Russo's New York Italian Pizzeria · Baghdad
Explore Russo's New York Pizzeria & Italian Kitchen franchise opportunity in Baghdad, Iraq. Bring New York-style pizza, pasta and chef-led hospitality into your restaurant development plan. Tell us your preferred neighborhood and operating experience so our team can review your proposal.
Request franchise informationDownload Franchise ToolkitBook a franchise callAmounts in USD. These are qualification requirements, not a total investment quote. Country-specific fees, costs and development terms require separate review.
The food comes first
Russo's New York Italian Pizzeria brings together Chef Anthony Russo's family recipes, fresh preparation and neighborhood hospitality. This is more than a pizza-only concept: a full Italian kitchen gives guests reasons to visit for lunch, family dinner and group occasions.
New York Italian cuisine pairs the familiar comfort of a neighborhood pizzeria with a broader Italian-American table. Thin, foldable pizza slices sit alongside fresh pasta, calzones, salads, sandwiches and Italian entrees. The menu lets a family share a pizza while choosing different meals from the same kitchen.
Signature items include the giant 28-inch party pizza, handcrafted New York-style pies and fresh pasta with scratch-made sauces. Fresh dough and extra virgin olive oil are part of the brand's kitchen standards. Menu items and approved sourcing vary by market.
Explore the chef and ingredient standards
Photography from Anthony's New York Italian, Chef Anthony Russo's Houston restaurant. Photos illustrate the chef's cuisine, not a confirmed local menu. Franchise dishes, ingredients and halal sourcing require market-specific approval.
Russo's kitchen cooking-oil standard is extra virgin olive oil instead of seed oils. This is not a certification that every purchased ingredient is seed-oil-free. Confirm ingredients, allergens and approved sourcing for your market with the team.
Chef Anthony Russo's family recipes bring together New York-style pizza, fresh pasta, calzones, salads and sandwiches. Guests can share a large pizza, choose individual pasta dishes or order a meal for a group from the same kitchen. This menu supports family dining, takeout, delivery and catering occasions.
For an owner, the distinction is a chef-driven restaurant concept with established recipes and preparation standards, rather than a pizza-only menu. Explore how training, approved suppliers and operating guidance help your team carry those standards into daily service. Review the approved menu, staffing and sourcing requirements for your proposed location.
Explore the menu and ingredient standardsThe founder's standard
Chef Anthony Russo's restaurant experience and family cooking traditions shape the brand. His standard is simple: "If it isn't fresh, don't serve it." Franchise ownership means carrying that food and hospitality standard into your own restaurant team.
Review the recipes, training and operating responsibilities with the development team. Get to know the people behind the brand before choosing your ownership path.
Read the Russo's storyChoose your restaurant format
A full-service restaurant combining New York-style pizza, pasta and Italian entrees with dine-in hospitality, takeout, delivery and catering. Discuss the kitchen, seating, staffing and site requirements for your proposed market.
A smaller-footprint concept focused on slices, whole pies, takeaway, delivery and catering with a simplified menu. Ask about the current format specifications and whether this model can be offered in your proposed market.
Photos show existing brand restaurants, not proposed sites or a Slice Bar rendering. Format availability and specifications require approval.
Serve your community
Qualified partners can discuss a halal-focused menu and sourcing plan for selected markets. Review approved meats, supplier documentation, preparation practices and menu execution with Russo's before making halal claims for a restaurant.
Bring questions about local sourcing and kitchen procedures to your development conversation. The restaurant format, menu and sourcing program must be approved for the specific market.
Explore the halal franchise option
Build a neighborhood dining experience around family meals, lunch and dinner, with pizza and a full Italian menu.
Serve guests at home and at work. Plan pickup access, packaging, staffing and delivery costs as part of daily operations.
Explore office lunches, celebrations and group orders with pizza and Italian food. Local relationships and reliable execution support repeat catering opportunities.
These channels create different ways to serve customers, not guaranteed sales or profit. Forecast each channel separately for your proposed location.
Historical U.S. performance
$1,368,586Top 25% of franchised stores
$1,042,444Top 50% of franchised stores
Based on Item 19 of the Russo's Franchise Disclosure Document, fiscal year 2025. Some outlets have sold these amounts. There is no assurance you will sell as much. These are historical net sales figures, not profit, owner income, cash flow or forecasts. Individual results may vary.
These U.S. FDD results do not represent international performance or expected results. See the current FDD for complete definitions, outlet population, notes and qualifications.
Read the full Item 19 explanationInternational candidates need at least $1 million in liquid capital and $2 million in net worth to qualify for review. Those thresholds are not the cost of opening a restaurant. International costs and commercial terms depend on the country, format, site and development scope.
Published U.S. investment figures are not a quote for this market. Review property, construction, equipment, sourcing, training, staffing and working capital with the development team and your advisers.
Before and after opening
Discuss site evaluation, restaurant layout, equipment planning and opening coordination before committing to a property.
Review culinary and operational training, recipes, approved suppliers, food safety and service standards for your management team.
Ask about operating systems, technology, local marketing guidance, grand opening support and ongoing resources.
The applicable franchise documents define the support program, responsibilities, expenses and country-specific arrangements.
Review training and supportHear from a franchisee
Hear Waruna describe his experience as a Russo's franchisee in Doha, Qatar. His owner interview gives you a firsthand perspective to consider alongside your own questions about training, opening and operations.
Individual experiences and results vary. Speak with current and former franchisees and review the applicable disclosure documents before making a decision.
Watch more franchisee storiesYour market
Explore the cities and areas below with Franchise Development. These are markets for inquiry, not a confirmed list of available territories. Availability and development rights require review.
Explore owning a Russo's New York Pizzeria & Italian Restaurant in Baghdad, Iraq. Discuss your qualifications and preferred site with Franchise Development before making commitments.
For a Baghdad proposal, begin with the neighborhood you know and the team that would run the kitchen. Compare family dining, takeaway and group orders separately. Visit shortlisted properties at different times and record customer access, pickup space and nearby dining options.
Ask property teams about electricity, water, refrigeration capacity and kitchen extraction. Build a continuity plan for essential services before estimating opening costs. Confirm how ingredients would reach the restaurant and how cold storage would be managed.
Discuss approved sourcing and the halal option with Russo's before selecting suppliers or making menu claims. Identify the local operator, partners and advisers who will review the proposed business structure and permissions. A Baghdad inquiry does not establish available development rights.
Compare the Russo's restaurant concept, training and franchise support and international development process as you prepare your proposal.
Request Baghdad franchise information. Availability is subject to review; this is not an existing restaurant resale listing.
Baghdad location research
Building a pizza franchise in Baghdad starts with a local operator and a clear guest experience. Russo's combines New York-style pizza with a full Italian kitchen, giving prospective owners a concept to evaluate for family meals, takeout and catering. These are planning options, not a promise of demand or confirmed development rights.
Baghdad sits along the Tigris and belongs to UNESCO's Creative Cities Network. Its literary identity gives a local restaurant team a useful starting point for understanding the city beyond a general market forecast. The Iraqi Tourism Authority highlights Al-Mutanabbi Street as a center for books and cultural life in old Baghdad.
When researching the surrounding trade area, observe when people visit, where they eat and how they travel. Compare visitor meals with repeat neighborhood dining. A cultural landmark does not establish restaurant foot traffic, spending power or suitability for a franchise site.
Local sources: UNESCO's Baghdad city profile and the Iraqi Tourism Authority's Al-Mutanabbi Street guide.
Visit each proposed frontage at lunch, dinner and on weekends. Record pedestrian activity, parking, visibility and access for families. Assess whether takeaway collection and supplier deliveries can happen without disrupting dine-in guests. Ask for the floor plan and utility details before discussing a lease commitment.
A Baghdad site review should account for refrigeration, water, electricity continuity and kitchen extraction. Map how pizza preparation, pasta cooking and storage would fit the space. Compare the Russo's restaurant concept with the actual property rather than choosing a format from rent alone.
Discuss ingredient specifications, approved suppliers and the halal pizza franchise option with Russo's before advertising a local menu. Identify who will run the kitchen, train staff and oversee purchasing. Dine-in, takeout and catering each need their own staffing and delivery-access plan.
Review franchise training and support and bring questions about how support would apply to your proposed Iraq agreement. International qualification thresholds are not a Baghdad opening-cost estimate. Keep site costs, equipment, working capital and supply arrangements in your own market-specific budget.
If you are comparing a business for sale or a pizza restaurant for sale in Baghdad, distinguish an existing operation from a new franchise development. An acquisition requires reviewing the seller's records, lease and obligations. This page is an invitation to discuss a Russo's franchise opportunity in Iraq, not an existing restaurant resale listing.
Share your preferred Baghdad area, operating team, capital and timeline through the form below. Proposals elsewhere in Iraq need a separate city review; a Baghdad inquiry does not reserve national rights. Our international development guide explains the broader inquiry process.
Your role as a partner
Identify who will lead the restaurant every day, recruit and supervise staff, manage purchasing and protect food and service standards. Include your own role and any partners in the inquiry. A hired manager does not replace the owner's responsibility to oversee the business.
Start with a defined trade area, a realistic budget and a named operating leader. Review the approved format and support arrangements before committing to a property.
Explain how your capital, managers and site pipeline could support additional openings. Discuss a phased schedule rather than assuming every proposed city can open at once.
Review local staffing, sourcing, permissions and professional advice alongside Russo's standards. Confirm training arrangements, travel requirements and opening responsibilities in the applicable documents.
International candidates need $1 million or more in liquid capital and $2 million or more in net worth for review. These are qualification thresholds, not a restaurant investment quote or a guarantee of approval.
Discuss a single restaurant with a defined local operating plan, or propose multiple restaurants with a management team and phased opening schedule. Development rights, obligations and timing depend on review and the applicable agreements.
Ask Franchise Development to confirm training location, attendance, language needs, travel costs and opening assistance for your country. The applicable documents define the support provided and the responsibilities of your local team.
Review approved suppliers, product documentation, preparation procedures and menu standards with the development team. Halal sourcing and restaurant claims must be approved for the specific market; this page does not certify a proposed restaurant.
The city list identifies markets for inquiry, not confirmed available territories. Franchise Development must check existing rights, candidate qualifications and the proposed site. An inquiry does not reserve a territory.
The team reviews your contact details, preferred market, qualifications and ownership plan. The next conversation can address the concept, country-specific requirements and documents for further review. Opening timelines depend on site approval, agreements, permits, construction and training.
Take the next step
Get the Russo's Franchise Toolkit. Complete the form to request franchise information and access the PDF download after your submission is accepted. Review the concept, investment information and support, then discuss the requirements for your market with our team. The toolkit is not a substitute for the applicable franchise disclosure documents.
Complete the inquiry form to access the toolkit after a successful submission.
Tell us your preferred city, restaurant experience, operating role and timeline. Our team can discuss the concept, financial qualifications and next steps for your market.
International qualification: $1 million+ liquid capital and $2 million+ net worth. Submission does not reserve a territory or constitute a franchise offer.
7 Restaurant Brands to Research for a Franchise Investment in Iraq compares official brand information and questions to ask before choosing a concept.
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