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FRANCHISE RESALES

Buy a Donatos Pizzeria Franchise

Donatos Pizzeria is a family-owned pizza franchise founded in Columbus, Ohio in 1963. Built around premium thin-crust pizzas spread Edge to Edge® with toppings, along with subs and salads, the brand operates as a fast-casual concept known for quality ingredients, a people-first culture, and strong community values.

Donatos prepares its proprietary crusts (a famous thin, hand-tossed, thicker, and cauliflower option) at its home office bakery and ships them to each location to maintain consistency. Online ordering accounts for more than 60% of sales across the network, delivered through a branded app supporting delivery, drive-up, and pick-up orders. Predictive delivery intelligence helps each location manage driver demand and delivery times.

The brand operates more than 460 locations across 29 states, with traditional franchise restaurants concentrated in Ohio, Indiana, Virginia, and surrounding states, alongside more than 280 non-traditional sites through partnerships with Red Robin, sports and entertainment venues, and REEF. More than 50 company-owned restaurants serve as active testing grounds for new menu items and processes before franchise partner rollout.

Latest Resales

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Why buy a Donatos Pizzeria Franchise?

Donatos has built six decades of brand recognition as a family-owned premium pizza concept, with loyal followings in Ohio and surrounding states. Buying a Donatos Pizzeria franchise means operating within a system that controls quality at source, with proprietary crusts shipped from the brand’s home office bakery and a digital platform accounting for more than 60% of network sales through app ordering, delivery, and pick-up.

Franchisees receive dedicated Franchise Business Consultant support, including weekly profitability reports, monthly P&L reviews, and three on-site restaurant visits per year. Field marketing support covers digital promotions, local media placement, and marketing analytics. The brand’s 50-plus company-owned restaurants serve as ongoing testing grounds, with new menu items and operational improvements validated before deployment across the franchise network.

Donatos Pizzeria Franchise Costs & Information

Based on 2024 data reported in the 2025 FDD

  • Brand Profile

    • Year Founded

      1963

    • Franchising Since

      1991

    • New Startup Cost

      $541,818 – $1,038,174

    • Avg. Resale Price

      Contact us for details

  • Franchise Fees

    • Initial franchise Fee

      $30,000

      for new territories

    • Transfer Fee

      $15,000

      for transfer to non-existing franchisee or new partner

    • Royalty Fee

      4%

      of Gross Revenue

    • Marketing Fee

      1%

      of Net Sales

  • Unit Performance

    • Total Units *

      176

    • New Units Opened *

      4

    • Units Transferred *

      0

    • Avg. Unit revenue *

      $1,044,273

    * Based on 2024 data reported in the 2025 FDD

Donatos Pizzeria – Additional  Information

  1. Training & Support

    Donatos provides custom-designed training curricula for franchise partners and their management staff, with an ongoing online training programme for associates. The system includes 188 hours of on-the-job training and 4 hours of classroom training. Ongoing support comes through a dedicated Franchise Business Consultant covering monthly P&L reviews and three on-site restaurant visits per year, Field Marketing Manager assistance, and a local store marketing toolkit. Operations use the TRIO software platform. Buyers of an existing Donatos unit should confirm what initial training and TRIO system access transfer with the sale.

  2. Ideal Owner

    The ideal Donatos franchise partner has previous restaurant or hospitality management experience and is comfortable with the operational demands of a fast-paced food service environment. The franchisor looks for operators who are hands-on in daily operations, community-minded, and committed to delivering consistent quality at every service. Donatos favors candidates prepared to develop multiple locations, so buyers evaluating a resale should be open to multi-unit expansion and have the operational depth to support it.

  3. Recognition & Awards

    Donatos Pizza was named one of the Most Profitable Franchises of 2024 by Franchise Business Review, reflecting high franchisee satisfaction scores and strong financial performance across the network. The brand was also included in Franchise Business Review's Top 200 Franchises for 2026. CEO Kevin King serves on the 2026 IFA Board of Directors. For resale buyers, brand-level recognition should be weighed alongside the specific unit's local reputation, customer reviews, and territorial market position.

  4. Industry / Market

    The US pizza restaurant market generated approximately $50.1 billion in revenue in 2024 across more than 74,000 operating pizzerias, according to Pizza Today's 2025 industry trends report. Pizza has proved resilient across economic cycles, with delivery and carryout as dominant sales channels. Consumer demand for premium fast-casual concepts has grown as buyers seek higher-quality ingredients without full-service pricing. For resale buyers, territory location matters: Donatos has deeper brand recognition in established Midwestern and mid-Atlantic markets than in newer growth regions.

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