Start a Squisito Pizza & Pasta Franchise in 2026

Franchise 500 Rank: N/R Not ranked last year

Initial investment: $265K - $800K

Units as of 2021: 9 12.5% over 3 years

Squisito Pizza & Pasta strives to serve authentic, family recipe Italian cuisine using fresh ingredients. All their dishes are made to order and range from pizzas to pasta to salads. They also may offer specials, including family meals, Monday pizza day, and Tuesday pasta day.

Founded in 1998, Squisito Pizza & Pasta is headquartered in Annapolis, Maryland. The parent company, Squisito Franchise Enterprises, started franchising in 2008. Since then, Squisito Pizza & Pasta has opened multiple locations in the United States.

Why You May Want To Start a Squisito Pizza & Pasta Franchise

If you love authentic Italian food and providing excellent customer service, you may align with the culture at Squisito Pizza & Pasta. While they believe they offer a proven and easily operable business model, the company prefers franchisees to have a restaurant background. This will help franchisees maintain Squisito Pizza & Pasta’s commitment to quality and family.

Franchisees must also commit to a long-term business. A typical Squisito Pizza & Pasta franchise agreement runs for 10 years. You may be allowed to renew your agreement if you meet the Squisito Pizza & Pasta requirements.

What Might Make a Squisito Pizza & Pasta Franchise a Good Choice?

Squisito Pizza & Pasta's authentic Italian recipes are expected to combine high-quality ingredients, great customer service, competitive prices, and a clean environment. They also offer a commitment to quality that they believe sets them apart in the Italian, fast-casual restaurant space.

Opening a Squisito Pizza & Pasta franchise may offer a more predictable outcome than investing in a completely new brand that could struggle to thrive in an already crowded and competitive industry.

Franchise locations should be in heavy foot traffic areas, such as mixed-use facilities or strip malls, and have around 70 to 100 seats, with a focus on outdoor seating and delivery services. Franchisees usually need around one dozen employees to run the franchise and run the business full-time.

To be part of the Squisito Pizza & Pasta team, you should make sure you're financially ready for an initial investment made up of a franchise fee and other startup costs. In addition, you should prepare yourself for ongoing fees that will include advertising, royalty, and potential renewal fees. Franchisees will also need to meet the company's set net worth and liquid capital requirements.

How To Open a Squisito Pizza & Pasta Franchise

As you decide if opening a Squisito Pizza & Pasta franchise is the right move for you, take time to explore the opportunity. Research the brand and your local area to see if a Squisito Pizza & Pasta franchise would do well in your community.

Before making any financial commitment or signing an agreement, you must perform your due diligence and establish if this is the right opportunity for you. As part of your due diligence, you may want to speak to existing franchisees and ask the Squisito Pizza & Pasta franchising team questions.

If awarded a franchise, franchisees receive a great deal of support from the Squisito Pizza & Pasta brand throughout the franchising process. In addition to pre-opening training, franchisees receive support through brand awareness, marketing, research, and site selection. They also may receive hundreds of hours of on-the-job training and continued support after their franchise location has opened.

Company Overview

About Squisito Pizza & Pasta

Industry	Food
Related Categories	Pizza, Miscellaneous Quick-Service Restaurants, Italian Food
Founded	1998
Parent Company	Squisito Franchise Enterprises
Leadership	Gennaro DiMeo, Owner
Corporate Address	2024 West St., #302 Annapolis, MD 21401
Social	Facebook, Twitter, Instagram

Business Overview

Franchising Since	2008 (18 years)
# of employees at HQ	5
Where seeking	This company is offering new franchises throughout the US.
# of Units	9 (as of 2021)

Information for Franchisees

Here's what you need to know if you're interested in opening a Squisito Pizza & Pasta 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 Definition: The initial fee paid to a franchisor to join their system What you need to know: Found in Item 5 of the FDD, this may be a flat fee, or may vary based on territory size, experience, or other factors.The franchise fee is an up-front (one-time) cost that a new franchisee pays to the franchisor. This fee is usually due at the signing of the franchise agreement and covers the right to use the franchisor's trademarks, name, and related business systems.	$35,000
Initial Investment Definition: The total amount necessary to begin operation of the franchise What you need to know: The initial investment includes the franchise fee, along with other startup expenses such as real estate, equipment, supplies, business licenses, and working capital. This is outlined in a chart in Item 7 of the FDD, showing a range of possible costs from low to high.	$264,600 - $800,000
Net Worth Requirement Definition: The minimum net worth you must have in order to qualify to become a franchisee of this company What you need to know: Net worth is the value of a person's assets minus liabilities. Assets include cash, stocks, retirement accounts, and real estate. Liabilities include items like mortgages, car payments, and credit card debt.	$350,000 - $5,000,000
Cash Requirement Definition: The minimum liquid capital you must have available in order to qualify to become a franchisee of this company.	$150,000 - $250,000
Royalty Fee Definition: A ongoing fee paid to the franchisor on a regular basis. What you need to know: Most franchisors require franchisees to pay an ongoing royalty fee, which is detailed in Item 6 of the FDD. This fee is typically a percentage of weekly or monthly gross sales, but may also be a flat weekly, monthly, or annual fee.	6%
Ad Royalty Fee Definition: An going fee paid to the franchisor on a regular basis to support advertising or marketing efforts. What you need to know: This may also be called advertising fee, marketing fee, brand fund fee, and more, but the basic purpose is the same-- to support promotion of the brand systemwide. As with the royalty fee, it is detailed in Item 6 of the FDD, and can be a percentage of weekly or monthly gross sales or a weekly, monthly, or annual fee.	1-2%
Term of Agreement Definition: The length of time your franchise agreement will last. What you need to know: Franchise terms are typically anywhere from 5 to 20 years in length, but are sometimes instead dependent on factors such as the term of your lease. Once your term is up, you may have the option to renew your agreement, typically for a smaller fee than the original franchise fee.	10 years
Is franchise term renewable?	Yes

Financing Options

Some franchisors offer in-house financing, while others have relationships with third-party financing sources to which they refer qualified franchisees.

Third Party Financing	Squisito Pizza & Pasta has relationships with third-party sources which offer financing to cover the following: franchise fee, startup costs, equipment, inventory, accounts receivable, payroll

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	280 hours
Ongoing Support	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 Regional Advertising Social Media SEO Website Development Email Marketing Loyalty Program/App

Operations

Additional details about running this franchise.

Is absentee ownership allowed?	Yes
Can this franchise be run from home/mobile unit? Definition: The business can be run from your home and/or a vehicle, and it is not necessary to have a retail facility, office space, or warehouse.	No
Can this franchise be run part time? Definition: This business can be run by the owner on a part-time basis (less than 40 hours per week) and/or as a side business; it is not necessary for the business to be open/run full-time.	No
# of employees required to run	10-15
Are exclusive territories available? Definition: An exclusive territory is a fixed area in which you are given the right to operate and in which no other units of the same franchise may be opened. What you need to know: Territory size may be based on factors such as radius, population size, zip codes, and more. Details can be found in Item 12 of the FDD.	Yes