Cost to Start a Bertucci's Brick Oven Pizzeria Franchise in 2026

Per the current FDD filed under the FTC Franchise Rule (16 CFR Part 436), total estimated initial investment for a Bertucci's Brick Oven Pizzeria franchise runs $1,500,000–$3,500,000. The brick oven and its infrastructure are a unique capital cost driver not present in non-oven Italian dining concepts:

• Franchise fee: $40,000
• Leasehold improvements and build-out: $600,000–$1,800,000
• Brick oven installation and ventilation: $80,000–$250,000
• Kitchen equipment (pasta, prep, line): $100,000–$300,000
• Furniture, fixtures, and décor: $150,000–$450,000
• Bar equipment and glassware: $40,000–$120,000
• Signage: $15,000–$60,000
• POS and technology: $20,000–$60,000
• Initial inventory (food, wine, beer, spirits): $25,000–$80,000
• Training and travel: $15,000–$50,000
• Grand opening marketing: $15,000–$50,000
• Working capital (3 months): $60,000–$200,000
• Professional fees, permits, liquor license, insurance: $40,000–$120,000
• Miscellaneous pre-opening: $15,000–$50,000

Bertucci's is listed on the SBA Franchise Directory, qualifying franchisees for expedited SBA loan processing. The $1.5M–$3.5M investment range benefits from a combination of SBA and conventional financing. Financing paths:

• SBA 7(a) loan: Covers franchise fee, leasehold improvements, brick oven installation, kitchen equipment, and working capital. The SBA 7(a) program cap of $5M covers the full $1.5M–$3.5M investment range.
• SBA 504 loan: For franchisees acquiring real estate for a freestanding Bertucci's location — covers up to 40% of real estate acquisition cost at a fixed long-term rate.
• Equipment financing: The brick oven, commercial pasta equipment, and kitchen line equipment can be financed separately over 5–7 years — isolating a significant capital cost from the main SBA loan.
• Working capital line of credit: Supports the first 90 days of operations, wine and spirits inventory build, and pre-opening cost management.
• Conventional commercial loan: Experienced Italian casual dining operators with strong balance sheets may supplement SBA financing with conventional bank products.

Bertucci's suits experienced full-service Italian dining operators or multi-unit casual dining franchisees comfortable managing a full bar program, a brick oven kitchen, and a high-labor full-service model. Prior experience with Italian cuisine preparation and wine/bar management is a meaningful advantage. Typical financial benchmarks are a minimum net worth of $1.2M and liquid capital of $400K+ for single-unit applicants.

Bertucci's is listed on the SBA Franchise Directory, enabling SBA-approved lenders to process applications without an independent franchisor review step. At $1.5M–$3.5M, the range straddles SBA 7(a) standard and conventional/SBA 504 combinations. Here is what lenders evaluate:

• DSCR 1.25×+: SBA SOP 50 10 8 sets a minimum global DSCR of 1.15×; full-service Italian casual dining lenders require 1.25×+ on a stabilized pro forma. The 7% combined fee load (5% royalty + 2% ad) is applied on top of a 35–45% labor cost assumption — lenders stress the model at below-AUV revenue to confirm DSCR holds after both the fee load and the full-service labor structure.
• Equity injection 20–25%: At $1.5M–$3.5M total project cost, equity injection requirements run $300,000–$875,000 in non-borrowed owner capital per SBA SOP 50 10 8. The brick oven infrastructure and leasehold build-out drive the higher end of the investment range — lenders verify equity sufficiency through 90-day bank statements and source-of-funds documentation at closing.
• Brick oven as specialized collateral: The brick oven installation and custom ventilation ($80K–$250K) is an attached improvement — it does not transfer with the business if the location closes, reducing its collateral value to near zero. Lenders treat the oven installation as a leasehold improvement for collateral purposes, not as equipment. This affects the overall collateral coverage ratio; a strong DSCR is the primary underwriting lever at this investment level.
• Liquor license as disbursement condition: Bertucci's full bar program requires a liquor license, which takes 60–120 days to process in most states. SBA lenders include a liquor license disbursement condition for bar-revenue-dependent restaurant concepts — funds earmarked for bar build-out are held until the license is issued. Build this into your pre-opening timeline and confirm the license timeline in your target market before signing the lease.
• Full-service Italian dining experience: Lenders for full-service Italian casual dining at $1.5M–$3.5M favor borrowers with verifiable full-service restaurant management experience — ideally at a comparable Italian or casual dining brand. Prior multi-unit QSR experience is a secondary qualifier. First-time operators without a restaurant track record face a meaningfully higher underwriting bar on DSCR credibility.