UNO Pizzeria & Grill, the restaurant chain known for its Chicago-style deep dish pizza, is introducing a new franchise concept that recreates the iconic look and feel of the brand’s original Pizzeria UNO Chicago location. The new model will offer franchisees a customizable floor plan model that allows them to take advantage of existing space and is flexible to accommodate a variety of sizes. Franchisees will also have the ability to add additional takeout and delivery only locations to expand reach with minimal build-out costs. Pizzeria UNO debuted its first new-concept restaurant in June in Highland, Indiana to rave reviews and high initial sales.
“Our new franchise concept with its highly configurable layout enables franchisees the ability to take advantage of existing spaces and opportunistic real estate which keeps build-out costs extremely low,” says Erik Frederick, UNO’s Chief Executive Officer. “The customizable nature also enables each restaurant to have a unique feel vs. some of the cookie-cutter/one-size-fits-all nature of other brands. Our goal is to provide franchisees an opportunity to participate in one of the largest restaurant categories with a premium brand that has an attractive ROI.”
UNO has been making its famous deep dish pizza since 1943, and one of the goals of the new Pizzeria UNO is to continue that legacy with a menu that highlights the brand’s pizza expertise. Pizzeria UNO will showcase its strong pizza heritage and credibility, but with a vibe that’s more relaxed and reminiscent of your local pizza joint. A newly designed cooking process will allow for quicker pizza production time which will lead to rapid customer turnaround time. A more condensed, pizza-centric menu will offer customers UNO’s famous Deep Dish Pizza and a selection of the brand’s best-selling Chicago Thin Crust Pizza, as well as appetizers and salads.
The new concept has already signed on three new franchisees in 2021 and has grand plans for continued expansion heading into 2022. In addition to the new stand-alone and in-line sites that UNO was initially seeking, hotel restaurant conversion, redevelopment and buildout has become a popular place of interest from early prospects. The UNO brand and product play well within the hotel restaurant framework—offering multiple revenue stream possibilities, including hotel guests dining-in and ordering take-out, as well as delivery to the local area.
UNO is actively seeking franchisees to grow with this new pizza-centric concept worldwide. Territories and markets with great potential are available for development and expansion.
“The pizza market is booming right now as a standout success in the restaurant category, so there’s no better time to make a move with our brand,” says Brett Larrabee, UNO’s Director of Franchise Development. “With top territories available, there is a unique opportunity right now to be a part of an established major pizza brand.”
With over 80 locations, 21 current franchisees, and more than 75 years of success in the pizza business, UNO has proven itself as a key player in the restaurant industry. Pizza has been in strong demand over the last two years, and UNO has a unique and premium brand and product that has worked well in the category for many decades.
