Brand Overview

Russo's New York Pizzeria

Russo’s New York Pizzeria & Italian Kitchen You can invest a minimum of 200k to open your first franchise location! Dine-in, takeout, delivery, and catering concepts. [item 19 #s] our numbers speak for themselves.

Russo’s New York Pizzeria & Italian Kitchen is a unique, upscale fast casual New York Style Pizza and Italian Kitchen concept unlike any other franchise concept available. Our Chef-Inspired concept, founded by Anthony Russo, Head Chef and CEO, is known worldwide for his classic New York style pizza and family recipes for authentic Italian cuisine.

It Started In the Russo Family Kitchen

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 cooking and baking at home, and many of the ingredients came from the family garden – just as his Grandpa and Nonna Russo did back in Avellino, Italy. His father opened Russo’s Italian Restaurant in Texas, 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.

An Entrepreneur Emerges

Using the family recipe for hand-tossed 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. And in 1992, Russo’s New York Pizzeria opened in downtown Houston, Texas, which proved to be the perfect recipe for franchising success.

Ideal Russo’s Franchise Candidate:

When it comes to franchising Russo’s looks for franchisee partners with the right motivations, experience and passion to help grow the brand. In turn, they offer their franchisees one-one support and expertise to help them drive their businesses in their local markets. Rather than looking for pure investment partners, Russo’s is dedicated to building personal relationships and trust through the skills and expertise that both their franchise and their franchisees bring to the table.

To buy a franchise with Russo’s New York Pizzeria you’ll need a minimum net worth of $550,000 Creative Colors International a franchise fee of $35,000. They also offer a discount for veterans.