Pizza World Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
Pizza World is a pizza franchise serving pizza and related menu items for dine-in and takeout. Franchisees run the restaurants, managing food prep, staffing, and service.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Pizza World franchise requires a total initial investment of $139K – $287K, including a $15K – $20K franchise fee and an ongoing 2.8% royalty[2]. The 2024 FDD does not disclose unit-level revenue (no Item 19). FranchiseVerdict grade: B (Above average), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified · figures per the 2024 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $139K – $287K
- 5th pct Service Resta…
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- Royalty
- 2.8%
- 1st pct Service Resta…
- Units
- 9
- 12th pct Service Resta…
- SBA charge-off
- N/A
Quick verdict · Full-Service Restaurants · color = vs category peers
Green = favorable by >10% vs Full-Service Restaurants avg · No shading = within ±10% · Red = unfavorable by >10% · Source: FDD filings + SBA 7(a)
Data from public FDD filings and SBA records. Not financial advice. Methodology
Bottom line
- COSTTotal investment $139K – $287K including a $15K franchise fee, 2.8% ongoing royalty.
- RETURNSAudited financial statements in Exhibit C are scanned images with no machine-readable figures, so balance sheet items (assets/liabilities/equity/net income) and the auditor/CPA firm name could not be extracted. The only audited figure available in the text is total revenue of $102,007, disclosed in the Item 6 footnote on the marketing/buying rebate ("This was 0% of our total revenue of $102,007, as reported in our most recent audited financial statements"). Whole dollars; franchisor Pizza World USA Franchise Corp. (Missouri).
- RISKVerdict B (Above average), verdict score 55/100 (higher is better).
- DATANo Item 19 financial performance representation. Without franchisor-disclosed revenue data, you'll need to gather unit economics directly from existing franchisees.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- Pizza World USA Franchise Corp.
- Ultimate parent
- Pizza World USA, Inc.
- CEO title
- Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President
- Eric Wortham
- Founder active
- Yes
- Original founder still leading the business
- Incorporated in
- MO
- HQ
- 3400 W. Highway 76, Branson, MO 65616
- Auditor
- Jeremy Plank, CFE, CPA, Forensic Accounting & Consulting Services, Inc.
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $102K
- vs $102K prior year
Overview
About
- CEO
- Eric Wortham
- Headquarters
- MO
- Founded
- 2001
- FDD year
- 2024
- States available
- 4
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 82% below the typical full-service restaurants franchise.
Source: FDD 2024 · Items 5–7
Full Item 7 breakdown26 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee (Store Front)not refundable | $20K | $20K | |
| Travel and Living Expenses While Training (Store Front) | $2K | $6K | |
| Real Estate Rent Deposits and Pre-Paid Expenses (3 months, Store Front) | $3K | $8K | |
| Furniture, Fixtures, Equipment and Decor (Store Front) | $40K | $93K | |
| Construction of Leasehold Improvements (Store Front) | $25K | $75K | |
| Inventory and Supplies (Store Front) | $6K | $8K | |
| Insurance (3 months) / Business Licenses and Permits (Store Front) | $2K | $4K | |
| Grand Opening Advertising (Store Front) | $3K | $6K | |
| Computer, Software, POS and Office Supplies (Store Front) | $5K | $5K | |
| Signage (Store Front) | $4K | $7K | |
| Accountant and Attorney Fees (Store Front) | $3K | $5K | |
| Additional Funds (3 Months) (Store Front) | $27K | $50K | |
| Area Development Fee (Store Front)not refundable | $24K | $40K | |
| Initial Franchise Fee (C-Store)not refundable | $15K | $15K | |
| Travel and Living Expenses While Training (C-Store) | $1K | $3K | |
| Real Estate Rent Deposits and Pre-Paid Expenses (3 months, C-Store) | $1K | $5K | |
| Furniture, Fixtures, Equipment and Decor (C-Store) | $30K | $78K | |
| Construction of Leasehold Improvements (C-Store) | $20K | $75K | |
| Inventory and Supplies (C-Store) | $5K | $6K | |
| Insurance (3 months) / Business Licenses and Permits (C-Store) | $2K | $4K | |
| Total initial investment | $270K | $584K |
Line items extracted from FDD Item 7. Ranges reflect the franchisor's stated low and high per line. Total is the sum of line-item lows / highs — actual costs may fall outside this range depending on market and build-out scope.
Item 7 · what it costs to open + operate
The Vitals
- Total investment
- $139K – $287K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $27K – $50K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $15K – $20K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Royalty
- 2.8%
- percentage · typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 0.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 4.8%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 2.8% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 0.0% of gross sales |
| Transfer fee | $5K |
| Renewal fee | $3K |
| Inventory (initial) | $6K – $8K |
| Total fee load | 4.8% of rev |
ROI & LBO modelsSingle-unit · 25-unit portfolio · editable
Pizza World did not disclose financial performance in FDD Item 19. The ROIC and return models require Item 19 revenue. Without it all inputs are estimates. You can still run the calculator with your own assumptions by entering an expected revenue figure.
Returns model · single-unit ROIC
What would one Pizza World unit return on the cash you put in?
Unlevered ROIC · per unit
Estimated return on your total franchise investment, before any debt financing.
46%
Within the 30–60% "attractive franchise" band
These models are for research and scenario planning only. Not investment advice. Actual results depend on your specific location, management, and market conditions. Consult a franchise attorney and accountant before signing any franchise agreement.
Item 19 · Source: 2024 FDD
Financial Performance
Audited financial statements in Exhibit C are scanned images with no machine-readable figures, so balance sheet items (assets/liabilities/equity/net income) and the auditor/CPA firm name could not be extracted. The only audited figure available in the text is total revenue of $102,007, disclosed in the Item 6 footnote on the marketing/buying rebate ("This was 0% of our total revenue of $102,007, as reported in our most recent audited financial statements"). Whole dollars; franchisor Pizza World USA Franchise Corp. (Missouri).
Operator outlook
What the numbers say
Data-driven interpretation of this brand's financial disclosures, fee structure, and system trajectory.
Fee burden
Total ongoing fee load of 4.8% — below the Full-Service Restaurants average of 7.6%.
Disclosure
Franchisor chose not to disclose financial performance representations. You will need to gather unit economics directly from existing franchisees.
Operator retention
System shrank 10.0% over 3 years — 0 closures. Ask existing franchisees about local market conditions.
Multi-unit rate
Only 18% of franchisees own multiple units. Could indicate challenging economics or a young system where operators haven't had time to expand.
Source: FDD Item 19 financial performance representations and publicly filed FDD data. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Verify all figures with the franchisor and current franchisees before making any investment decision.
vs Full-Service Restaurants averages
How Pizza World Compares
Is the system healthy?
Source: FDD 2024 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 9
- Opened
- 0
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 0
- Terminated
- 0
- Franchisor ended the franchise (per Item 20)
- Non-renewed
- 0
- Term expired, not renewed (per Item 20)
- Turnover rate
- 11.1%
- Company-owned
- 0
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 100%
- vs corporate-owned
- Multi-unit owners
- 18.2%
- Net growth (3-yr)
- -10.0%
- Net unit change over 3 years
- 3-yr CAGR
- -10.0%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Opened (3yr)
- 1
- Closed (3yr)
- 1
- Terminated (3yr)
- 0
- Non-renewed (3yr)
- 0
- Transfers (3yr)
- 1
- Reacquired (3yr)
- 0
- Franchisor bought back
- Projected new
- 4
- Franchisor's next-year forecast
- Continuity rate
- 100.0%
- Units that stayed open
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 12 · 4 states reported
The Territory Map
FDD Item 12 reports the state count, but the specific list isn't in our current data. The map will appear once we re-extract from the FDD or enough franchisee contacts are available.
4
states with franchisees (per FDD Item 12)
SBA loan performance
Government records
SBA Loan Data
Aggregated from SBA loan disclosures. This brand has only 5 7(a) loans on file; statistical reliability is limited below 10 loans.
- Total loans
- 5
- Loan volume
- $1.3M
- Median loan
- $262K
- average
- Charge-off rate
- N/A
- limited sample (5 loans) — rate not shown below 10
Historical SBA 7(a) lending data, not predictive of future performance. How SBA charge-off rates are calculated
- Repayment rate (PIF)
- N/A
- 5-yr charge-off
- N/A
- Loans approved 2021+
- Active lenders
- 3
- Defaults
- N/A
Explore lender portfolios on Bank Reports or regional data on State Reports.
What could kill this investment?
Source: SBA 7(a) FOIA · FDD Items 3, 21
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 4, 8, 16, 21
Risk & Legal
Pizza World presents caution-level risk due to severe lack of financial transparency, minimal system size, and undisclosed growth trajectory that prevent meaningful ROI validation.
Litigation (Item 3)
No litigation required to be disclosed in Item 3.
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Jeremy Plank, CFE, CPA, Forensic Accounting & Consulting Services, Inc.
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
- Franchisor sells you products: No
- Kickbacks from required suppliers: Yes
- Must buy proprietary products: Yes
- Restricted to system-approved products: Yes
- Can negotiate own supplier terms: No
Score breakdown · what drove the 55 / 100 verdict
- 01MEDNo Item 19 (Average Revenue/Net Income) disclosed - unable to validate ROI or profitability claims
- 02MINOROnly 9 units systemwide - extremely small franchise network raises sustainability and support infrastructure concerns
- 03MEDNo disclosed unit growth history - unclear if system is expanding, stagnant, or contracting
- 04MINORFinancial performance metrics completely absent - cannot assess if franchise fee and royalties are justified by returns
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
What are you signing up for?
Ongoing fees run about 4.8% of sales (royalty + ad fund), before rent and labor.
Source: FDD 2024 · Items 11, 12, 17
FDD Items 12, 15, 17 · continued from Risk & Legal
Contract & Territory Detail
| Initial term | 10 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 10 years |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 1 |
| Territory type | exclusive |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | Yes |
| Territory radius | 2 mi |
| Online sales rightsℹ | Restricted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Required |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 2 years |
| Non-compete (miles)ℹ | 25 mi |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| RoFR response window | 30 days |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Curable defaultsℹ | 1 |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Arbitration location | St. Louis County, Missouri |
| Jury trial waiver | No |
| Governing law | MO |
| Litigation count | 0 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
No litigation required to be disclosed in Item 3.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 27 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 57 hrs
- Training location
- Granite City, IL or Branson, MO or location chosen by franchisor
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Time to open
- 6 mo
- From signing to launch
- Site selection
- Franchisee with franchisor approval
- Franchisor financing
- Not offered
- Item 10
- POS system
- FoodTec Solutions
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: FoodTec Solutions
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
3 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
Pizza World · FDD (2024) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Pizza World franchise?
The total investment to open a Pizza World franchise ranges from $139K – $287K, with an initial franchise fee of $15K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do Pizza World franchise owners earn?
Pizza World does not disclose average franchise owner earnings in their FDD Item 19. Not all franchisors are required to make financial performance representations. We recommend asking existing franchisees directly about their financial experience.
What is Item 19 in the Pizza World FDD?
The FDD section where a franchisor may disclose financial performance of its outlets. Disclosure is optional and formats vary; figures are typically gross sales, which is revenue before expenses, not profit. FranchiseVerdict extracts these figures directly from the Pizza World FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is Pizza World's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for Pizza World (fewer than 10 loans on file). Charge-off rates are one way to gauge franchise risk, but not all franchise loans go through the SBA program. We recommend reviewing turnover and closure data in the FDD and speaking with current franchisees.
How many Pizza World franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Pizza World has 9 total units in the United States, including 9 franchised units and 0 company-owned units.
Is Pizza World a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Pizza World as a B-grade franchise with a verdict score of 55 out of 100 (higher is better), based on our analysis of investment costs, revenue data, SBA loan performance, and growth trends. Our rating is based solely on publicly available FDD and government data; we recommend speaking with current franchisees before making any investment decision. This is not investment advice.
Data sourced from public FDD filings and SBA 7(a) FOIA records. Not financial advice.
For franchisors
Are you the franchisor?
If you represent Pizza World, you can request corrections or provide updated information.
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Data extracted from public FDD filings and SBA 7(a) loan disclosures (FOIA). This information is provided for research purposes only and does not constitute financial, legal, or investment advice. Verify all figures with the franchisor's current Franchise Disclosure Document before making any investment decision.