Brand spreads throughout New Jersey and New York with more restaurants on the way.
It was a passion project for Vincenzo Pugliese, who, after years of following his father’s restaurant business, learned the methods, techniques and business know-how to one day run a company of his own. And from the very beginning, Pugliese had one goal in mind with his restaurant—to make it casual, friendly and a place where locals could come for family recipes and fresh ingredients.
As he tweaked and finalized the perfect recipes coming out of his kitchen, Pugliese started gearing up for the launch of his very own restaurant—. Today, it’s clear that dedication to detail has paid off. The brand has spread throughout New Jersey and New York. And there are even more restaurants on the way.
Founded in 1994, La Rosa Chicken & Grill offers a well-balanced menu with complete meal options at lunch and at dinner. The franchise sells heartier chicken tenders, wings and fries, but it also sells rotisseries, steamed vegetables and salads. Its commitment to quality ensures that every meal La Rosa serves is both nutritious and delicious, providing consumers with the ability to enjoy homemade styled food for an affordable price.
That commitment to quality has helped La Rosa Chicken & Grill build a strong presence throughout New Jersey and New York. After structuring a commissary to ensure consistency and ensuring that his business model was a strong as possible, Pugliese opened his business up to franchising to meet the growing demand.
To date, three franchisees have already signed on to help grow La Rosa Chicken & Grill. And now, Pugliese is aiming to build upon the existing brand awareness by targeting the rest of the East Coast for continued growth.
Offering an expansive menu, La Rosa Chicken & Grill sounds complex, but the company says no cooking is done on sight; just food preparation and serving the final product. The company has commissaries that prepares, cooks and delivers to franchisees several times a week. The franchisees’ staff prepares the meal and serves it, meaning a limited kitchen need from an operational point of view.
From his operational experience at its seven corporate restaurants and now four franchisee locations, La Rosa Chicken & Grill feels like it is positioned strongly for franchise growth because of its combination of attractive factors. It has seen positive performance and growth in its corporate locations by offering an expansive menu servicing multiple types of customers at multiple times of the day with a high repeat rate. Because franchisees are only required to prepare food, not cook it, restaurant experience requirements are more limited.
“From the very beginning, the goal was to find a concept that I knew I could grow with. So as I launched my business, it was important to keep the model and operations as simple as possible. But it was even more important to make sure that the real foundation of La Rosa—our food and service—remained as strong as ever. And that’s something I work to protect every single day,” Pugliese said.
“We are really starting to flourish here in the Northeast and have our commissaries in place to deliver to franchisees. This concept doesn’t require a lot of restaurant heavy experience and its great value from an investment and customer service standpoint” Pugliese said.
According to Pugliese, La Rosa Chicken & Grill generally thrives in areas with affluent communities. Areas with urban populations are also an important target.
“Our target are people who are very in-tune with the food they’re putting in their bodies. They’re health-conscious. They’re also raising families, and often need quick, on-the-go meal options without having to sacrifice quality. That’s the niche that we’re hoping to fill with La Rosa Chicken& Grill,” Pugliese said. Can we add “or if you are in the mood to splurge” however you would like to construct that sentence.
But even more than the area and demographics, sustainable growth for Pugliese also means working with the right franchisees. And that, he says, is the key driving force behind La Rosa Chicken & Grill in the years to come.
Start-up costs to open a La Rosa Chicken & Grill vary from market to market based primarily on the cost of real estate. The overall investment ranges from $273,800 to $456,500. This range includes a one-time franchise fee of $35,000. As with most franchises, La Rosa Chicken & Grill collects a 6% royalty on gross sales to cover ongoing training and support, and for continuing use of the franchise license, marks, etc. More information can be found in the Item 7 of its Franchise Disclosure Document.
“Every single day I’m fueled by the fact that I’m impacting people’s lives. Our franchisees need to have that same passion and that same desire. It’s a philosophy that can be felt and seen throughout the whole restaurant,” Pugliese said. “I truly believe that the future is bright for La Rosa Chicken & Grill, and I’m excited to invite others to be a part of this ongoing vision.”
