Is Valentino’s Restaurant or Gold Dust Pizza cheaper to open?

Valentino’s Restaurant costs $434,600–$779,150 and Gold Dust Pizza costs $279,000–$935,667 to open (FDD Item 7). Gold Dust Pizza has the lower entry cost.

Which is the better franchise, Valentino’s Restaurant or Gold Dust Pizza?

FranchiseVerdict grades Valentino’s Restaurant B and Gold Dust Pizza C, from FDD Items 5–7, 19–21 and SBA loan performance. See the full side-by-side above.

Valentino’s Restaurant vs Gold Dust Pizza

Franchise Comparison 2026

Both Valentino’s Restaurant and Gold Dust Pizza are quick-service restaurants franchises. Valentino’s Restaurant requires an investment of $435K – $779K while Gold Dust Pizza requires $279K – $936K. FranchiseVerdict rates Valentino’s Restaurant B (Above average) and Gold Dust Pizza C (Average).

Metric	Valentino’s Restaurant	Gold Dust Pizza
Verdict Grade	BAbove average	CAverage
Investment Range	$435K – $779K	$279K – $936K
Franchise Fee	$15K	$30K
Royalty Rate	5.0%	5.0%
Average Revenue (Item 19)	N/ANo Item 19 representation	N/ACompany-owned only
SBA Charge-Off Rate	Limited data	N/A
Total Units	32	5
Unit Growth (YoY)	+0 units	+0 units
Year Began Franchising	1979	2025
FDD Year	2025	2025