Founded in 1959 in Homewood, Illinois, Aurelio’s Pizza began as a small pizzeria created by Joseph A. Aurelio Jr. The brand quickly gained recognition for its thin-crust, Chicago-style pizza and authentic Italian beef sandwiches. Today, the company is headquartered in Homewood, Illinois, and continues to emphasize family traditions and community values.
Aurelio’s began franchising in 1974, making it the first Chicago pizzeria to do so and one of the earliest pizza franchises in the U.S. The first franchise opened in Joliet, Illinois, and the brand has since expanded to over 40 locations across several states including Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, Nevada, and Florida.
The menu at Aurelio’s focuses on tavern-cut thin-crust pizzas, freshly made dough and sauces, and house-made Italian sausage. Guests also enjoy signature items like the Calabrese calzone, Italian beef sandwiches, pasta dishes, salads, appetizers, and a full range of beverages including beer, wine, and cocktails.
What sets Aurelio’s apart is its legacy, consistency, and loyal customer base. While honoring its original roots, the brand also embraces modern services like online ordering, catering, loyalty rewards, and dine-in experiences, offering a competitive edge in the fast-casual pizza franchise market.
Here's what you would need to invest if you were to start this franchise. These costs are provided by the franchisor in the Franchise Disclosure Document.
Aurelio's Pizza offers 2 types of franchises:
We are summarizing below the main costs associated with opening a Aurelio's Sit-Down Franchise.
For more information on the various types of franchises and its costs, refer to the Franchise Disclosure Document (Item 7).
Aurelio’s Pizza franchise provides a structured training program designed to prepare franchisees for the successful operation of their restaurant. The training focuses on essential operational, management, and customer service procedures that align with the brand’s standards.
Aurelio’s Pizza franchise offers its franchisees a protected territory to operate their business. The protected territory is typically defined in the Franchise Agreement and is based on population size, geographic boundaries, or other market factors.
During the term of the agreement, the franchisor will not establish another traditional Aurelio’s Pizza franchise or operate a company-owned unit within the designated territory.
However, the territorial protection granted does not guarantee exclusivity against all types of competition. Aurelio’s Pizza reserves the right to sell its products through non-traditional channels, such as grocery stores, third-party delivery apps, or food trucks, even within a franchisee’s territory.
KEY FRANCHISE STATS
All you need to know about this franchise
?
?
?
?
?
?
Below are some of
Aurelio's Pizza
key competitors in the
Pizza
sector.
32
$49,000
$438,000
$1,253,000
n.a.
$0
$xxx,xxx
n.a.
n.a.
n.a.
n.a.
Tandoori Pizza is a fast-casual restaurant franchise offering Indian-inspired pizzas, appetizers, and specialty entrees, serving adventurous eaters and families, and known for tandoori-seasoned toppings, fusion flavors, and a unique culinary twist.
?
?
Sarpino's Pizzeria is a delivery-focused franchise offering gourmet pizzas, calzones, salads, and pastas, serving late-night and family audiences, and known for from-scratch dough, extended hours, and dependable doorstep convenience.
?
?
Manhattan Pizza is a pizzeria franchise offering New York-style pies, slices, wings, and subs, serving neighborhoods and campus areas, and known for hand-tossed dough, generous portions, and fast, friendly service.
?
?
Buck's Pizza is a neighborhood pizza franchise offering hand-tossed pizzas, wings, subs, and salads, serving local families and game-day crowds, and known for friendly service, carryout and delivery convenience, and classic recipes.
?
?
Big Mama's and Papa's Pizzeria is a pizza restaurant franchise offering giant specialty pies, slices, and Italian favorites, serving families and groups, and known for oversized pizzas, community presence, and casual dine-in and delivery.
?
?
Patsy’s Pizzeria is an authentic Italian pizza franchise offering New York–style pizzas, Italian entrees, salads, and desserts, serving pizza lovers and families, and known for dough tradition, heritage recipes, and premium ingredients.
?
?
.png)
.png)
