---
title: "Russo’s New York Pizzeria & Italian Scratch Kitchen Signs a Multi-Unit Franchise Agreement in Fresno California"
url: https://burnaze.com/article/1fadba2f-fe3f-42c6-b82d-ca82ced3af50
source: "Franchising.com"
original_url: https://www.franchising.com/news/20210511_russos_new_york_pizzeria__italian_scratch_kitchen_signs_a_multiunit_franchi.html
category: "Restaurants"
industry: "Restaurants"
topics: ["Development & multi-unit"]
published: 2021-05-11T12:00:00.000Z
modified: 2026-11-01T02:27:54.020Z
image: https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1568901346375-23c9450c58cd?w=1600&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop
---

# Russo’s New York Pizzeria & Italian Scratch Kitchen Signs a Multi-Unit Franchise Agreement in Fresno California

**TL;DR:** Russo's New York Pizzeria & Italian Scratch Kitchen has signed a multi-unit franchise agreement with husband-and-wife team Katharina and Don Haines to open five restaurants in Fresno, California. The Haines will own and operate the restaurants, bringing authentic Italian food to the area.

*originally published in Franchising.com on 2021-05-11. [Read the original](https://www.franchising.com/news/20210511_russos_new_york_pizzeria__italian_scratch_kitchen_signs_a_multiunit_franchi.html).*

## Story

The five restaurants will be owned and operated by husband-and-wife team Katharina and Don Haines. Don comes from an Italian family and Katharina spent most of her life in Europe, so it was important for them to invest in a brand with authentic Italian food. While living in Texas, the couple tried Russo’s and found that perfect slice of pizza.

“After trying Russo’s Pizza while living in Houston, it reminded me of the Italian pizza I would eat while growing up in New Jersey, something that is hard to find on the West Coast,” said Don. “You can’t find good authentic Italian pizza for delivery or take-out in Fresno and I’m confident by offering quality Italian food, Russo’s will soon become the go-to Italian restaurant in our area.”

The Haines recently moved back to California and saw a growing demand for authentic Italian cuisine in Fresno. Katharina spent many years working in event management and marketing, while Don spent more than 30 years in the powerplant business gathering over 25 years of management experience. Between both of their backgrounds in business, they say they’re excited about introducing a high quality fast-casual franchise brand like Russo’s in the state of California.

Russo’s is known for its New York-style pizza and authentic Italian family recipes. Their scratch Italian kitchen with 650-degree pizza ovens allows franchisees to make unique pizzas that use original recipes, fresh ingredients, and cost-effect measures to provide pizza flavors, unlike anything tasted before. Some fan favorites include Truffle Mushroom, Prosciutto & Burrata, and Prosciutto & Fig pizzas. Other menu items include Truffle Tortellini, Caprese Pasta, Chicken Piccata, Pappardelle Carbonara; as well as gourmet soups, salads, and desserts.

“I’m so excited to expand our brand into California and have more guests try the recipes that I grew up using with my family,” said Chef Anthony Russo, Founder and CEO of Russo’s. “The Haines’ are extremely passionate about authentic food and good service which will represent Russo’s well as we enter this new state.”

## Entities

- Franchising.com (publication)
- Restaurants (sector)
- franchise agreement (topic)
- multi-unit expansion (topic)
- Russo's New York Pizzeria & Italian Kitchen (company)
- italian cuisine (topic)
- Fresno, California (location)

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Originally reported by Franchising.com (https://www.franchising.com/news/20210511_russos_new_york_pizzeria__italian_scratch_kitchen_signs_a_multiunit_franchi.html). Summarized by Burnaze (https://burnaze.com/article/1fadba2f-fe3f-42c6-b82d-ca82ced3af50).