whether it’s a house specialty or a build-it-yourself pie, everyone comes to Russo’s for the authentic, New York-style pizza.

You sell New York-style cheesecake. I’m always really confused how to differentiate authentic from the imitations. How Do I know I’m eating a real one when I dine out, including at your restaurant?

At Russo’s we import our cheesecake from an authentic, Italian bakery in New York City, Pasticceria Rocco (Rocco’s Pastry Shop). Every single Russo’s location has Rocco’s cheesecake.

The easiest way to tell an authentic, traditional cheesecake from one that isn’t is in the texture. If it’s smooth and creamy with an airy finish and your fork slices through it easily, than you’re eating the real stuff. If it’s very dense and thick, and feels heavy, most likely it’s not an authentic style cheesecake.

Same question for the pizza. How do I know I’m eating authentic Manhattan style pizza? Is it all really skinny crusts, more cheese and light on the sauce?

A good New York-style pizza starts with a thin and crispy crust, and will be topped with fresh sauce and mozzarella. It’s not necessarily about how much you put on it, but about the quality of the ingredients.

But in case you’re still skeptical, here’s a good way to determine if it’s truly New York-style pizza: You should be able to fold your slice in half, and it should be able to stand up straight when you lay it on the crust.

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RUSSO’S NEW YORK PIZZERIA OPENS IN SPRING, TX

Mon, 26 Jan 2015 18:32:00 GMT

By Restaurant Magazine

Houston-Area Developer Opens 3rd location & Spring’s First Russo’s New York Pizzeria; Russo’s Restaurants Continues Historic Level of U.S. Expansion

Russo’s New York Pizzeria Opens in Spring, TXLocal resident Guillermo Medellin, an experienced Russo’s franchisee who already owns two Russo’s Restaurants in the Woodlands and Conroe, is opening Spring’s newest eatery at the intersection of Kuykendahl and West Rayford in the Kroger Marketplace.

“From the moment customers walk in, they know they’ve come somewhere special. They’re getting a true ‘slice’ of New York in Spring,” said Medellin. “Everything is made from fresh ingredients. From the giant slices of pizza and calzones to the pasta, these are traditional Italian dishes served just the way our guests have come to expect from Russo’s Restaurants.”

The Spring New York Pizzeria is the 21st Russo’s Restaurant to open in the Houston area. The expansion signals the continuation of significant franchise growth for the brand throughout the United States and beyond. The company is advancing its strategic growth plan in the beginning of 2015, adding 20 to 30 restaurants in the next three years. In addition to the U.S. markets, Russo’s has already taken off internationally, with multiple locations in the Middle East. Plus, early discussions are underway with developers in Canada, Mexico, the Philippines and China. The 12-month period from early 2014 to today represents the brand’s most aggressive growth phase.

“Opening our 21st location in the Houston DMA is a momentous occasion for Russo’s Restaurants,” said CEO Anthony Russo, a formally trained chef who opened his first Russo’s New York Pizzeria in 1992. “We couldn’t be happier about carrying on the Russo’s tradition with a new restaurant in Houston and doing so with a team as gifted as Guillermo’s. With their qualifications, Russo’s is continuing to build a bright future in our home Houston market.”

Highlighting the performance of Russo’s New York Pizzeria, and its upscale sister brand Russo’s Coal-Fired Italian Kitchen, is the nearly 24 percent average net profit, which includes average food costs of less than 21 percent, a figure well below the national average for the fast casual pizza/Italian sector. Additionally, the brands’ average unit volume surpasses $1 million. The most recent Russo’s opening saw weekly sales revenues between $35,000 to $60,000. Russo’s branded restaurants are profitable during their first year of operations.

For proven restaurant operations teams and driven entrepreneurs interested in pizza franchise opportunities, Russo’s has partnered with BoeFly and Guidant Financial to offer funding packages for its emerging, qualified franchisees. To learn more about Russo’s franchise development opportunities, visit www.nypizzeria.com/franchise or contact Jim Carr, director of franchise development at j.carr@nypizzeria.com .

Russo’s Restaurants is a 38-location national and international franchisor of the fast casual and casual dining brands Russo’s New York Pizzeria and Russo’s Coal-Fired Italian Kitchen. Based in Houston, Russo’s Restaurants are composed of a mix of corporate and franchised locations across Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Tennessee, Florida and Hawaii. Russo’s has entered international markets as well, with locations in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates. There are an additional 20-plus units in development both in the United States and internationally. Chef Anthony Russo has created his concepts from years of applying his unique, family recipes featuring New York-style pizza along with a broad variety of handcrafted pasta creations, calzones, salads, sandwiches, soups and desserts, reflecting his commitment to his New York roots where food and family come first. To learn more about Russo’s franchise development opportunities, visit www.nypizzeria.com/franchise or contact Jim Carr, director of franchise development at j.carr@nypizzeria.com .

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RUSSO’S COAL-FIRED ITALIAN JOINS RESTAURANT LINE UP AT THE RIM

Thu, 04 Dec 2014 17:19:00 GMT

By Tricia Lynn Silva – San Antonio Business Journal

Houston-based Russo’s Coal-Fired Italian Kitchen will open up a new dining option at the Northwest San Antonio mega-retailer known as The Rim.

The restaurant will make its Alamo City debut in the spring of 2015.

Russo’s Coal-Fired Italian Kitchen is one of two brands under the larger banner of Russo’s Restaurants – the Kitchen being the firm’s upscale concept. The company is also the owner/franchisor behind Russo’s New York Pizzeria.

Both concepts are the brainchild of chef, founder and CEO Anthony Russo, who honed his skills for Italian fare in his parent’s Italian restaurant.

Of the new Kitchen in San Antonio, Russo pointed out that “there is nothing quite like Russo’s in San Antonio.” As the city grows, its diners are seeking out newer, fresher concepts, said Russo, who added that his company can’t wait to serve the kind of food local consumers will crave.

The Russo’s deal helps to cap off what has been a busy year for The Rim – including for its developer, Atlanta-based Thomas Enterprises Inc.

Thomas Enterprises kicked off 2014 with Phase 5 of the Rim – a $57 million project that added another 250,000 square feet to the center.

While this phase includes some more familiar names, it will also boast several newcomers – including Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar & Grill; Bowl & Barrel; and Hemispheres, a World of Fine Furnishings.

Russo’s Restaurants currently boasts 36 locations – a mix of national and international stores.

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WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE? BROADENING BUSINESS HORIZONS IN A SATURATED MARKET

Wed, 03 Dec 2014 17:29:00 GMT

By Anthony Russo – www.entrepreneur.com

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Franchisee Celebrates One Year in a Booming Business With Russo’s New York Pizzeria

Mon, 24 Nov 2014 15:13:00 GMT

Entrepreneurs who are looking for a winning restaurant franchise idea should take note of the success of Russo’s New York Pizzeria. Brad Davis is a Russo’s franchisee who this year celebrated the first anniversary of opening his own Russo’s franchise. Brad shares a little about the experience of becoming a part of the Russo’s family of restaurants.

But first: Why a Russo’s franchise?

“We researched over 150 franchises in our process,” Brad says. “We knew we wanted to open a restaurant in the four main ‘food groups’ of Texan food, BBQ, Hamburgers, Tex Mex or Pizza. We stumbled upon Russo’s through our real estate people. At our first meeting with Anthony and his team we fell in love with the food, atmosphere and corporate support staff. After seeing the numbers and visiting other Russo’s it was a no brainer for us. It was the perfect fit.”

Russo’s franchise of pizzerias stems from the traditional Italian-American upbringing of the company’s founder, Anthony Russo. After years of helping in his family’s restaurant and learning authentic recipes from relatives who visited the U.S. from Naples and Sicily, Anthony opened his first restaurant at the tender age of 18. In 1992, the first New York Pizzeria opened in Houston, and has been a success ever since.

The secret to Russo’s New York Pizzeria’s success is not only its delicious pizza, but all the quality ingredients and traditional cooking methods that go into making it. The pizzas and every ingredient that goes into them are made from scratch, using old-world recipes and the highest quality ingredients.

Each Russo’s New York Pizzeria restaurant features several stacked brick ovens, which reach temperatures in excess of 600 degrees in order to infuse hand-crafted pizzas and calzones with authentic flavors while adding to the atmosphere of the restaurant.

In its first year, Brad’s Russo’s location did a little over $2.1 million in total sales. The average ticket price is $33.00, the average food cost is 26.5%, and the average labor cost is 25.5%.

Brad says that after just a year in business — the restaurant’s anniversary was October 7 — his franchise is already growing rapidly.

“Our current restaurant is approximately 2900 square feet, offering take out and dine-in only,” he says, “but we are in the process of expanding to approximately 4500 square feet and will begin to offer delivery.”

If you’re looking for an excellent franchise opportunity in the restaurant business, choose one that has been making diners (and restaurant owners) happy since 1993. Learn more about how to join the Russo’s New York Pizzeria family!

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Joining a Strong, Competitive Brand

Fri, 14 Nov 2014 15:21:00 GMT

Just like the ingredients Chef Anthony uses in his kitchen, here at Russo’s we love to keep all aspects of our business fresh, including our branding.

Our new website represents each of the three Russo’s brands: Russo’s NY Pizzeria, Russo’s Coal Fired Italian Kitchen and Chef Anthony Russo’s all-natural gluten free pizzas. The mix of thin, script fonts – reminiscent of the elegant Italian countryside – and sans serif type faces – a nod to some of the most forward thinking restaurateurs of this century – creates a look that is uniquely Russo’s. Deep reds and striking accent colors create a bold contrast, one that pays homage to the bold and colorful dishes made in Chef Anthony’s kitchen every day.

This distinct core brand has inspired communities and investors to come back to Russo’s time and time again. The Russo family’s culture of tradition creates an amazing story , one that many customers can and do relate to their own family. Russo’s isn’t just the restaurant down the street it is their kitchen, too. This interaction builds an organic connection that, as outlined here in Inc. Magazine, is the future of branding.

While Russo’s dedication to community involvement is no new news, did you know that Russo’s is a popular brand with multi-unit franchise owners ? It is because Russo’s has equal appeal to both consumers and investors that it is such a strong, competitive brand. Our family oriented structure permeates communities quickly, establishing each restaurant as a go-to with families as well as Italian food lovers.

The same traditional Italian cooking that was passed down to Chef Anthony from his ancestors is still served to customers daily at each of our franchise locations. The Russo’s brand is continually looking for new franchisees to join the family. For more information, head to nypizzeria.com/franchise .

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WHAT CHEFS CAN TEACH YOU ABOUT STARTING YOUR DAY RIGHT

Tue, 07 Oct 2014 17:45:00 GMT

By JESSICA STILLMAN @ENTRYLEVELREBEL – Inc

BORROW THIS MORNING RITUAL FROM SOME OF THE WORLD’S BEST CHEFS TO PREVENT YOUR DAYS FROM DEVOLVING INTO REACTIVE CHAOS.

Any home cook can tell you that cooking well boils down to planning and prep, but world class chefs take this obsession with thinking ahead to a whole new level.

“Mise en place is the religion of all good line cooks,” Anthony Bourdain writes in his book Kitchen Confidential. “As a cook, your station, and its condition, its state of readiness, is an extension of your nervous system. The universe is in order when your station is set up the way you like it: you know where to find everything with your eyes closed, everything you need during the course of the shift is at the ready at arm’s reach, your defenses are deployed.”

That’s helpful advice if you want to wow your dinner guests with a great meal, but it’s also useful for non-culinary entrepreneurs. “Most of us do not work in kitchens. We do not interact with ingredients that need to be collected, prepped, or measured. And yet the value of applying a similar approach and deliberately taking time out to plan before we begin is arguably greater,” consultant and author Ron Friedman recently argued on the HBR blogs.

What does employing the “meez” as it’s known among chefs look like in practice for business people, and what benefits can you expect from following Bourdain’s lead? I reached out to a few entrepreneur devotees of the practice to learn about what mise en place does for them.

REACTIVE NO LONGER

The heart of the mise en place idea is preparedness. “Planning is universal. Show me a successful CEO and I’ll show you someone who has a plan. For chefs, it comes down to each component of prep and service. For a business professional, it’s looking critically at your day and understanding where your priorities lie,” explained Anthony Russo, chef and CEO of Russo’s Restaurants, who uses mise en place both in and out of the kitchen.

Among the bigger benefits of this sort of planning cited is the way readying your work thoughtfully at the start of each day keeps you from becoming reactive. With inbox notifications pinging, calls coming in, and the usual flurry of unexpected emergencies raining down, often times we end up feeling our days get swallowed up by events outside our control.

Not with mise en place. “In today’s business world, it is easy to become reactive,” says Jeff Connally, CEO of CMIT Solutions.”The more we pause, the slower we move in the direction of meeting our strategic goals. My ‘meez’ helps me schedule time to respond to email, phone calls and texts. It allows my to take control of my day and play an active role in achieving my goals.”

“As a business owner, I am constantly being pulled in a hundred different directions, but careful planning makes it doable for me to keep my eye on my stores as well as at the home office and in corporate affairs,” concurs Russo.

THE POWER OF BEING PRESENT

Scrambling to deal with unplanned eventualities doesn’t just sap your sense of control, it also divides your attention (and, if it’s really out of hand, can even bring on panic). Having everything you need within reach helps keep you calm and focused, according to Bill Redfern, CEO and founder of A Buyer’s Choice Home Inspections.

“I’m much more present with my team. If you look at your day as one big project, it can get overwhelming. But once you break up each component into smaller items, it’s easier to prioritize,” he explained to Inc.com. That clear-headedness is good for Redfern and his work, but he insists it also helps him be a better leader and bring out the best in his people. “The role of the CEO is to utilize the talent around you–that’s a critical part of mise en place,” he says.

HOW DO I GET STARTED?

If you’re convinced the idea might help you have less frantic workdays, these mise en place enthusiasts have plenty of advice for newbies. “Start by making a list of everything you have to accomplish. Break down projects into individual tasks, and highlight the items that need to be completed first. Once you get a sense of what you have to do, you’re able to spend your time smarter,” offers Russo as an overview.

A comprehensive and carefully thought-out list at the start of the day is essential for Redfern as well: “Just as a chef has a list of ingredients for a dish, a business professional has a list of ‘ingredients’ that drive him or her as well. Whether I’m strategizing a new product launch, opening a new territory or meeting with members of my team, I’ve found that it’s essential to make sure all the parts (ingredients) are in motion before we hit the trigger.”

Connally makes it three by also endorsing lists. “I conduct a brief planning session before I begin my day. The session begins with developing a to-do list,” he says, explaining that he breaks this down into high priority tasks and long-term goals so that he can check that the activities he’s spending his time on really move him towards his top priorities. He recommends the books of Gino Wickman to those looking to emulate his system.

A COUPLE OF CAUTIONS

While this process of prep work sounds straightforward, the entrepreneurs I spoke to offered a couple of cautions. First, planning is great, but no amount of list making can entirely eliminate the unexpected. “It’s also important to leave yourself some time for flexibility. Things always come up that demand your attention, so save room for them and it won’t throw off your whole plan,” insists Refern.

Secondly, “though the methodology is simple, disciplining oneself requires patience, practice and dedication. It requires thinking about the end result at the very beginning,” warns Connally.

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DON’T FALL FLAT

Wed, 01 Oct 2014 17:47:00 GMT

BY Nora Caley – Pizza Today

KEEP TABS ON YOUR FLATWARE COUNT

Noble Pie Parlor in Reno, Nevada, stays open until 5 a.m. on weekends, and that means one thing: the flatware is going to disappear.

“In Reno the bars don’t close, technically,” says co-owner Trevor Leppek. “We are serving pizza to customers who don’t realize there is a fork and knife on their plate and these get thrown in the garbage.”

Also the dishwashing staff, swamped with the late evening rush, might inadvertently throw out forks and knives when they discard food and other trash from bus tubs. No one has the time, or presumably the desire, to reach into the trash can to retrieve errant pieces intended for the dishwasher, so Leppek does two things. He reorders flatware every three months, a task made slightly easier by his vendor’s online reordering option. Leppek also communicates with workers through Noble Pie’s private, employees-only Facebook page.

“We use it for various things such as covering shifts, or informing the staff we lost this much glassware or flatware this weekend,” he says. “We are reminding them, ‘I know it seems insignificant to you because you’re not paying $80 to $100 every three months.’ “Operators have to budget for flatware just as they do plates, glasses and other small items that are lost due to employee haste, general breakage or customer theft. It is another line item in a long list of things that must be reordered occasionally.

Leppek does not think customers are stealing flatware. They steal the cheese shakers, he says, but that’s because the Parmesan is of high quality. “Our flatware is very simple looking,” he says. “They might think it’s funny to steal silverware, or their friends dare them, but they take the pint glasses more often.”

There is one exception and customers do seem to take home one small item. With Saturday and Sunday brunch Noble Pie Parlor offers a “Build Your Own Bloody Mary.” The setup includes pickled items, salt and pepper, horseradish, and other ingredients, and tiny forks and spoons to scoop these items. “We lose those,” Leppek says. “I think people think, ‘Oh that’s cute.’ ”

Other customers have much loftier targets. At 60-seat Blue Planet Grill in New York City, the steak knives often disappear. Owner Jacob Krumgalz says the three-year-old restaurant and pizza bar is located near Ground Zero, so the place is popular. He is too busy to watch all the customers, and he never sees people actually take the knives. “If we did see it we would call the cops, but we haven’t seen it,” he says. “We just see when they leave there is no knife on the table.”

Krumgalz says 80 percent of the clientele are tourists. They might be looking for souvenirs, as the regular forks and knives disappear, too. He buys a dozen forks and knives twice a year. “You have to keep at least three times your seating capacity in stock,” he says. “You don’t have time to wait for the flatware to get washed.”

Greg Ossege, a CPA and business advisor at Ossege Combs & Mann, Ltd., in Cincinnati, says when budgeting for flatware, expect to pay $275 per 200 seats when opening the restaurant. An operator will likely have to reorder a few times per year, and end up spending 15 to 25 percent of that amount for replacement cost. Ossege says that there is not much an operator can do about loss. “It is probably not worth the time to search through the trash,” he says. “Proactively though, use better training and supervision if the problem becomes severe.” He says some places use magnets on the trashcans to attract the metal forks and knives, saving them from being discarded.

That’s exactly what the 35-location Russo’s Restaurants does, says Anthony Russo, owner and founder of the Houston-based franchise. The restaurants, which include Russo’s New York Pizzeria, a fast-casual pizzeria franchise, and Russo’s Coal-Fired Italian Kitchen, a full-service Italian restaurant franchise, have magnets on the trash cans. “We also only put one set of silverware per guest, as opposed to a ‘grab your own silverware’ area, at the tables,” Russo says. “These methods have been effective in reducing loss.”

The restaurants order flatware every two years, or when supplies get low. The orders are mostly dinner forks, dinner knives, and pasta spoons. “We don’t have much specialty silverware,” Russo says. Depending on the location size, the units spend about $2,000 to $4,000.

Al Dente Ristorante, which is located in Washington, D.C., and happens to have a fork and knife in its logo, checks its flatware inventory frequently. “You should count your silverware every 45 days,” says media manager Angie Duran. “To avoid losing pairs, you should try setting up a system for the bus boys to return all silverware to correct places throughout their shift.”

METAL OR PLASTIC?

People say “silverware” but of course they mean “flatware” or “tableware,” or forks, knives and spoons that are generally made of stainless steel or plastic. When choosing a stainless steel set, an operator usually has the option of 18/10 or 18/0. The numbers refer to the percentage of chromium and nickel content. The 18/10 option has 18-percent chromium and 10-percent nickel, and is shiny, rust resistant, and durable. The 18/0 has 18 percent chromium and zero percent nickel, and has a softer shine, is more economical and is subject to staining.

For some, the choice comes down to how the flatware looks. Trevor Leppek, co-owner of Noble Pie Parlor in Reno, Nevada, says he prefers a matte finish because the shiny finish shows scratches. Also a water spot makes a shiny and otherwise clean utensil look dirty. He does not want to switch to plastic. “Plastic ware is wasteful,” Leppek says. “We try to be as green as possible.”

Some plastic ware can be recycled, but it depends on the capabilities of the local recycling program. Check with your local entity. There is also biodegradable or compostable flatware made of corn. Those cost more, but they send your customers a message about your environmental friendliness.

Link to online story – 37,000 unique monthly visitors, 40,000 circulation

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RUSSO’S COAL-FIRED PIZZA IN RICHARDSON

Thu, 18 Sep 2014 17:48:00 GMT

BY ROCHELL VAN DEURZEN – sidedish.dmagazine.com

I am the first to admit that I tend to avoid chain restaurants. I am more readily willing to admit that I have a pizza addiction. Especially that thin, foldable, New York-style pizza.

When I tried Russo’s Coal-Fired Pizza in Richardson a while back, I didn’t anticipate being impressed. I met the owner, Anthony Russo, who was up from Houston for the day. He toured me around the kitchen and knew every nook, cranny, drawer, sauté pan, and tray like it was his own kitchen at home and not just another of his 30+ locations. That’s what gave me pause, because in my years in the restaurant business, I’ve never met an owner of even 2 restaurants that knew his way around a kitchen that well. And I think Anthony’s hands-on involvement with his business is what’s making it work so well for him.

That, and the food. I’ve been back several times for it. While the service isn’t always perfect, the food is always good. The ingredients aren’t processed, packaged junk, and he uses quality olive oil. He swears by using everything fresh in every single location of both concepts. The calzone won our Best of Big D in 2009. And every single store also ships in fresh ricotta cheesecake from Pasticceria Rocco in New York.

“If it’s not fresh, don’t serve it! That’s my rule,” he told me. It’s a family motto. The Russo family moved to New York from Italy in the 60s, and later moved to Texas. They opened their first restaurant in 1978 to bring New York Italian food to Texans, and it was a hit. Anthony was in that kitchen from a young age, and opened his New York Pizzeria in the 90s in Clear Lake. His concept was simple: an approachable pizzeria environment with the high-quality ingredients of a more upscale Italian restaurant. His business flourished in the Houston market, and in 2008 he started another concept, Russo’s Coal-Fired Pizza. With over 30 locations from Dubai to Hawaii (but mostly in Texas), you might expect a quality drop. But it’s just not there. The food is consistently good.

“Yes, it’s actually coal-fired pizza. You can see our oven. I went to another ‘coal-fired’ restaurant, with ‘coal’ right in their name, in North Dallas once. The oven doesn’t have coal! The owners thought it was too much of a hassle. How can they do that? You can really taste the difference,” Russo said.

He also has a heart for the gluten-free among us. He worked for 2 years on a recipe for a gluten-free crust, experimenting with different flours to achieve a thin crust with good texture. The base has that crunch from the oven, but the inside is still very chewy and moist, which is basically unheard of in the world of gluten-free restaurants. It’s made fresh in each location, as are all the pizza doughs and sauces. He offers multigrain and gluten-free pasta options. He visits his stores and makes sure the kitchens are keeping up to his standards.

So yes, he is building an empire. He is selling his own olive oils, canned tomatoes, and gluten-free crusts. The franchises are springing up everywhere. But Anthony is involved, he demands quality, he jumps on the line when he’s visiting his restaurants because he made the recipes himself.

Yes, I am genuinely impressed. This place has something going for it, and most chains lose quality as they grow. This one doesn’t seem to be losing anything. If thin-crust pizza is your thing (or calzones, or caprese, or great prosciutto), check it out.

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Hardcore Texans fans ready for gameday partying

Mon, 08 Sep 2014 17:51:00 GMT

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FAMILY NIGHT OUT: COAL FIRED ITALIAN & SWEET FINALES AT RUSSO’S & LUDGER’S

Wed, 03 Sep 2014 17:52:00 GMT

By Britt Greenwood, TulsaFood.com

Russo’s Coal-fired Italian Kitchen was constructed last year in a new shopping center located at 8941 S. Yale Ave. I was immediately jealous of the 15-foot-high sliding ladder wine rack we encountered at the hostess stand. The remainder of the décor was modern and upscale with just a tinge of corporate.

Prior to arrival we had already voted on a family carb-fest and forwent the tempting antipastas like Mussels Fra Diavolo. We opted for a more kid-friendly option: garlic knots. In the meantime we found that Russo’s doesn’t make you wait while you are hungry – the complimentary fresh bread and olive oil with herbs arrived to our table just in time.

The five bow-tied dough arrived, speckled with fresh parmesan and surrounded a marinara sauce. The wings of the knots were crunchy, the middle soft. As we submerged the knots into the sauce we began to discuss the most important decision of the day: what would we each order?

Instead of giving the miniature humans choices of chicken nuggets or a corn dog, Russo’s has two kid-friendly house italian options: a slice of pizza or choice of pasta. Both boys ordered pepperoni pizza. The slices held such length upon arrival, a triangle of pizza hung off the charger they were served on. We dubbed them “foot-long pizza.”

The dad at the table, Matt, ordered the Paisano pizza which came with pepperoni, sliced sausage and red onion; while I choose a pasta dish with prosciutto, onion, parsley and Romano cream sauce. Both arrived aesthetically on par but the flavor surpassed expectation. The pizza, being coal fired, created an entirely new pallet experience for our family. The crust had a firm chew and dough permeated with an unforgettable smokiness. Matt, a self-proclaimed pizza expert, raved and commented like a seasoned food critic. It was cute. “Just the perfect amount fennel in the sausage. It’s all well balanced,” he said.

The entrée portions are generous. I sadly waved goodbye to the second half of my meal I couldn’t finish as it was carried away to the kitchen. When we stood to leave, the 5-year-old thoughtfully inquired on an age-old food mystery, “If it is a red onion, why is it purple?” That, we will never know son.

Seeing Ludger’s Bakery only twenty feet away in the same shopping center near 91st and Yale, we took a family vote (which, as you would expect, came back unanimous) to finish our family food time with dessert and coffee there. Yes, the Ludger’s German Bakery that is a Tulsa staple for wedding cakes and events. They opened the South Tulsa location around the same time as Russo’s.

We were immediately willkommen (welcome) in the cheerful South Tulsa dine-in location- a bright atmosphere followed suite to the friendly staff. The boys were getting rowdy, but it was nothing an M&M cookie and Heavenly Brownie Bite couldn’t tame. (Heavenly Brownie=brownie baked with Reeses Peanut Butter Cup, chocolate chip cookie with a topping of peanut butter and fudge).

We adults settled on iced double-shot espresso macchiattos, red velvet cheesecake and an almond croissant. The cheesecake reminded of me why Ludger’s has been in business for over two decades.

Their famous Bavarian cream cheese was essentially magical fluff sleeping on a pillow of moist cake. The croissant-arguably a dessert itself was bathed in sweet almond paste.

As Matt and I finished off the last bite of cake, the sugar-high children were placing sticky prints on the windows and become far too curious with the display wedding cakes. It was apparent at this point we needed to dash; breezily hanging out at a coffeehouse just isn’t something families with wee ones do for good reason. Besides, I had to go run a marathon to work off all the calories.

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RUSSO’S NEW YORK PIZZERIA: AUTHENTIC PIZZA AND ITALIAN FOOD CLOSE TO HOME

Mon, 18 Aug 2014 17:58:00 GMT

By Woodlands Online

THE WOODLANDS, Texas – If you find yourself longing for authentic Italian food and New York style pizza, visit Russo’s New York Pizzeria.

“We serve fresh, fine Italian meals and award-winning New York style pizza and calzones while providing a casual dining experience,” said Guillermo Medellin, the franchise owner of The Woodlands and Conroe locations.

Russo’s combines the simplicity of a Pizzeria with the freshness of a fine Italian restaurant. “We use fresh ingredients, all of our sauces and soups are homemade, and we make our own pizza dough and toss it every day,” said Medellin.

In 2009, Medellin bought the Russo’s location in The Woodlands, and he just opened his second location in Conroe this past July. With two convenient locations, Russo’s is a great restaurant to enjoy delicious food with friends and family.

“Anthony Russo is the franchisor, chef and creator of all our delicious Italian recipes, and the concept of Russo’s,” said Medellin.

The Russo family started the business back in 1978 after their move from New York to Texas. This authentic restaurant uses recipes that have been passed down through many generations of the Russo family.

Some popular menu items at Russo’s are the NY Village Pizza (supreme), fettuccine alfredo, spaghetti with meat sauce, lasagna, and the chicken marsala. This restaurant also offers a party pizza with a diameter of 28″ that feeds 10-12 people! Medellin says some of his personal favorite menu items are the eggplant rollatini, chicken picatta, and the Spinach Artichoke and prosciutto pizzas.

It started when Medellin wanted to invest in a local business close to his family. He was a customer of Russo’s prior to owning, and decided to buy Russo’s in The Woodlands when the opportunity presented itself.

“Within the community, we constantly donate gift certificates, sponsor charity and Chamber of Commerce events, cater to schools and churches, and participate in community events,” said Medellin. His third location will be coming soon at the Kroger Spring Marketplace at the corner of Kuykendahl and West Rayford.

Located at 3335 College Park Drive, Suite 300, Russo’s New York Pizzeria and Italian Kitchen offers a wonderful environment and great Italian food. It is a great place to enjoy a meal with family or for a date night out. Stop by Russo’s New York Pizzeria and grab a bite of fresh Italian food and a slice of your favorite authentic pizza.

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Franchise Opportunity in West Texas

Mon, 16 Jun 2014 15:22:00 GMT

The next stop for Russo’s is Odessa, Texas. Currently, Russo’s is scouting qualified investors to open several restaurants in West Texas. This region is among one of the nation’s fastest growing markets with an evolving and booming economy.

Odessa’s changing demographic represents an increasing number of families moving into the city’s surrounding neighborhoods. The area proves to be a hotbed for authentic Italian cuisine, and has an especially strong need for eateries, specifically in the downtown area. Additionally, the city of Odessa and Main Street Odessa are encouraging businesses to develop within the downtown area to alleviate the strong need for lunch and dinner spots.

Russo’s is continuing to grow the brand into an international presence, and is making it easier than ever to get started on this exciting journey. With several restaurants planned to open across multiple markets, Odessa is currently among the hot markets for Russo’s.

Chef Anthony Russo, who started the business from scratch at the age of 17, is especially excited to spread the family focused business model to western Texas and is seeking interested investors in the area. For franchise information please contact Russo’s at nypizzeria.com/franchise .

To read about Russo’s Odessa expansion in the news, visit the Odessa American here .

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