

Grimaldi’s Pizzeria is a renowned New York-style pizza franchise, celebrated for its coal-fired brick oven pizzas. Established in 2003 beneath the Brooklyn Bridge in Brooklyn, New York, Grimaldi’s has expanded to over 40 locations across the United States. The company is currently headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona.
In April 2019, Grimaldi’s launched its domestic franchise program, inviting qualified operators to join its growing network.
The franchise offers a menu featuring hand-crafted pizzas, calzones, salads, and house-made desserts, including its legendary cheesecakes. Each location features a coal-fired brick oven, delivering an authentic taste that sets Grimaldi’s apart.
Grimaldi’s differentiates itself through its commitment to tradition and quality. The brand uses a custom water system designed to replicate New York City water, essential for achieving its signature dough taste. The open kitchen concept allows guests to witness the pizza-making process, enhancing the overall dining experience.
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.
Grimaldi’s offers a comprehensive training program to ensure its franchisees and their teams are well-prepared to operate their restaurants. The training provided by the Franchisor includes the following structured components:
Grimaldi’s does not provide its franchisees with exclusive territorial rights under the standard Franchise Agreement. Each franchise is granted for a specific approved location, but the franchisor reserves the right to operate or license others to operate Grimaldi’s Restaurants in other locations, including non-traditional venues such as airports, casinos, and campuses.
Franchisees should also be aware that competition may come from other Grimaldi’s franchisees or company-owned locations in nearby areas.
Under the Development Agreement, franchisees may receive a form of limited exclusivity within a defined Development Territory, but this protection is conditional. The franchisor may revoke this exclusivity if the franchisee defaults on the agreement or fails to meet the development schedule.
Below are some of
GRIMALDI'S
key competitors in the
Pizza
sector.

4
$50,000
$1,390,000
$1,835,000
n.a.
$2,780,000
$xxx,xxx
n.a.
n.a.
n.a.
n.a.

Chanticlear Pizza is a pizza restaurant franchise offering multiple crust styles, specialty pizzas, and related items, serving neighborhood diners in the Twin Cities region, and known for decades of local heritage, thin-crust favorites, delivery convenience, and community-focused operations.
?
?

Bellacino's is a fast-casual restaurant franchise offering pizza, grinders, and related menu items, serving families, workers, and students, and known for dough and bread made from scratch daily, oven-baked sandwiches, and a comfortable neighborhood dining experience.
?
?

Krave It is a fast-casual franchise offering gourmet wraps, bowls and specialty sandwiches in NYC style, serving value- and quality-seeking diners, and known for growth-oriented franchise support and evolving restaurant model.
?
?

Vinny’s Pizza is a pizzeria franchise offering classic New York–style pies, slices, subs and wings, serving families, students and neighborhood patrons, and known for dough-based heritage, strong local loyalty and franchise growth support.
?
?

Red Boy Pizza Franchising Corp. is a pizza franchise offering sourdough-crust pizzas, Italian salads and delivery service, serving local neighborhood customers, and known for family tradition, fresh-made ingredients and long-standing brand heritage.
?
?

Westside Pizza is a pizza franchise offering dine-in, delivery and carry-out pizza, wings and salads, serving families and local communities, and known for modern systems, flexible formats, low startup investment and community-centric brand.
?
?
Choosing a franchise goes beyond reviewing fees and financials — it requires an honest assessment of your goals, skills, and risk tolerance. This article outlines the key questions prospective owners should ask before committing. It helps clarify whether the opportunity aligns with your lifestyle, long-term plans, and operational preferences.
Speaking with current and former franchisees is one of the most reliable ways to understand how a franchise really operates. This guide explains how to conduct validation calls, what questions to ask, and how to identify patterns in feedback. It provides a practical framework for uncovering real performance expectations and support quality.
Not all franchise opportunities offer the same potential. This article breaks down how to evaluate a brand’s industry, financial health, support systems, and competitive positioning. It helps prospective buyers compare options and identify franchises with strong long-term viability.
A clear, well-structured business plan is essential for securing financing and preparing for the realities of franchise ownership. This article explains how to build a plan that covers market analysis, operations, staffing, and local marketing. It also outlines how to create realistic pro forma financials, including revenue projections, startup costs, and break-even analysis. Readers gain a practical framework they can use when applying for loans or planning their first years of operations.