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FRANCHISE RESALES

Buy an Antioch Pizza Shop Franchise

Antioch Pizza Shop is a Midwestern pizza chain founded in 1977 in Antioch, Illinois, serving Chicago-style thin crust, pan, stuffed and its signature Double Decker pizzas alongside Italian beef, Vienna hot dogs, sandwiches, salads and hand-dipped shakes. The brand began franchising in 2016 and remains family-owned, led by founders Art and Karen Wicklein.

Franchisees operate one of four formats: a full-service dine-in restaurant, a takeout and delivery shop, a smaller express location, or a mobile food truck. Units run on a brick-and-mortar, owner-operator model supported by centralized purchasing, proprietary recipes and POS systems. Most locations sit in Illinois and Wisconsin, with the network expanding into the South and other Midwest markets.

Community involvement is built into the concept, with fundraisers, school sponsorships and local sports support central to how each shop operates. The brand positions itself as combining the systems of a larger chain with the feel of an independent neighborhood pizzeria.

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Why buy an Antioch Pizza Shop Franchise?

Buying an Antioch Pizza Shop franchise offers a foothold in a resilient quick-service category through a brand with nearly five decades of recipes and strong regional loyalty. The four-format model lets owners match investment and footprint to their market, whether a full dine-in restaurant or a lower-overhead express or food-truck operation.

Owners benefit from centralized purchasing and supplier relationships that help control food costs, plus established recipes and operating systems that ease entry for first-time restaurateurs. The family-led franchisor positions itself as a hands-on partner, and the brand’s community-marketing playbook gives local owners a clear way to build neighborhood loyalty.

Antioch Pizza Shop Franchise Costs & Information

Based on 2024 data reported in the 2025 FDD

  • Brand Profile

    • Year Founded

      1977

    • Franchising Since

      2016

    • New Startup Cost

      $106,050 – $729,325

    • Avg. Resale Price

      Contact us for details

  • Franchise Fees

    • Initial franchise Fee

      $20,000 - $40,000

      for new territories

    • Transfer Fee

      75%

      of then-applicable Franchise Fee; 25% if buyer is existing franchisee

    • Royalty Fee

      5%

      of Gross Revenues

    • Marketing Fee

      1%

      of Gross Revenues

  • Unit Performance

    • Total Units *

      10

    • New Units Opened *

      2

    • Units Transferred *

      1

    • Avg. Unit revenue *

      $1,081,808

    * Based on 2024 data reported in the 2025 FDD

Antioch Pizza Shop – Additional  Information

  1. Training & Support

    New owners receive 25 hours of classroom training plus 166-506 hours of on-the-job training covering dough preparation, quality control, kitchen flow, inventory and POS systems. Ongoing support includes field visits and business coaching, live operational support, a regional peer network, monthly performance scorecards tracking traffic, food and labor costs, plus webinars and regularly updated recipes and seasonal menus. Resale buyers should confirm with Antioch what initial and transfer training is provided to incoming owners and which POS and reporting systems carry over with the unit.

  2. Ideal Owner

    Antioch Pizza Shop suits hands-on, owner-operator candidates who want to be present in the restaurant rather than absentee investors. Restaurant or food-service operations experience helps, though the training system is built for first-time operators. The strongest fits are community-minded people comfortable managing kitchen staff, controlling food and labor costs, and driving local marketing through fundraisers and neighborhood partnerships. Genuine enthusiasm for the product and for serving local families matters more than prior franchising experience.

  3. Recognition & Awards

    Antioch Pizza Shop won the 2024 WGN Radio Chicago Pizza Madness Tournament, drawing more than 270,000 public votes to be named Chicago's #1 pizza, and was recognized for "Best Pizza - Thin Crust" in the 2024 Daily Herald Readers' Choice Awards. The brand also appears in Entrepreneur's franchise directory. For resale buyers, brand-level recognition should be weighed alongside the specific unit's local reviews, referral base and community standing.

  4. Industry / Market

    The US pizza restaurant market was worth roughly $50 billion in 2024, spread across more than 74,000 pizzerias (Pizza Today, Statista). Pizza is among the more resilient quick-service categories, supported by convenience, delivery demand and broad family appeal that has held up through recent economic cycles. Demand is highly local, so a unit's performance depends on neighborhood density, competition and reputation. For resale buyers, established markets like Illinois and Wisconsin offer proven demand, while newer Southern territories carry more growth runway.

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