TL;DR
Russo's New York Pizzeria & Italian Kitchen is offering a 50% discount on initial franchise fees for developers who commit to opening at least three Texas restaurants by Dec 31, 2026. The brand had 30 U.S. restaurants at the end of 2025 and is targeting experienced multi-unit developers.
Russo's New York Pizzeria & Italian Kitchen is offering a 50% discount on initial franchise fees for developers who commit to opening at least three Texas restaurants by Dec. 31, 2026.
The incentive reduces the fee from $35,000 to $17,500 per restaurant as the Houston-founded brand looks to expand in Dallas-Fort Worth, Austin and additional Houston-area markets, according to a press release
Founded by Chef Anthony Russo in Houston in 1992, the brand had 30 U.S. restaurants at the end of 2025, including 24 franchised locations. Russo's operates a full-service Italian kitchen featuring New York-style pizza, house-made dough and sauces, fresh pasta and other Italian dishes, with dine-in, takeout, delivery and catering options.
The company is targeting experienced multi-unit developers and requires candidates to have at least $250,000 in liquid capital. According to its 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document, the top 50% of U.S. franchised restaurants averaged $1.04 million in net sales in fiscal 2025.
In this story
This story was originally published in Pizza Marketplace on November 2, 2026. Burnaze summarizes and links to the original reporting.
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