Sauce on the Side Franchise: A Unique Fast-Casual Opportunity

Sauce on the Side was founded with a mission to deliver fresh, high-quality food and exceptional service. With a menu centered around calzones made from scratch daily, Sauce on the Side has set itself apart in the fast-casual dining segment.

Sauce on the Side first opened in 2012 in the heart of downtown St. Louis, started by founders Ryan Mangialardo, Brendon Maciariello and Dan Porzel. And how did they come up with the whole calzone concept?

“It’s because of Seinfeld,” Porzel told RFT. “My business partner Ryan [Mangialardo] was watching the calzone episode where George gets the calzones for Steinbrenner, and he called our other partner Brendon [Maciariello] and said, ‘Hey man, we should do calzones.’”

After opening 10 restaurant locations in their first decade of operation, the brand has launched a franchise opportunity and anticipates continued growth throughout the Midwest.

Sauce on the Side operates on a fast-casual business model with a twist. While guests order at the counter, they enjoy a full-service experience with food delivered to their table, refills provided and leftovers boxed up by the staff.

The franchise is designed to thrive in various conditions, offering multiple dining options including in-house dining, takeout, curbside pickup and delivery (both in-house and third-party). This flexibility has positioned Sauce on the Side to succeed even in challenging market conditions, with a significant portion of revenue coming from off-premise channels.

Sauce on the Side reported an average unit volume of $1,180,099 in 2022, with top-performing units reaching an average unit volume of $1,613,302. The average EBITDA for affiliate-owned locations was 13.8% in 2022, highlighting the brand’s strong financial performance.

The specific costs associated with opening a Sauce on the Side range from $414,000 to $704,500.

The franchise fee required for Sauce on the Side is $35,000. Owners also need to spend 5% of gross revenue on a Royalty Fee and 1% of gross revenue on an Advertising Fee.

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