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DONATOS PIZZA

DONATOS PIZZA

Donatos Pizza franchises operate brick-and-mortar restaurants featuring fresh, high-quality pizzas, sandwiches, and other foods in a distinctive setting, offering dine-in, carry-out, pick-up window, curbside delivery, and delivery services. The business model grants franchises to develop and operate these restaurants under strict operating standards, targeting the general public in competitive pizza markets with a focus on multi-unit development territories. They serve customers year-round, competing with other pizza chains and restaurants.

125locations
Since 2005
Food & BeverageColumbus, OHDestiny Investment Holdings, LLCwww.donatos.comDisclaimer

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Franchise Costs

Franchise Fee
$30,000
Initial Investment
N/A
Royalty Rate
4.00%
Brand Fund
1.00%
Fixed Monthly Fees
$185 – $185

4% royalty + 1% (up to 4%) national marketing fund + $185/mo proprietary computer software maintenance and support

Financial Performance


Item 19 Financial Performance

Average Gross Revenue
$1,044,273
Median Gross Revenue
$957,664
EBITDA Margin
8%
Top Quartile Revenue
$2,476,922
Bottom Quartile Revenue
$498,346
Average Gross Profit
$714,630.82
Average EBITDA
$88,424.52

Data Based On: 110 Franchisee-Owned Covered Restaurants operating during the 2024 fiscal year were used for Net Sales data (Table 3, Page 4). A sample of 111 Franchisee-Owned Covered Restaurants from different sales tiers was used for EBITDA and cost percentages (Section II, Page 5).

* Average gross revenue, median gross revenue, revenue top quartile (High), and revenue bottom quartile (Low) are directly from 'Table 3: Net Sales of Franchisee Covered Restaurants' for 2024 Net Sales (Page 4). EBITDA percentages, Cost of Goods Sold percentages, Labor Costs percentages, and Controllable Costs percentages for different sales tiers were extracted from the 'Sales Ranges' table and its accompanying notes (Page 5). The unit counts for the EBITDA calculation tiers are: 29 units ($10,001 - $15,000), 40 units ($15,001 - $20,000), 24 units ($20,001 - $25,000), and 18 units ($25,000+), totaling 111 units. The average EBITDA margin percentage (0.08467567567567567) was calculated as a weighted average of the EBITDA percentages for each tier (-0.5%, 7.9%, 14.3%, 16.4%) based on their respective unit counts. Average EBITDA ($88,424.52) was calculated by multiplying the average gross revenue ($1,044,273) by the weighted average EBITDA margin percentage. The average Cost of Goods Sold percentage (0.3156666666666667) was calculated as a weighted average of the COGS percentages for each tier (32.5%, 31.5%, 30.9%, 31.1%) based on their respective unit counts. Average gross profit ($714,630.82) was calculated as average gross revenue ($1,044,273) * (1 - average_cogs_pct). Best guess profit low ($-5,221.365) and high ($171,260.772) were estimated by multiplying the average gross revenue ($1,044,273) by the lowest tier EBITDA percentage (-0.5%) and the highest tier EBITDA percentage (16.4%), respectively, to represent a range of potential EBITDA outcomes.

Extracted Item 19 Section

Avg. Revenue: $1,044,273

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DONATOS PIZZA Franchise Analysis

In the cutthroat pizza wars, Donatos Pizza stands out with its edge-to-edge toppings and Columbus roots, carving a niche in fast-casual dining since franchising began in 2005. Item 19 finally pulls back the curtain on revenue performance, while a stack of 23 SBA loans hints at real-world financing paths for operators. But with locations dipping slightly from 127 to 124 last year, is this a temporary hiccup or a red flag for expansion dreams?

Item 7 lays out the entry costs with a $30,000 franchise fee, plus ongoing 4% royalties, 1% brand fund (potentially up to 4%), and $185 monthly software fees—keeping overhead lean compared to bigger pizza rivals. Item 19 shines brightest: average gross revenue hits $1,044,273, median $957,664, but EBITDA margin sits at 0% with estimated profits swinging wildly from -$5,221 to $171,261 across units. This variance screams location matters; top performers thrive in high-traffic spots, yet the flat margins suggest tight squeezes from competition and rising food costs eating into the famously loaded pies.

System maturity shows in 51 corporate stores anchoring 125 franchises, but that -2% contraction flags caution—coupled with just 10 projected new units, growth feels cautious amid pizza saturation. SBA data bolsters credibility with 23 loans averaging $441,548, proving banks back multi-unit developers in competitive markets. For buyers eyeing Donatos, probe Item 20 for transfer/termination trends and validate those profit highs through current franchisee validation; the model's dine-in to delivery flexibility could pay off, but only if you nail the territory.

Analysis based on the 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document. All figures should be independently verified before making investment decisions.

How DONATOS PIZZA Compares

FranchiseInvestmentFeeRoyaltyLocations
DONATOS PIZZA
Current
N/A$30K4.0%125
Tropical Smoothie Cafe$276K – $771K$35K6.0%1,650
TROPICAL SMOOTHIE CAFÉ$300K – $721K$35K6.0%1,371
FIREHOUSE SUBS RESTAURANTS (UNIT)$405K – $1.6M$20K6.0%1,249
Zaxby's$1.4M – $3.8M$35K6.0%826
Qdoba$548K – $1.3M$40K5.0%652
Fast Casual Average
107 franchises
$529K – $1.2M$39K5.6%

* Comparison based on latest FDD filings. Investment ranges from Item 7, fees from Item 5. Showing top 5 of 107 Fast Casual franchises by location count.

Locations & Growth


Outlet Growth Over Time

Total outlets at end of each year

Geographic Distribution (2024)

Outlets by state across the United States

Top States
1OH
62
2IN
21
3KY
17
4SC
4
5GA
4
6TN
3
7AL
3
8FL
3
9TX
2
10PA
2
11VA
2
12OK
1
13WV
0

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SBA Loan History


Historical SBA 7(a) loan data for DONATOS PIZZA franchisees (20132023)

Total Loans
23
Average Loan
$441,548
Total Volume
$10.2M
Default Rate
0.0%

Loans by Year

SBA 7(a) loan activity over time

* Data sourced from SBA 7(a) FOIA loan records. Default rate calculated from charged-off loans.

23 SBA loans on record

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Franchisee Contacts

132 franchisee contacts on file from official FDD filings.

132 Contacts Available

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Due Diligence


Litigation (Item 3)

Franchisee Cases0
No litigation involving franchisees reported

Bankruptcy (Item 4)

Bankruptcy HistoryNo
No bankruptcy history reported

System Health (Item 20)

Franchise system changes reported in the most recent fiscal year

Terminations
0
Non-Renewals
0
Reacquired
0
Ceased Ops
6
Transfers
0
Sold to Franchisees
0
Projected New
10

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Frequently Asked Questions

DONATOS PIZZA does disclose financial performance data (Item 19) in their 2025 FDD, including average and median gross revenue figures. Get full access to see the exact revenue numbers and detailed financial breakdown.