Interested in owning your own Straw Hat Pizza Restaurant?

COVID-19

During these difficult and uncertain times, we at Straw Hat Pizza Restaurants, Inc. have tried to support our franchisees as much as possible as they navigate through the pandemic.

Restaurants are considered “Essential Businesses” because we provide food to our communities. Our franchisees have always been able to provide take-out and delivery, which has increased significantly during COVID-19. In most communities we can also offer outdoor dining, and in some areas, limited inside dining.

We have provided our franchisees with a step-by-step plan for their restaurant re-openings, including signage for their restaurants, Personal Protection Equipment (PPE), and temporarily suspended royalty and marketing fees for our franchises. We are also fortunate to have food and supply contracts in place that keep our supply costs at set prices, so our franchisees don’t have to worry about market fluctuations. Being part of a franchise system makes weathering these storms together a little easier.

Straw Hat Pizza has awarded several new franchises during COVID-19 and we are excited that our brand continues to grow!

Our Concept

Walk into any Straw Hat Pizza and you’ll understand why our customers love us. Our comfortable indoor and outdoor dining areas offer a wide-range of seating options (i.e. booths, tables, high-tops and bars). Ordering is fast and efficient whether you are dining in, taking out or having your meal delivered. Customers come to Straw Hat Pizza for the overall experience—to eat, socialize, have fun and enjoy their time with friends or family. Our team is trained and managed to provide the best in customer service and keep our customers coming back.

So Many Ways to Grow Revenues

Owners have a variety of avenues available to grow their sales. Our most successful operators are deploying a variety of marketing strategies and using events to differentiate our brand and drive business in the door. Our corporate team provides ongoing assistance to franchise owners with any events, catering, or marketing they pursue.

• Dine-in, pickup and delivery
• Online ordering
• Beer & wine
• Catering
• Food truck
• Vegan and gluten-free options
• Sporting events / Pay-Per-View
• Party room
• Redemption games for the kids

Franchisee Benefits

The corporate team at Straw Hat Pizza is 100% focused on franchisee success, providing the insight, experiences, strategies, and resources to help franchisees grow revenue and reach their goals. Over the years, we have continually enhanced every aspect of our business model, enabling franchisees to implement systems and processes that improve the customer experience and the bottom line..

Our franchisee benefits include:

• Low royalty and marketing fees
• Legacy brand with immense brand power
• A real estate broker will work with you to find the location
• A construction team will design and do the entire build out if required
• We connect you with vendors to locate equipment
• Intensive three week hands on training program
• Well-defined operational systems and processes that help you manage your restaurant and serve great products with consistency
• Proven marketing strategies, marketing assets, websites, online ordering, advertising, collateral, and so much more to help you drive new business and customer loyalty
• At opening of your location, we will send support staff to help train your staff, set up your location, and stay with you during your opening week
• After opening, you will see a field person regularly or you can make an appointment for someone to come in and assist you with any challenges you face

Customers Taste the Difference

Let’s face it, there are a wide range of pizza concepts that boast about the quality of their ingredients and unique flavors. With a rich history of being Californian’s favorite pizza place for over 60 years, Straw Hat Pizza stands out in the minds of customers whether they grew up eating our pizza or are first time customers.

• Dough rolled fresh daily
• Menu items are prepared using only premium grade meats
• Use locally grown fresh produce source as close as possible to our locations
• We only use boxes and napkins made from 100% recycled materials
• Our pizza sauce uses fresh packed tomatoes — never canned or reconstituted

Franchisee Qualifications

Although restaurant experience is helpful, it is not a prerequisite for a successful Straw Hat Pizza franchise operator. The most successful franchisees understand the importance of building customer loyalty and focused on optimizing the customer experience. They are ambassadors of the Straw Hat Pizza brand and are an entertainment destination in the communities they serve. They are active on social media, always promoting their business and find innovative ways to build customer frequency. They are compassionate leaders and create a "can do" culture where employees execute on their vision and optimize the customer experience. Most importantly, they follow the systems, processes and standards that Straw Hat Pizza has developed to insure they continue to build brand equity and grow.

Steps to Becoming a Straw Hat Pizza Franchisee

As a new Straw Hat Pizza owner, rest assured that our team is here to educate, train, and assist you ever step of the way. Our process begins with a thorough Discovery process, including a presentation call with our Franchise Development Team to answer any questions you might have and to make sure that Straw Hat Pizza franchising is right for you. Moving forward, we will work diligently to get you ready to open your doors, following proven steps where we are working hand-in-hand with you. Our goal is to make the process as easy as possible, making new franchisees confident, able, and excited to launch and grow their new Straw Hat Pizza restaurant. Contact us for a presentation call.

1. Discovery – Presentation call with our Development Team. We’re here to help you understand the benefits, market advantages, and processes in which Straw Hat Pizza operates.
2. Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD) – The FDD is a document required by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) for any Franchisor to present to a potential Franchisee prior to an award of a Franchise. The FDD provides detailed information about the franchisor, the expectations and obligations of the franchisor and the franchisee, start-up costs, fees, etc. We will send you a copy of the FDD and will require a signed receipt that you have received the FDD.
3. Franchise Application – An application with more information about you, your experience, and financial information.
4. Financial Verification – Verification of net worth, liquid assets, and funds for the Initial Franchise Fee (IFF).
5. Discovery Day – We will schedule and tour of one of our existing franchise locations so that you can see behind the scenes and get a better idea of the daily operations of a Straw Hat Pizza restaurant. This is a great opportunity to talk with a current franchisee to ask questions of their experience as a franchisee.
6. Franchise Agreement – Once you have been approved for a franchise award, we would execute the Franchise Agreement and your $30,000 Initial Franchise Fee (IFF) would be paid at this time.
7. Location Selection – Straw Hat, along with our 3rd party commercial real estate company, can help you sort through all of the unsaturated markets and find the right market and location to open your Straw Hat Pizza.
8. Site Construction – Our full-service construction partners can take you from plans to opening.
9. Training – Receive 3 weeks of top-notch, hands-on training to prepare you for operating your new Straw Hat Pizza restaurant!
10. Open for Business – We assist you in planning your Grand Opening to include: staffing, operations, marketing, and community outreach.