Austin Titus Shares Vision for Cannoli Kitchen’s Growth in Competitive Pizza Franchise Market

Austin Titus, president of Cannoli Kitchen Pizza, has been immersed in the world of franchising since a young age. He recently sat down with Nick Powills, founder and publisher of 1851 Franchise, to discuss his background in franchising, his leadership role at Cannoli Kitchen and the brand’s plans for growth in the competitive quick-service pizza space.

Titus’  entrepreneurial journey began with Signarama, the world’s largest sign and graphics franchise in the world, which his father founded in 1986. Growing up in the business, Titus worked in various roles throughout high school and college, gaining invaluable experience before joining Signarama’s parent company, United Franchise Group (UFG) almost 10 years ago.

Through UFG, Titus has played a key role in helping businesses grow, particularly through the company’s consulting arm, Accurate Franchising. It was through this division that Titus first connected with Cannoli Kitchen, a local Italian eatery that was looking to expand into franchising. Having a personal connection to the brand from his college days, Titus saw potential in the pizzeria brand and worked to integrate it into UFG’s food division, Big Flavor Brands. Under his leadership, Cannoli Kitchen is now undergoing a rebranding and has ambitious growth plans, with a focus on bringing authentic Italian flavors to the quick-service pizza space. 

Titus is committed to making Cannoli Kitchen a success. “We’re looking for people who want to operate the business full-time and have restaurant experience,” he said. “The pizza space is incredibly competitive, whether it’s mom-and-pop shops or large chains. We need the right partners who are all-in to make this successful.”

A transcript of Titus’ interview with Powills has been provided below. It has been edited for brevity, clarity and style.

Nick Powills: Let's actually start with you, and then we’ll get to the brand. What’s your backstory? How did you accidentally fall into franchising? What’s your franchise story?

Austin Titus: My franchise story is a little longer than my Cannoli Kitchen story. I’ll give you the short version, but it’s family-based. My father started Signarama in 1986 in Farmingdale, New York, on Long Island. He moved the company to South Florida, and today, Signarama is the world’s largest sign and graphics franchise. We have 10 brands with 1,600 franchises in 50 countries. That’s all developed over the last 35 years.

I’ve been with United Franchise Group (UFG), our parent company, for almost 10 years full-time, but I’ve been involved my whole life. I’ve worked in different capacities through college and even in high school during the summers, so franchising has always been part of my life.

Powills: Did you ever consider leaving franchising, or did you stay because you grew up in it? What was in your head growing up — did you want to be a professional athlete or did you always want to be a franchise executive?

Titus: Like most kids, I probably wanted to be a professional athlete, but my size and skillset didn’t really support that. My dad would argue it’s no excuse, but I knew early on that wasn’t happening. I was always interested in the family business. My dad did a great job of keeping us involved without confusing us but making sure we knew what he was building. 

A lot of my dad’s friends and colleagues I've known since I was a kid. Now, I still work with some of them — and their kids work here too. It’s been amazing to see it come full circle.

Powills: That’s awesome. Let’s switch to Cannoli Kitchen. How did that brand get integrated with United Franchise Group? What’s the backstory?

Titus: At UFG, we have a consulting division called Accurate Franchising, where we help businesses become franchises. We met Cannoli Kitchen when they were interested in franchising. I went to Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, where Cannoli Kitchen started, and I lived across the street from one of their original locations. I knew the food really well. Years later, my younger brother Andrew introduced them to us, saying they were interested in franchising. 

We were looking to grow our food division, Big Flavor Brands, and it worked out. We partnered with Cannoli Kitchen and took on the brand as a full-time UFG brand.

Powills: When looking at categories like pizza, burgers and ice cream, I feel like every brand claims to have the best product. How do you create a real point of differentiation in such a crowded space? Does there have to be something vastly different, or does it depend on execution?

Titus: That’s a great question. We’re almost finished with a rebrand for Cannoli Kitchen, including updating the website. One of the things we wanted to focus on is consistency — building a consistent Italian-style pizzeria that’s a quick-service chain. We’re in the same category as value pizza chains like Papa John’s and Domino’s, but we’re focused on more authentic Italian flavors, similar to Sbarro but with a focus on retail locations in the community.

Powills: When developing franchisees, especially in a crowded space like pizza, does the strategy shift compared to other industries? Are you looking for different types of candidates?

Titus: Definitely. We’re looking for people who want to operate the business full-time and have restaurant experience. If they don’t, they need to hire a full-time operator who does. The pizza space is incredibly competitive, whether it’s mom-and-pop shops or large chains. We need the right partners who are all-in to make this successful.

Powills: What’s the vision for Cannoli Kitchen? Where do you see the brand going in the next few years?

Titus: By the end of next year, we plan to have 25 open franchise locations. We see the brand growing to over 100 locations in the next five or six years. Right now, we’re focused on making the first few franchise owners wildly successful to prove the concept further.

Powills: Keeping the investment around $600,000 or less is part of the magic, especially in the pizza space. If you can open two locations at $1.2 million and generate enough cash flow, your franchisees could open more units without needing to find 25 new franchisees. Does that resonate with you as part of the opportunity?

Titus: Absolutely. Some brands are spending $700,000 or $800,000 on build-outs early in their franchise lifecycle, which puts them in a tough spot financially. We’re focused on taking over existing pizzerias where the infrastructure is already there — things like exhaust hoods, walk-in refrigeration and grease traps. That can save $150,000 to $200,000 right off the bat. Early on, opening safer locations is more important than opening fast.

Powills: Are you making an earnings claim? What’s in your Item 19?

Titus: We do have an Item 19. I believe the average revenue for our corporate locations is around $1.2 to $1.3 million.

Powills: If I were you, I’d flip the franchise site to lead with your team. Franchise buyers want to see that the people behind the brand know how to build businesses. Let the product sell itself once they believe in the team behind it. Does that make sense?

Titus: Interesting perspective. I’ll think about that.

Powills: To close, what do you want potential franchisees to know about Cannoli Kitchen?

Titus: Cannoli Kitchen is an emerging brand but part of a larger organization with a fast-growing food division. We have great potential, especially with our focus on catering. You’d be working with a great team, and we’re excited to see where this goes.

Watch the entire interview above or on YouTube.