Ledo Pizza

Pizza, subs, pasta
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Franchise 500 2023
2024 Franchise 500 Rank
#420 Ranked #462 last year
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Initial investment
$206K - $673K
Units as of 2023
116 Increase 10.5% over 3 years

Ledo Pizza is a trendsetter in the pizza world, first opening in 1955, making it older than many of the top fast-food pizza chains. While other chains have claimed the title of oldest pizza franchise (Pizza Hut claims the year 1959), there's a simple answer as to why that title doesn’t belong to Ledo Pizza—it wasn’t available as a franchise until 1986. But that technicality doesn't stop them from having years of experience in great flavors. 

If you're tired of so-called "premium" pizza that's somehow both soggy and tastes like stale cardboard, you can help bring pizza back to what it should be. With its commitment to providing crisp, ultra-thin crust, sweet sauce, and smoked cheesy goodness, the Ledo Pizza recipe is topped with massive pepperoni. You can bring great pizza to your hometown by opening a Ledo Pizza franchise of your own.

Why You May Want to Start a Ledo Pizza Franchise

There's a lot of care that goes into the food that a Ledo Pizza franchise delivers. Unlike the other big pizza brands, everything is expected to be made to order with the highest quality ingredients available. Even the subs on the menu are made with freshly baked bread. The salad may even be big enough to be a meal on its own. Add this to the pizza's distinct shape and extra thick toppings and no one is likely to confuse pizza from a Ledo Pizza franchise with any other. 

It isn’t just the potential for top-notch food that makes a Ledo Pizza franchise a good choice. Franchisees are also offered a robust training program to help in their drive for success. It’s called T.O.M.P., which stands for Technology, Operations, Marketing, and Procurement. All of this training has one overarching goal: to increase guest satisfaction to the maximum, and it works. As a result, franchisees of a Ledo Pizza location can brag about having some of the most loyal customers in the U.S.  

What Might Make a Ledo Pizza a Good Choice?

Like any business, there's a range to the initial investment that you'll have to make. That depends on a variety of factors, including restaurant size and location. Ledo Pizza doesn’t offer any financing options, so you will have to secure your own financing or have the liquid assets to cover the cost. You will also need to be prepared to cover startup fees and ongoing fees along with the franchise fee. Ongoing fees will include royalty and advertising fees.

It may be a good idea to contact an attorney or financial advisor in order to ensure that you have the funds necessary to open and operate a Ledo Pizza franchise.

How To Open a Ledo Pizza Franchise

If you've decided to open a Ledo Pizza franchise, then the next step is applying to become a franchisee. Unfortunately, Ledo Pizza is very selective about offering a franchise and cannot offer franchises in all states. 

Even if you happen to live somewhere where a Ledo Pizza franchise isn’t available yet, however, you can speak with franchise representatives to learn more about the brand. If Ledo Pizza approves your area, then you may be able to start working on meeting all local requirements and begin training with a franchise representative. 

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Company Overview

About Ledo Pizza

Industry Food
Related Categories Pizza, Food: Quick Service, Italian Restaurants
Founded 1955
Leadership James Beall, CEO
Corporate Address 41 Old Solomon's Island Rd., #201
Annapolis, MD 21401
Social Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube

Business Overview

Franchising Since 1989 (35 years)
# of employees at HQ 22
Where seeking

This company is offering new franchises worldwide.

This company is offering new franchises in the following US states: Alaska, Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, North Carolina, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, Nevada, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Vermont, West Virginia, Wyoming

# of Units 116 (as of 2023)

Information for Franchisees

Here's what you need to know if you're interested in opening a Ledo Pizza franchise.

Financial Requirements & Ongoing Fees

Here's what you can expect to spend to start the business and what ongoing fees the franchisor charges throughout the life of the business.

Initial Franchise Fee Information Circle
$30,000
Initial Investment Information Circle
$206,250 - $672,500
Royalty Fee Information Circle
5%
Ad Royalty Fee Information Circle
2%
Term of Agreement Information Circle
5 years
Is franchise term renewable? Yes
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Training & Support Offered

Franchisors offer initial training programs and a variety of ongoing support options to help franchisees run their businesses.

On-The-Job Training 94 hours
Classroom Training 46 hours
Ongoing Support
Purchasing Co-ops
Newsletter
Meetings & Conventions
Grand Opening
Online Support
Security & Safety Procedures
Lease Negotiation
Field Operations
Site Selection
Proprietary Software
Franchisee Intranet Platform
Marketing Support
Co-op Advertising
Ad Templates
National Media
Regional Advertising
Social Media
SEO
Website Development
Email Marketing
Loyalty Program/App

Operations

Additional details about running this franchise.

Is absentee ownership allowed? No
Can this franchise be run from home/mobile unit? Information Circle
No
Can this franchise be run part time? Information Circle
No
# of employees required to run 40
Are exclusive territories available? Information Circle
Yes
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Franchise 500 Ranking History

Compare where Ledo Pizza landed on this year's Franchise 500 Ranking versus previous years.

Additional Rankings

Curious to know where Ledo Pizza ranked on other franchise lists? Find out below.

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Disclaimer
The information on this page is not intended as an endorsement or recommendation of any particular franchise or business opportunity by Entrepreneur Media. Our listings and rankings are solely research tools you can use to compare opportunities. Entrepreneur stresses that you should always conduct your own independent investigation before investing in a franchise or business opportunity. That should include reviewing the company's legal documents, consulting with an attorney and an accountant, and talking to former and current franchisees/licensees/dealers.
Updated: December 12th, 2022