Q&A: Does NKD Pizza Franchise in the UK?

Pizza lovers with a strong desire to start running their own QSR franchise will be hard-pushed to find a better option than NKD Pizza, a unique and colourful US-founded brand currently expanding into the UK. Read on, and discover everything you need to know about the possibility of starting your own NKD Pizza franchise.

If you’re more than ready to enjoy a slice of the action with a pizza franchise, it’s hard to beat NKD Pizza: healthy pizza purveyor and originator of the unique NKD Pizza ancestral grain dough. As an NKD franchisee, you could help bring the magic of the brand’s hometown (New Orleans) all the way to the UK while simultaneously entering a sector set to grow a whopping 6.4% this year [IBISWorld]. Win-win. 

Does NKD Pizza franchise in the UK?

If you’d love to make a career change with a pizza franchise like NKD Pizza, selling delicious ‘za to hungry customers and building the brand’s British customer base, you’ll be delighted to discover that, yes, NKD Pizza does franchise in the UK.

We are looking to partner with dynamic franchisees to open the NKD Pizza brand in additional territories, from Master franchisees and area developers to single-store operators. There is a high demand for territories in the UK, make sure you grab a slice before your preferred territory is locked in by someone else.
- NKD Pizza

The history of NKD Pizza

Since it was founded in 2006, NKD is proud to have never put profit over pizza. For this growing global brand, it’s all about the taste. About locally sourced, deliciously fresh ingredients. About dishes that aren’t mass-produced and overprocessed. Hence the brand name, NKD Pizza. The first iteration of NKD sprung to life in New Orleans, where “our founders developed a fire in their bellies to create a vivid range of pizzas”, inspired by “ancestral dough recipes and the power of simple, fresh and local ingredients to ignite your taste buds” [NKD Pizza].

NKD’s handcrafted pizzas are now beloved by customers across the world, right down to the dough, and the company boasts “a committed international pipeline of over 750 stores” [NKD Pizza]. Plus, the brand is making an increased investment in technology, turning its offering into a smart franchise that sets franchisees up with an intuitive platform to maintain their digital presence (letting them focus on the intricacies of starting and running a pizza restaurant) and catering to digital-first customers with a modern, mobile-friendly website and a dedicated NKD Pizza app.

An online presence is essential for opening a new franchise, growing online, and keeping customers engaged. You get all the benefits of the NKD Pizza brand, including awareness and photography. We also offer local photoshoots to highlight what makes your local franchise and neighbourhood special. These photos are the foundation for your franchise’s online presence.
- NKD Pizza

Start a franchise in the QSR sector with an NKD Pizza restaurant

If everything you’ve learned thus far about this brand has left you increasingly keen to start an NKD Pizza business of your own, keep reading. The three questions answered below will equip you with all the knowledge you need in order to make a fully informed franchise investment with NKD Pizza, enjoying all the advantages of running a pizza franchise in 2022...

1. How do you go about starting an NKD Pizza delivery and dine-in franchise?

You can find out more about starting an NKD franchise in the UK and register your interest in an investment via the extensive section dedicated to franchising on the NKD Pizza website. Note, before you do, that NKD Pizza knows exactly what it’s looking for in a franchisee. First and foremost, you’ll need previous experience “working on a high volume QSR brand” [NKD Pizza]. Beyond this, you should be:

• Fully dedicated to the launch, success and growth of your NKD Pizza franchise
• Entrepreneurial with a love of developing/growing a team
• Experienced in managing a team effectively
• Willing to learn and follow the NKD model
• Attentive to detail, with high standards you’re able to actively maintain
• In possession of strong local knowledge regarding your chosen franchise area
• A lover of pizza (of course)

2. How much do you need to invest? 

In order to become an NKD Pizza franchisee, you’ll need to cover an initial investment of between £120,000 to £200,000. The true cost will depend on a number of different factors, such as the location you choose, the site you choose and whether or not you’d like to make a multi-unit franchise investment. The cost of investing in NKD is, as you might expect, higher than the average cost of starting a franchise in the UK, which stood at £42,200 as of 2018 [British Franchise Association]. This is due to the fact that a restaurant is one of the more expensive franchise types to launch and run (though of course also comes with higher returns). Here are a couple more examples of fast food restaurant investment costs, for comparison:

• Shoryu Ramen - In order to become a Shoryu Ramen franchisee, you’ll need to make a minimum initial investment of £450,000, with franchise fees of £25,000 and a total investment cost of £550,000.
• Street Greek - In order to become a Street Greek franchisee, you’ll need to make a minimum initial investment of £120,000, with franchise fees of £15,000 and a total investment cost of 200,000.

3. What do you get for your investment? 

As touched upon, the NKD brand’s technological evolution means that franchisees are now fully supported by an intuitive platform that manages their online presence. Beyond this, there are many more ways in which NKD Pizza supports its franchisees. You’ll receive a comprehensive programme of initial training post-investment, followed by plenty of site selection, fit-out and launch support. You’ll gain access to NKD business management software and tools to assist in the smooth running of your pizza franchise, as well as having a direct line to the UK marketing team and a range of different marketing support provisions at your disposal.

NKD Pizza franchise opportunities are a great way to start running your own business 

You should now know enough about NKD Pizza to determine if the fast food franchise selling delicious and memorable pizzas is the right investment for you. If you’re on the fence but you’re definitely interested in entering the QSR industry as a franchisee, stick around on Point Franchise to continue your research. Find out how to choose the right fast food franchise for you and browse the wide range of available investment opportunities, from similar options like Toni Loco to different cuisines with similarly innovative tech integration, like Camile Thai.