Godfather's Pizza
The total investment to open a Godfather's Pizza franchise ranges from $155,525 to $1.3M. The initial franchise fee is $25,000. Ongoing royalties are 3.25% plus a 2% advertising fee.
What is the Godfather's Pizza franchise?
Godfathers Pizza is a full service restaurant brand headquartered in Bancroft, IA. Its core offering is pizza, supported by dine in service and a setting intended for customers seeking a traditional meal and a place to gather. The current system includes 31 units. That footprint reflects an established operating model with a more concentrated presence than a large, widely dispersed franchise system. PeerSense assigns the brand a Loan Activity Score of 33. The score provides one reference point for comparing Godfathers Pizza with other franchise opportunities, although the score’s methodology is not described here.
Godfathers Pizza operates in the full service restaurant industry, with pizza as its central product. Pizza appeals to families, individuals and groups for occasions ranging from weeknight meals to celebrations. A full service location requires both front of house service and back of house food preparation. The restaurant must manage a dining area, seating, order taking and table service while maintaining an inviting environment that encourages repeat visits. Kitchen execution includes ingredient quality, dough consistency, sauce preparation and oven management. The concept also requires coordinated employees, organized kitchen workflows and inventory controls that help preserve freshness and limit waste. Convenient, satisfying and customizable meals support continued demand for this type of restaurant. Godfathers Pizza competes through the combination of pizza and a complete dine in experience in a crowded food service market.
Starting a Godfathers Pizza franchise requires an initial franchise fee of $53,250. That fee provides the right to operate under the Godfathers Pizza name and use its trademarks, operational systems and brand identity. It typically includes initial training and access to franchisor materials such as recipes, operating manuals and marketing materials. The total investment ranges from $55,000 to $567,220. The lower end may fit a conversion of existing real estate, a smaller location in a high traffic area or another nontraditional site with limited construction needs. The upper end may apply to a larger location, ground up construction or extensive renovation of commercial real estate, including a full kitchen, higher grade finishes and expanded seating. This range gives prospective franchisees different ways to match the concept to available capital, risk tolerance and local market conditions. Investment expenses can include leasehold improvements, pizza ovens, dough mixers, refrigeration, opening inventory, signage, licenses, permits, grand opening marketing and working capital for the early operating period.
The Godfathers Pizza operating model combines kitchen production with customer service. Daily work includes preparing dough, selecting and applying ingredients and baking pizzas in specialized ovens. Kitchen employees must follow food safety procedures, maintain inventory and keep equipment operating properly so the restaurant can serve consistent menu items. The front of house team manages seating, takes orders and serves guests in a comfortable dining environment. Franchise ownership therefore requires attention to both food quality and the customer experience. A franchise system generally uses standardized procedures to support consistency among locations, including expectations for food preparation and customer interactions. Godfathers Pizza is headquartered in Bancroft, IA, which serves as the administrative center for the brand’s network. Franchisees remain responsible for overseeing employees, kitchen performance, service standards and the overall guest experience. The available summary does not describe specific training programs, continuing support arrangements or proprietary operating tools.
Franchisors are not legally required to provide those representations. Buyers should therefore conduct independent due diligence and speak directly with current franchisees. Those conversations may provide practical insight into sales volumes, expenses, operating conditions and possible financial outcomes when franchisees are willing to share that information. They can also help a buyer assess local demand, operating efficiency and the differences between markets. The required capital commitment remains broad, with a total investment of $55,000 to $567,220 and an initial franchise fee of $53,250. The Loan Activity Score of 33 offers another reference point for reviewing the opportunity, but it should be considered alongside franchisee validation and other independent research.
Godfathers Pizza has 31 units, indicating an established but concentrated presence in the full service restaurant sector. The available unit count does not show year over year growth, so it serves as a current view of the system rather than a measure of expansion over time. A smaller network may appeal to buyers who prefer a closer owner community or the possibility of more accessible franchisor contact. The brand’s main market distinction comes from combining pizza with dine in service. That format can appeal to customers who value the food as well as the social experience of eating out, in contrast with fast casual and delivery only concepts. The Godfathers Pizza name provides existing recognition compared with starting an independent restaurant. Standard recipes and preparation methods would generally help support consistent products across locations. The investment range also allows the concept to fit different real estate opportunities, from smaller operating formats to larger dining locations. That flexibility may help the brand address varied customer groups and local market conditions.
A prospective Godfathers Pizza franchisee should understand local demand and be prepared to manage the daily requirements of a full service restaurant. The available information does not provide a specific ideal franchisee profile or detailed territory rules, including protected elementary school counts or required demographic measures. In general, the business calls for business judgment, attention to customer service and an interest in participating in the local community. Owners may need to lead employees, control inventory, monitor food quality, maintain kitchen efficiency and interact with customers. Site selection requires review of demographics, traffic patterns, nearby competition, visibility and the operating needs of the concept. A suitable location is a central part of the opening process. Buyers should also assess their own willingness to take an active role in food service operations and follow established franchise procedures. Long term performance depends on managing both the operational work and the guest experience, including the welcoming environment that can encourage repeat visits.
Godfathers Pizza offers a full service pizza concept with an initial franchise fee of $53,250 and a total investment range of $55,000 to $567,220. The range can accommodate different site formats and levels of construction, while the current network of 31 units reflects a focused brand presence. Pizza remains a broadly used meal option, and the dine in model adds service and a gathering place to the product. PeerSense reports a Loan Activity Score of 33 as an additional comparison point. Buyers evaluating the opportunity should weigh that score, the investment requirements, site conditions, operating responsibilities and information obtained from current franchisees before deciding whether the brand fits their goals.
Loan Activity Score
33/100
SBA Default Rate
15.9%
Active Lenders
51
Franchisees account for 592 of Godfather's Pizza's 606 locations. Public SBA loan records show 51 lenders made 63 loans to franchisees of Godfather's Pizza. PeerSense calculates Godfather's Pizza's score as 33 out of 100, using public SBA loan performance and recent lending activity. Cost figures are based on the 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document.
606 locations
$155,525 to $1.3M
$25,000
606
592 franchised
Proprietary PeerSense metric
LimitedDistinct lenders in public SBA records for Godfather's Pizza
63
Total SBA loans
$287K
Average loan size
Source: public SBA 7(a) and 504 loan records through December 31, 2025
Referral fee at closing
SBA Lending Activity for Godfather's Pizza
Loan Activity Score Breakdown
Established (25 to 99 loans)
Are lenders increasingly or decreasingly funding this brand? Growing trends score highest.
Blended default rate (recent + all time) compared to NAICS sector peers.
Quality lenders actively backing this brand, with penalty for lender pullback.
FDD availability, Item 19 disclosure, and overall data completeness.
Geographic spread of SBA funded locations across states.
SBA Lending Performance
SBA Default Rate
15.9%
vs 10.3% peer avg
SBA Loans
63
Total Volume
$18.1M
Active Lenders
51
4 selective
States
19
vs. SBA Sector Average
SBA loan default rate vs. all franchises in the same NAICS sector, not limited to direct competitors
Key Highlights
Franchise Financing Resources
Data Insights
Key performance metrics for Godfather's Pizza based on SBA lending data
SBA Default Rate
15.9%
5.6% above peer avg
SBA Loan Volume
63 loans
Across 51 lenders
Lender Diversity
51 lenders
Avg 1.2 loans per lender
Investment Tier
Significant investment
$155,525 to $1,344,340 total
Godfather's Pizza: Deep SBA Data
Brand specific metrics derived directly from SBA 7(a) approval records: peak lending year, leading state, average loan size, and lender concentration. PeerSense computes these per brand so capital advisors and prospective franchisees can benchmark this opportunity against the rest of the franchise universe.
Peak SBA Year
2009
7 approvals. The best year on record for Godfather's Pizza.
Top SBA State
Iowa
9 SBA financed Godfather's Pizza locations, the densest operator footprint.
Average Loan Size
$287K
Median $180K. Use as a sizing anchor when modeling your own Godfather's Pizza unit.
Lender Concentration
17.5%
Highly Diversified
Share of Godfather's Pizza approvals captured by the top 3 SBA lenders.
Godfather's Pizza's SBA lending pipeline peaked in 2009 (7 approvals). The last five fiscal years account for 3% of cumulative volume ($500K approved). Operator density is highest in Iowa with 9 SBA financed locations. Average funded ticket sits at $287K, with the median at $180K. Lender mix is highly diversified: the top three SBA lenders account for 17.5% of approvals. Borrowers have leverage to shop multiple credit boxes.
Payment Estimator
Estimated Monthly Payment
$1,610
Principal & Interest only
Indicative only, as of October 1, 2026. Not a quote, commitment or offer of credit. Final pricing, leverage and terms are determined by the lender at underwriting, after full transaction materials are reviewed. PeerSense sources the file. The lender sets pricing. What these terms mean.
Locations
Godfather's Pizza, unit breakdown
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Page Review
Reviewed by Edward L. Freeman, Founder and Managing Director, PeerSense
- PeerSense is a capital advisory firm that places commercial financing with direct capital sources; it does not lend, fund, or approve loans, and the capital source sets final terms.
- Edward L. Freeman founded PeerSense in January 2020.
- He is a Registered Franchise Consultant with Business Alliance, Inc., a credential issued in March 2022, and worked as a franchise consultant there from March 2022 to May 2023.
- His recorded experience includes a $22 million SBA construction loan, with about $16 million funded on the deal.
- In the 12 months through September 30, 2026, PeerSense tracked 912 publicly announced financings with a disclosed size of $361.32 billion. PeerSense Capital Data Report · Methodology page
Last reviewed LinkedIn profileAbout Edward Freeman