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Fast pizza brand Fireaway, led by Mario Aleppo, has secured new investment from six new backers, elevating the value of the company to £18.7m. Until recently, Mario was the sole shareholder of the company – a “Subway-style” pizzeria concept that offers true Italian pizza in just 180 seconds – which he founded in south London in 2017. Fireaway is currently operating 126 sites in the U.K., plus a site each in Ireland and Holland.
Mario said each of the investors, five of whom are based in the U.K. and one in Italy, is “taking one per cent” of the company each, and the new funding will be used to improve the tech side of the business, along with investment into international expansion plans.
Mario sees the potential for the brand to grow to 500 sites internationally within the next 10 years. The company has a good mixture of “personal, family and corporate franchisees” and the business is attracting franchisees from other, more established franchised brands.
Mario said: “I look at some of our more established competitors and I think there is a limit to how many sites you can have before you start stepping on your franchisees toes. Realistically, I think that’s around the 500-site mark. I’m comfortable with that figure.”
Earlier this year, Fireaway made its international debut with a site in Amsterdam, while master franchisees have also been signed up in Canada, France, Germany, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and India. Mario would not rule out launching another complimentary concept to Fireaway in the future. He said: “I think we have found a good space, which is between quick service and fast-casual/ casual dining.”
What territories is Fireaway Pizza looking to operate in?
Fireaway Pizza is looking for experienced multi-site operators and master franchisees in Europe and the Middle East. The pizza market is growing in these locations and the brand wants a slice of the action. The fastest-growing pizza company in the UK opened 50 stores last year and will hit 40 store openings this year. With a reasonable start-up cost and minimum royalties, the brand is set to hit the same numbers internationally.
Why should entrepreneurs partner with Fireaway Pizza?
Fireaway Pizza offers entrepreneurs the opportunity to own a slice of an exponentially fast-growing brand that offers great incentives and support to each franchisee.
They have assisted in the launch and success of over 125 (a number that’s rapidly growing) Fireaway Pizza franchises within the past six years (100 of those stores have been from 2020 to 2021).
With a tremendous amount of research and development by expert chefs, Fireaway Pizza has developed high-quality, delicious-tasting pizza, which only takes 180 seconds to cook in its fire-deck ovens.
The custom-made pizza flour is mixed in the south of Italy and the choicest tomatoes are tinned at source in the mountains of Italy. The house sauces and freshly-made (never frozen) dough, made with 100 per cent clean ingredients and state-of-the-art equipment sourced from trusted suppliers, are all sourced at competitive prices for franchisees. This enables franchisees to deliver fast, delicious and fresh-tasting pizza to their valued customers at affordable prices with great margins of return to franchisees.
The franchisee-focused business model has one goal in mind: success. Each franchisee is assigned their own Fireaway expert, who will:
- Assist in finding the perfect location
- Provide extensive training on everything there is to know to operate a Fireaway Pizza store
- Provide full support setting up the store
- Assist with ongoing marketing
Once you become a member of the Fireaway Pizza family, you will have access to the successful business model, the brand name that is becoming more widely recognized, and a dedicated 24/7 support center to support the growth of your franchise.
What kind of support does Fireaway Pizza offer its franchisees?
They know their success is dependent on their franchisee’s success therefore they help their franchisees establish and grow each restaurant to its maximum capacity.
Fireaway’s real estate experts will assist with finding the perfect location based on market research, target market, and footfall of the area, as well as assisting with finalizing any negotiations if required. They also assist with providing architects and exciting store designs.
The franchise also has fantastic relationships with specialist vendors and has sourced the best prices in the market for several products and services for the business, such as:
- Contractors (builders, painters, architects, solicitors)
- Kitchen equipment (ovens, fridges, freezers)
- Store fixtures and fittings (lighting, tables, chairs)
- Ingredients (sauce, cheese, vegetables, meats)
- Packaging (pizza boxes, sauce tins, napkins)
- Uniforms (chef hats, aprons, shoes, t-shirts)
- POS systems
All these can be ordered through dedicated Fireaway representatives or the franchisee website.
Franchisees are provided with a manual that outlines all of the operating processes and procedures required to establish and operate a Fireaway Pizza restaurant, including topics such as:
- Maintaining standards and guidelines
- How to prep the special recipes
- How to order ingredients and equipment
- Employee training manuals
- How to manage cost of goods
- How to use ovens and kitchen equipment
- Customer service training manuals
- Restaurant opening and closing procedures
- Health and safety laws
- Food safety laws
- Property maintenance requirements
- Marketing guidelines
The chefs in the research and development team are always experimenting with new ideas in the kitchen. From time to time, they will add seasonal or unique items to the menu, depending on what market research tells them.
The grand opening of each new Fireaway restaurant is a major event for the team; they celebrate the launch of every store and assist franchisees by sending members of the corporate team to assist with the launch. They will be there before, during, and after each grand opening to ensure that the Fireaway ship is sailing smoothly.
What are Fireaway Pizza’s plans for expansion?
By January 2023, Fireaway Pizza had a target to open l00 stores around the U.K.; however, due to the popularity of the brand and the appealing opportunity and returns to the investors, they reached this target in January 2022. The brand’s expansion has been rapid, and the first international store has opened in the capital of the Netherlands, Amsterdam.
The leadership team is working like clockwork to ensure that its bulletproof system remains intact; to ensure that store is fully supported, and the brand guidelines, product quality, and customer service are all maintained at a high standard.
What kind of financial returns can a Fireaway Pizza franchisee expect?
An average Fireaway Pizza store has a weekly turnover of around £9,000 with a net profit of 25 per cent (£2,250), with many franchisees expanding to two to three stores within a short space of time.
Another key component of the franchisee’s successes is that, unlike other franchises, Fireaway Pizza does not currently take a royalty fee, retaining a flat fee of £750 per month per store. This enables franchisees to retain a vast portion of their profits, making their investment worthwhile.
At a glance
Established: 2016
Number of franchised outlets: 128
Location of units: U.K., Holland and Ireland
Investment range: £170,000
Minimum required capital: £150,000
Contact: mario@fireaway.co.uk
