Start a Crust Pizza Co. Franchise in 2025

2025 Franchise 500 Rank: #468 Not ranked last year

Initial investment: $767K - $1.4M

Units as of 2024: 30 114.3% over 3 years

Crust Pizza Co. specializes in Chicago-style thin crust pizza served with all-fresh ingredients. From the dough to the cheeses to the meats, the delicious pizza is expected to be hand-prepared every day. Crust Pizza Co. restaurants strive to be known for the warm, friendly atmosphere, where the menu also includes pasta, sandwiches, and salads.

In 2011, Crust Pizza Co. opened its doors in The Woodlands, Texas. Co-founders Mark Rasberry and Clint Price began franchising the brand in 2016 and now have multiple locations across the United States.

Why You May Want To Start a Crust Pizza Co. Franchise

If you're looking for a business opportunity that aligns with your passion for food and serving people, opening a Crust Pizza Co. franchise might be for you. You won't need any restaurant experience, although some would surely help. Nonetheless, Crust Pizza Co. will provide all the support you need as a franchisee. Having been around for over a decade, you may be able to trust they know what they're doing in the food service industry.

Opening a Crust Pizza Co. franchise may offer a more predictable outcome than investing in a completely new brand that could struggle to thrive in an already crowded and competitive industry.

What Might Make a Crust Pizza Co. Franchise a Good Choice?

One thing that may make Crust Pizza Co. stand out in the pizza industry is its family-oriented approach to food service. If you happen to dine at any of their locations, you should find that the staff makes a conscious effort to make customers feel at home. Crust Pizza Co. strives to serve authentic, delicious, and award-winning thin crust pizza.

To be part of the Crust Pizza Co. team, you should make sure you're financially ready for an initial investment made up of a franchise fee and other startup costs. In addition, you should prepare yourself for ongoing fees that will include advertising, royalty, and potential renewal fees. Franchisees will also need to meet the company's set net worth and liquid capital requirements.

How To Open a Crust Pizza Co. Franchise

As you decide if opening a Crust Pizza Co. franchise is the right move for you, make sure you take time to explore the opportunity. Research the brand and your local area to see if a Crust Pizza Co. franchise would do well in your community. While competition is healthy, too much of it may not allow for the most possible growth.

Before making any financial commitment or signing an agreement, you must perform your due diligence and establish if this is the right opportunity for you. As part of your due diligence, you may want to speak to existing franchisees and ask the Crust Pizza Co. franchising team any questions.

If you are awarded a franchise, you can expect training from the Crust Pizza Co. corporate team. You and your team will learn how to make the famous Crust Pizza Co. products while serving every slice with a smile. Additional support is given to support the franchise location and its newest franchisee.

Company Overview

About Crust Pizza Co.

Industry	Food
Related Categories	Pizza, Food: Quick Service
Founded	2011
Parent Company	Crust Bros LLC
Leadership	Carl Comeaux, CEO
Corporate Address	26400 Kuykendahl Rd., #C180-308 The Woodlands, TX 77375
Social	Facebook

Business Overview

Franchising Since	2018 (7 years)
# of employees at HQ	18
Where seeking	This company is offering new franchises throughout the US.
# of Units	30 (as of 2024)

Information for Franchisees

Here's what you need to know if you're interested in opening a Crust Pizza Co. franchise.

Financial Requirements & Ongoing Fees

Here's what you can expect to spend to start the business and what ongoing fees the franchisor charges throughout the life of the business.

Initial Franchise Fee Definition: The initial fee paid to a franchisor to join their system What you need to know: Found in Item 5 of the FDD, this may be a flat fee, or may vary based on territory size, experience, or other factors.The franchise fee is an up-front (one-time) cost that a new franchisee pays to the franchisor. This fee is usually due at the signing of the franchise agreement and covers the right to use the franchisor's trademarks, name, and related business systems.	$50,000
Initial Investment Definition: The total amount necessary to begin operation of the franchise What you need to know: The initial investment includes the franchise fee, along with other startup expenses such as real estate, equipment, supplies, business licenses, and working capital. This is outlined in a chart in Item 7 of the FDD, showing a range of possible costs from low to high.	$766,500 - $1,426,250
Net Worth Requirement Definition: The minimum net worth you must have in order to qualify to become a franchisee of this company What you need to know: Net worth is the value of a person's assets minus liabilities. Assets include cash, stocks, retirement accounts, and real estate. Liabilities include items like mortgages, car payments, and credit card debt.	$500,000
Cash Requirement Definition: The minimum liquid capital you must have available in order to qualify to become a franchisee of this company.	$200,000
Veteran Incentives Definition: A discount or other incentive offered to military veterans who buy a franchise with this company.	10% off franchise fee
Royalty Fee Definition: A ongoing fee paid to the franchisor on a regular basis. What you need to know: Most franchisors require franchisees to pay an ongoing royalty fee, which is detailed in Item 6 of the FDD. This fee is typically a percentage of weekly or monthly gross sales, but may also be a flat weekly, monthly, or annual fee.	6%
Ad Royalty Fee Definition: An going fee paid to the franchisor on a regular basis to support advertising or marketing efforts. What you need to know: This may also be called advertising fee, marketing fee, brand fund fee, and more, but the basic purpose is the same-- to support promotion of the brand systemwide. As with the royalty fee, it is detailed in Item 6 of the FDD, and can be a percentage of weekly or monthly gross sales or a weekly, monthly, or annual fee.	2%
Term of Agreement Definition: The length of time your franchise agreement will last. What you need to know: Franchise terms are typically anywhere from 5 to 20 years in length, but are sometimes instead dependent on factors such as the term of your lease. Once your term is up, you may have the option to renew your agreement, typically for a smaller fee than the original franchise fee.	10 years
Is franchise term renewable?	Yes

Financing Options

Some franchisors offer in-house financing, while others have relationships with third-party financing sources to which they refer qualified franchisees.

Third Party Financing	Crust Pizza Co. has relationships with third-party sources which offer financing to cover the following: franchise fee, startup costs, equipment, inventory, accounts receivable, payroll

Training & Support Offered

Franchisors offer initial training programs and a variety of ongoing support options to help franchisees run their businesses.

On-The-Job Training	167 hours
Classroom Training	85 hours
Ongoing Support	Purchasing Co-ops Newsletter Meetings & Conventions Toll-Free Line Grand Opening Online Support Security & Safety Procedures Lease Negotiation Field Operations Site Selection Proprietary Software Franchisee Intranet Platform
Marketing Support	Co-op Advertising Ad Templates National Media Regional Advertising Social Media SEO Website Development Email Marketing Loyalty Program/App

Operations

Additional details about running this franchise.

Is absentee ownership allowed?	No
Can this franchise be run from home/mobile unit? Definition: The business can be run from your home and/or a vehicle, and it is not necessary to have a retail facility, office space, or warehouse.	No
Can this franchise be run part time? Definition: This business can be run by the owner on a part-time basis (less than 40 hours per week) and/or as a side business; it is not necessary for the business to be open/run full-time.	No
# of employees required to run	30
Are exclusive territories available? Definition: An exclusive territory is a fixed area in which you are given the right to operate and in which no other units of the same franchise may be opened. What you need to know: Territory size may be based on factors such as radius, population size, zip codes, and more. Details can be found in Item 12 of the FDD.	Yes