CK Franchising, LLC (ARCHIVE) Cannoli Kitchen Pizza

The question every serious franchise investor asks before writing a check is deceptively simple: does this brand have the authentic differentiation, operational infrastructure, and market timing to justify the capital? In the intensely competitive quick-service restaurant sector, where thousands of concepts compete for the same consumer dollar and the same franchise investor attention, the answer to that question separates exceptional opportunities from expensive mistakes. CK Franchising, LLC (ARCHIVE) Cannoli Kitchen Pizza enters that conversation as a genuinely unusual story — a 27-year-old "mom-and-pop pizzeria" born in Boca Raton, Florida, in 1996, that spent nearly three decades perfecting its recipes, building customer loyalty, and proving its unit economics before ever accepting a franchise check. That deliberate, unhurried origin story is not a liability. It is one of the most compelling signals in this brand's profile. The company's headquarters are located in West Palm Beach, Florida, and the brand operated and refined six South Florida locations before officially transitioning to a franchise model in the fall of 2023. The concept now operates under CK Franchising, LLC, doing business as Cannoli Kitchen Pizza, and has aligned itself with United Franchise Group, a franchise development organization with nearly four decades of franchising experience and a global network of affiliated brands operating under the Big Flavor Brands food division. Austin Titus serves as President, bringing brand-specific operational leadership, while Ray Titus held the CEO role of CK Franchising, LLC from May 2023 through April 2025 in addition to leading other UFG-affiliated brands. Rick Case serves as Vice President of Operations. As of May 2025, Cannoli Kitchen Pizza operates seven locations, all in Florida, with locations eight and nine expected to open shortly — placing the brand squarely in the earliest, highest-risk, and potentially highest-reward phase of franchise network development. For investors who understand how to evaluate emerging franchise systems, this profile demands careful, data-informed analysis.

The pizza and Italian quick-service restaurant market sits at an extraordinary intersection of consumer preference and structural growth dynamics that makes it one of the most durable investment categories in the entire franchise universe. Pizza has transcended its status as a merely popular food and become a fundamental feature of American dining culture, with Italian cuisine ranking consistently as one of the top dining-out preferences among U.S. consumers across virtually every demographic and income segment. Grand View Research projects substantial growth for the global pizza market over the next decade, driven by three compounding forces: expanding urbanization, the proliferation of food service delivery infrastructure, and accelerating consumer demand for convenience foods that do not sacrifice quality. The quick-service restaurant segment of the Italian food category benefits disproportionately from the rise of online ordering platforms, which have structurally increased addressable order volume per location by extending effective delivery radius and capturing incremental demand from consumers who would not have visited a physical location. Within this macroeconomic tailwind, the pizza QSR subsegment presents a nuanced competitive picture: the market is neither purely fragmented nor fully consolidated, but rather bifurcated between dominant national chains competing aggressively on price and a growing tier of premium, differentiation-driven regional concepts competing on quality, authenticity, and ingredient sourcing. Cannoli Kitchen Pizza explicitly positions itself in that second tier, built on authentic New York-style pizza recipes, a scratch kitchen model using fresh ingredients, and a menu extending beyond pizza to include signature Italian pastas, chicken dishes, and authentic homemade desserts including cannolis, tiramisu, and cheesecake. The menu features over 20 specialty pizzas, creating a breadth of SKUs that supports both volume throughput and per-check upsell opportunity. Consumer trends toward menu premiumization — the documented willingness of QSR customers to pay meaningfully more for perceived quality improvements — directly benefit concepts with authentic positioning and consistent product execution. The nationwide expansion plan for CK Franchising, LLC (ARCHIVE) Cannoli Kitchen Pizza is strategically focused on the Southeast United States, a region with demographic growth, high restaurant-per-capita density, and strong consumer familiarity with Italian-American cuisine formats.

The CK Franchising, LLC (ARCHIVE) Cannoli Kitchen Pizza franchise cost structure reflects an accessible entry point relative to the full-service restaurant category while carrying the investment weight appropriate for a scratch-kitchen QSR concept. The franchise fee is $39,500, a one-time payment due upon signing of the franchise agreement that is generally non-refundable. One source within the FDD framework indicates the franchise fee range extends from $29,500 to $39,500 depending on specific circumstances, while a separate disclosure references a $35,000 franchise fee that explicitly covers location selection assistance, lease negotiations, site build-out guidance, initial training, access to approved suppliers, a startup marketing kit, and launch support — meaning the fee is not purely a licensing charge but rather a bundled service delivery. By comparison, the $39,500 franchise fee sits at a competitive level relative to other QSR Italian concepts and well below the franchise fees commanded by established full-service Italian restaurant franchise systems. The total investment required to open a CK Franchising, LLC (ARCHIVE) Cannoli Kitchen Pizza franchise location reflects meaningful variation depending on geography, local construction rates, real estate configuration, and equipment specifications. The FDD Item 7 disclosure indicates an investment range of $402,628 to $536,451, while broader market reporting cites a range of $300,000 to $600,000 to account for the full spectrum of market-specific variables including regional labor costs, landlord tenant improvement contributions, and site-specific equipment needs. A separate investment range of $187,100 to $318,450 has also been cited in specific contexts, potentially reflecting a lighter-format or conversion scenario. Ongoing fees include a royalty of 6.0% of gross revenue and a marketing fee of 2% of gross revenue, bringing the total ongoing fee obligation to 8% of gross sales — a rate consistent with mid-tier QSR franchise systems. Liquid capital requirements are cited at approximately $100,000 to $150,000 in non-borrowed funds, with some sources citing a minimum cash threshold of $45,000. CK Franchising, LLC (ARCHIVE) Cannoli Kitchen Pizza offers financing assistance for a portion of the initial franchise fee and maintains a dedicated team to help franchisees identify financing sources to cover the broader investment. A Veterans Discount is available, reflecting the brand's alignment with UFG's broader commitment to supporting military veteran entrepreneurs. The total cost of ownership, anchored by a sub-$40,000 franchise fee and a sub-$540,000 total investment ceiling under FDD Item 7 disclosures, positions this opportunity as meaningfully more accessible than most full-service Italian restaurant franchises, which routinely require $750,000 to well over $1 million in total investment.

Daily operations at a CK Franchising, LLC (ARCHIVE) Cannoli Kitchen Pizza location follow a quick-service counter-order model with a notably small physical footprint — many locations feature little to no seating, which structurally reduces occupancy costs and simplifies labor scheduling. Takeout accounts for 70% to 80% of orders across existing locations, a revenue mix that aligns the business model with the dominant consumer behavior trend toward off-premise dining that accelerated dramatically after 2020 and has not meaningfully reversed. Locations are strategically positioned in high-traffic areas, which supports a strong lunch daypart business that is critical to unit economics in the pizza QSR segment. The kitchen model is a true scratch kitchen, meaning all menu items are prepared fresh in-house rather than relying on pre-fabricated or par-baked inputs — a quality positioning choice that demands more operator attention but supports the premium price point and builds the repeat-visit customer loyalty the brand has cultivated over 27 years. The brand utilizes Dragon ovens manufactured by Pizza Group USA, stone conveyor ovens capable of cooking a pizza in under four minutes while maintaining the authentic New York-style crispy undercarriage that defines the product quality standard. High-volume locations have the option to add ovens to expand throughput capacity without requiring significant additional space. The initial training program is two weeks in duration and takes place at the franchisor's headquarters, covering both the operational and business management knowledge required to run a successful location. Franchisees benefit from the infrastructure of United Franchise Group and Starpoint Brands, which collectively provide a global network of franchise expertise across nearly four decades of system development. Ongoing support encompasses field operations guidance, marketing program access, supply chain infrastructure, and the full-spectrum "franchise-first" support philosophy that the brand explicitly frames as its operational identity. The brand is actively developing smaller, more efficient store formats, ghost kitchen implementations, and flexible franchising options — format diversification that broadens the investable opportunity set and reduces the minimum capital threshold for entry into the system.

Item 19 financial performance data is not disclosed in the current Franchise Disclosure Document for CK Franchising, LLC (ARCHIVE) Cannoli Kitchen Pizza. The company explicitly states that CK Franchising, Inc. does not make financial performance representations beyond what is contained in the FDD and does not authorize employees or representatives to provide such representations orally or in writing. This non-disclosure is a significant data gap for prospective investors conducting unit economics due diligence, and it is important to contextualize it appropriately. Non-disclosure of Item 19 is not uncommon among early-stage or recently franchised concepts — a brand that transitioned to franchising in the fall of 2023 and had seven locations as of May 2025 has limited franchisee-operated unit financial history to disclose with statistical integrity. The more meaningful signal is the 27-year operating history of the corporate locations in South Florida, which provides a long operational track record even in the absence of franchisee-reported revenue data. For context, the U.S. Italian restaurant industry generated substantial annual revenue in 2022, with the QSR pizza segment representing one of the highest-velocity subsegments within that total. The brand's multi-revenue-stream model — encompassing eat-in, takeout, fast delivery, catering, and events — creates multiple demand channels that can each be optimized independently to drive total unit revenue. The 70% to 80% takeout mix observed across existing Florida locations, combined with high-traffic positioning and a lunch business driven by proximity marketing, suggests a revenue pattern consistent with well-performing QSR pizza concepts in comparable markets. Prospective investors should request access to corporate store financial statements as part of formal due diligence, engage directly with existing franchisees as the system grows, and consult the FDD Item 19 disclosure carefully before making any investment decision. Owner-operator estimated earnings data is referenced in at least one third-party source as available through subscription analytics services for those seeking additional benchmarking.

The growth trajectory of CK Franchising, LLC (ARCHIVE) Cannoli Kitchen Pizza follows a pattern that franchise investors should evaluate with both optimism and disciplined scrutiny. The brand launched its franchise program in the fall of 2023 after operating six company-owned locations for nearly 27 years, a deliberate proof-of-concept period that is substantially longer than the development cycles of most emerging franchise concepts. In June 2024 — less than one year after franchising began — the company announced its first eight franchise developments across a geographically diverse footprint spanning Florida markets including Boca Raton, Coral Springs, Coconut Creek, Fort Lauderdale, and Orlando, as well as locations in Alabama, Michigan, and Georgia. That six-state development footprint in the first round of franchise signings signals early franchisee confidence in the concept and suggests the brand's expansion is not confined to its South Florida home market. The brand set an ambitious target of securing 30 new franchise deals and opening five new locations by the close of 2024. As of May 2025, the system has grown to seven operating locations with numbers eight and nine expected shortly, indicating that the development pipeline is converting to open units, which is the most operationally meaningful benchmark for an emerging system. The competitive moat that CK Franchising, LLC (ARCHIVE) Cannoli Kitchen Pizza is building rests on four structural pillars: a 27-year authentic recipe and brand reputation developed across six locations, proprietary operational systems including the Dragon stone conveyor oven technology that delivers consistent product quality at QSR throughput speeds, the network infrastructure and franchise development expertise of United Franchise Group with its nearly four decades of experience, and a ghost kitchen and flexible format strategy that allows the brand to enter markets at lower capital thresholds than traditional dine-in competitors. International expansion is also being actively explored as a strategic growth vector, which would position the brand to leverage UFG's global affiliate network to accelerate entry into markets with strong demand for American Italian QSR concepts. The brand's expansion is primarily targeting the Southeast United States, a region experiencing population growth, favorable commercial real estate dynamics, and a restaurant consumer base with deep familiarity with the Italian-American cuisine format.

The ideal candidate for a CK Franchising, LLC (ARCHIVE) Cannoli Kitchen Pizza franchise opportunity is an individual or investment group with strong leadership capability, demonstrated management experience, and genuine passion for the brand's authentic Italian food mission. The company explicitly identifies leadership ability and brand passion as the two most important candidate characteristics, suggesting that operational engagement and community presence — not passive investment — are the expected franchisee behaviors. The owner-operator model is the primary franchisee profile, although multi-unit ownership is presented as an opportunity within the system, which is consistent with the broader QSR franchise industry trend toward multi-unit development as a strategy for maximizing the value of training investment and territorial scale. Liquid capital requirements of $100,000 to $150,000 in non-borrowed funds set a realistic accessibility threshold that is achievable for a broad range of qualified entrepreneurs, including career-transition candidates and first-time franchise investors. The brand's geographic expansion focus on the Southeast United States means that available territories in high-growth markets — including Florida metro areas, Georgia, Alabama, and adjacent states — remain accessible in this early phase of network development. The timeline from franchise agreement signing to opening a location depends on site selection, lease negotiation, and build-out timelines, all of which are supported by the franchisor's comprehensive pre-opening assistance. Prospective franchisees with backgrounds in restaurant operations, retail management, or customer-service-intensive businesses will find that the two-week headquarters-based training program is designed to onboard capable operators efficiently, though prior food service experience is likely to accelerate the ramp-up period.

For investors conducting serious due diligence on the QSR Italian cuisine franchise category, CK Franchising, LLC (ARCHIVE) Cannoli Kitchen Pizza presents an investment thesis grounded in three convergent factors: a 27-year proven operating concept with authentic culinary identity, an early-stage franchise network with development momentum across six states within 12 months of launch, and the structural support of United Franchise Group's nearly four-decade franchise infrastructure. The franchise fee of $39,500, total investment range anchored by FDD Item 7 figures of $402,628 to $536,451, ongoing fees of 8% of gross revenue combined, and liquid capital requirements of $100,000 to $150,000 represent an investment profile that is meaningfully accessible relative to comparable full-service Italian restaurant franchise opportunities while capturing the quality positioning and authentic brand differentiation that drives premium pricing power in today's restaurant market. The absence of Item 19 financial performance disclosure is a meaningful gap that investors should address through direct franchisee conversations and corporate store financial review during the formal discovery process. The brand's ghost kitchen and flexible format development pipeline, its Veterans Discount program, and its SBA-compatible financing infrastructure all contribute to an opportunity profile that merits rigorous, structured evaluation. PeerSense provides exclusive due diligence data including SBA lending history, FPI score, location maps with Google ratings, FDD financial data, and side-by-side comparison tools that allow investors to benchmark CK Franchising, LLC (ARCHIVE) Cannoli Kitchen Pizza against competing franchise opportunities across every relevant financial and operational dimension. Explore the complete CK Franchising, LLC (ARCHIVE) Cannoli Kitchen Pizza franchise profile on PeerSense to access the full suite of independent franchise intelligence data.