Franchise FAQs

Get to Know Antioch Pizza

Thinking about becoming an Antioch Pizza franchise owner? You’re not alone — prospective franchisees often want to understand what the brand stands for, what support they’ll receive, how much the investment is, and what the overall ownership experience looks like. This FAQ is designed to give you clear, straightforward answers to the most common questions about owning an Antioch Pizza Shop franchise.

If you don’t see your question answered below, reach out anytime. Our team is here to help you explore whether Antioch Pizza is the right franchise opportunity for you.

While you don’t necessarily have to have experience in the restaurant industry, we seek franchise owners with some familiarity of business ownership and business management. Those already in the food industry, as well as business professionals with a commitment and enthusiasm for our systems, are good candidates. We look for potential franchisees who have excellent social and problem–solving skills. In exchange for your commitment to us, we’ll provide you with the tools and support you need to operate a successful pizza franchise. 

Before you get started, you’ll attend an extensive pre-opening training program at our corporate kitchen in Antioch. As you launch your local pizza restaurant franchise business, a franchise representative will spend time with you to assist you with additional on-site training. The amount of time will vary depending on which franchise format you choose, and more information is available in the FDD. You’ll also have access to our proprietary confidential operations manual, which will provide you with detailed guidance for your day-to-day business activities. 

The total initial investment necessary to begin operations depends on which of our four franchise formats you choose. The initial investment is as follows:

  • Dine-in and/or takeout/delivery restaurant: $226,900 to $729,325
  • Express restaurant: $108,500 to $352,900
  • Food truck: $106,500 to $196,825

This includes the initial franchise fee, which varies by format:

  • Dine-in and/or takeout/delivery restaurant: $40,000
  • Express restaurant: $35,000
  • Food truck: $20,000

Because we know how important it is to get your business started on the right foot, we expect potential franchise owners to have adequate capital to fund the initial business growth stages.

Unfortunately, we’re not providing financing options at this time. 

We charge a royalty fee equal to 5% of gross sales, paid monthly. These fees allow us to fund our ongoing support services, as well as the continued development of product and supply channels, marketing tools, training programs, and systems upgrades to keep your business up and running effectively. 

Antioch Pizza Shop franchise owners will be required to spend 1% of gross revenues each month on local marketing initiatives, and 1% of gross revenues toward the national marketing fund, paid to us monthly. For more information about what you can expect over the life of your business, visit our Investment page. 

The initial term of our dine-in and express format agreements is ten years with one subsequent successor agreement option of ten years. For our food truck, the initial term is five years with one successor agreement option of five years. This kind of long-term commitment allows you to become a part of your community’s DNA, which we have found is a surefire path to success. More information is available in our FDD. 

If you’re interested in learning more about bringing Antioch Pizza to your area, fill out our convenient online form! A member of our franchising team will be in touch shortly to start the qualification process and share more information about becoming an Antioch Pizza franchise owner.

We have a wide range of exterior and interior blueprints which are customized to keep precise cost engineering top-of-mind. Our model is very versatile and lends itself to several types of locations. We have a core prototypical footprint for our interiors that is a common thread through all locations which allows us to provide efficient, streamlined operations.

Antioch Pizza Shop has been serving up great slices to the Chicago area since 1977.

Most franchisees open their store within 6–12 months, depending on location selection, permitting, build-out timelines, and funding.

There are multiple territories available across the Midwest and select states nationwide. Our team will help you evaluate available markets and determine the best territory for your success. Please refer to our current Available Markets page for more information.

Franchisees should expect hands-on involvement, especially in the early stages. Over time, owners may transition into a leadership/management role with trained staff handling day-to-day operations.

Most stores operate with a combination of full-time and part-time staff. The number varies depending on store footprint, sales volume, and operating hours.

  • Local, community-focused brand

  • High-quality ingredients

  • Proven recipes and menu favorites

  • Flexible store layouts

  • Comprehensive training and support

  • Strong unit economics

  • Loyal customer base

The brand combines small-town warmth with scalable operations.

Many franchisees choose Antioch Pizza because of its:

  • Lower startup cost compared to national pizza chains

  • Strong community following

  • Simple, proven operations

  • High-quality product lineup

  • Supportive leadership team

As always, we recommend reviewing the FDD and speaking with existing franchisees.

Get to Know Antioch Pizza

Let’s Get Started

We’re excited to hear from you! To start a conversation, fill out our simple online application. A member of our franchising team will be in touch shortly with more information about your opportunity as an Antioch Pizza franchise owner.