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Fast Casual Wood Oven throughput?

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dmaxdmax

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I’m considering opening a fast casual franchise but have a major concern regarding throughput. Successful Fast Casual chains (not pizza) average $1.5 - $2.0 million a year. Chipotle is the king at $2.4mm. (the true King in $/unit is Jason’s Deli though I don’t remember the number)

Let’s consider $1.2mm which the pro-forma says is close to break even after debt service and modest owner salary. Individual pies range from $7.50-$14.00 with beer, wine, espresso and salads filling out the check. Assume $14/ticket. (that’s a wild guess. franchisor says it’s too low but I figure there’s be plenty of lunch folks who share one and have sodas.

$1.2mm/year = $100k/month = $3,300/day

At $14/ticket that’s 236 diners per day. Everyday, including Tuesday, rainy days and ice storms. It means some days should have to do 300 and a lot of that would be during lunch and dinner hours.

Can 2 ovens, each with 3 pizza capacity, turn out enough product to support that? Can assemblers, pizziolas and cashiers who are efficient, yet not superhuman, keep up?

My heart wants to do it but my head has to be convinced.
Thanks
 
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I’m not aware of any commercial oven only holding 3 pizzas…more info please…

Current fast casual pizza chains like Blaze, Pieology, & Madden’s feature pies in the $6-$9 range…

You prolly could/should do 200 pies @lunch…

There are many options, but I think your #'s need more investigation…

Just my 2¢…
 
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Based on the information you provided I would expect that each oven could produce about 30 pizzas an hour if a 6 minute bake time is used.

I do not think that is sufficient production. I would recommend 200 at least.

George Mills
 
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What size are your ovens? I have an wood-fired oven from New York Brick Ovens. I can produce a 10" pizza in about two to three minutes. I can comfortably fit five to six of those in at one time. They have larger ovens. We got the smallest model. It would not meet your volume.

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The franchise is MidiCi. The model calls for 90 second cooks or 1 every 30 seconds if everything is moving perfectly. Times 2 ovens. Even with the ovens at top efficiency I don’t see how the assemblers and cashiers could keep up!

Isn’t this how 800 Degrees is set up? Their Santa Monica location does 900/day during the week and 1,200-1,500 on weekends. The Westwood location does more. Do they have more than 2 ovens going? Time to visit YouTube or google images…

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If you are considering buying into a franchise, by all means go to a couple of their locations and talk to operators and observe how things are working. Franchises have many advantages and disadvantages when compared to starting up as an independent. One of the major advantages is a proven system and people that have a vested interest in your success, the more you make, the more they make. If you fail, it is a black mark on their franchise when the next potential buyer is looking. They should be more than willing to discuss these numbers with you and let you into a couple of shops to see how it all works talk with owners that have been successful in their system.
 
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There’s the rub: there are no existing franchisees, only a single corporate location with approximately 100 in development. It’s based in LA but for whatever reason the first franchise to open will be in El Paso. It’s the ground floor of something or nothing and a big risk to find out which.

Mymidici.com

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I come from sherman oaks my first pizza location was just down the street from this place its a very cut throat neighborhood to own a restaurant in. We have only been gone from there for a little over a year and this place was definitely not there nor was it in the works. You are taking a huge risk for something that doesnt even have that long of a track record for success. I know that is not what you are asking about but just my 2 cents. I spent five years up there and let me tell you how many restaurants I have seen come and go in that area its in the dozens give it some time before you invest your time and money. If you are concerned about the output why not visit this location for dinner time on a friday or saturday night and see how they handle the rush. The good places on ventura blvd are mad houses on the weekends.
 
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pricey neighborhood, hence the costly pies…I did some consulting work and installed a WFO with a rotating stone deck, similair to BadaBing’s WFO…the oven can spit 'em out in 90 seconds…would take 3 or 4 team members per oven to bang out a 200 pie hour, but doable…
 
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Yes, the risk is huge which is why we’re going above and beyond trying to learn everything we can about the business. I’m in Charlotte which doesn’t have 800 or Blaze or any competition…yet. It will come and being first will be an advantage.

There’s an Uncle Maddio’s in a 'burb but I’m not too concerned, especially since their location is awful. I’ll never understand how a business would choose to move into a space where a similar business just failed, in this case, Donato’s. It’s different when it’s amazing space and failure is likely related to mismanagement but this is a marginal spot.
 
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