Investor Relations

$112B category.
No fast-casual owner.
Until now.

Nicola's Italian Grill is raising $500K–$1M to open the prototype store and complete the franchise system. Italian fast casual is the largest unclaimed lane in American dining.

Request the investor deck See use of funds

Not an offer to sell securities. For qualified investors only. Any offering requires legal review and proper disclosure documentation.

$112B

U.S. Italian restaurant revenue

2025 · IBISWorld

14%

Fast-casual CAGR to 2030

Technavio

44,848

Italian operators in U.S.

None dominant in fast casual

$500K–$1M

Raise target

Pre-prototype · Angel / HNW

The opportunity

Why invest in Nicola's.

01

First mover in an open lane

No national Italian fast-casual brand exists. Chipotle owns Mexican. Cava owns Mediterranean. Italian — a cuisine loved by more Americans than either — has no fast-casual owner. Nicola's is building that brand now.

02

Complete brand system, not a concept

An 81-page brand book, 28 retail SKUs, full franchise infrastructure, restaurant design standards, and a catering platform already exist. This is a system ready to be capitalized — not an idea seeking validation.

03

Founder with proven franchise execution

Mark Karaguezian built Qargo Coffee from zero — concept to multi-unit franchise system, handling every agreement, real estate deal, and operating standard in-house. Nicola's is the same discipline applied to a larger category.

04

Six revenue streams

Company stores, franchise fees, ongoing royalties, supply chain margin, catering, and retail merchandise (28 SKUs at launch). The business is not dependent on a single revenue source.

05

Proven demand format

The assembly-line model (base → sauce → protein → toppings → finish) is already proven by Chipotle, Cava, and Sweetgreen. Nicola's applies it to Italian — a cuisine with even deeper American emotional pull.

06

Disciplined gate-based growth

No aggressive franchising until prototype KPIs are proven: food cost, labor, ticket time, reviews, and catering acceptance. Investors are protected by the same discipline that protects the brand.

Business model

Six revenue streams. One brand platform.

Company stores

Direct revenue from company-owned locations. Validates the model and sets franchise standards.

Franchise fees

Upfront fees from approved franchise operators. Each award generates immediate capital.

Royalties

Ongoing royalties from every franchised location. Scales passively with unit growth.

Supply chain

Packaging, sauces, dry goods, uniforms — brand-controlled supply with margin attached.

Catering

High-ticket recurring revenue from offices, events, and families. Converts lunch guests into accounts.

Merch + retail

28 SKUs at launch — sauces, pasta, beverages, drinkware, apparel. Revenue that travels beyond the store.

Use of funds

$500K–$1M raise. What it builds.

Allocation is illustrative. Final budget confirmed with founder, site, architect, and counsel.

Prototype store buildout— Site selection, construction, equipment, signage, first inventory, opening costs

45%

$225K–$450K

Franchise system + legal— FDD prep, franchise agreement, trademark, legal counsel

20%

$100K–$200K

Brand + marketing launch— Grand opening, social, PR, food photography, influencer

15%

$75K–$150K

Operations + training— Training program, SOPs, POS setup, hiring, onboarding

12%

$60K–$120K

Working capital reserve— 90-day operating buffer for ramp-up cash flow

8%

$40K–$80K

What this delivers:

  • → One company-owned prototype store — open, operating, generating revenue
  • → Complete franchise system — FDD, agreements, trademarks, manuals
  • → Validated unit economics — real AUV, food cost, labor data
  • → First 1–3 franchise awards — pipeline already developing

Unit economics

Illustrative prototype targets.

Validated through company-owned prototype and FDD. Not representations of actual results.

Target AUV

$1.2M–$1.8M+

Annual unit volume

Store-level EBITDA

15–20%

Post-ramp margin target

Investor payback

3–4 years

Capital return target

Food cost target

27–32%

Mature purchasing

Roadmap

From first dollar to franchise-ready.

Phase 01

Days 0–90

Close & prepare

  • · Close raise + finalize structure
  • · Prototype budget + menu costing
  • · Site criteria + begin search
  • · FDD counsel engaged

Phase 02

Months 3–6

Build prototype

  • · Secure Store #1 · architecture package
  • · Construction + equipment install
  • · Hire GM + line team
  • · Recipe finalization + food cost model

Phase 03

Months 6–12

Open & validate

  • · Grand opening + PR + influencer
  • · Track AUV, food cost, labor weekly
  • · Validate catering + delivery demand
  • · Build franchisee inquiry pipeline

Phase 04

Months 12–24

Franchise launch

  • · Complete FDD + franchise docs
  • · Award 1–3 first franchisees
  • · Open stores 2 + 3
  • · Begin controlled national expansion

FAQ

Investor questions.

Ready to learn more?

Request the full investor deck. A member of our team will reach out to walk you through the opportunity.

Request investor deck

franchise@nicolasitaliangrill.com · Confidential · Not an offer to sell securities