The Roman Candle Eyes Wisconsin to Propel Growth and Dominate the Craft Pizza Market in its Home State
At The Roman Candle, pizza is more than just a meal—it’s a passion. From fresh, local ingredients to a mix of both classic and innovative recipes, every pizza is a unique experience. For the past decade, The Roman Candle has been serving up delicious pizzas to satisfied customers across its home state of Wisconsin. The brand, which currently has four locations in Madison and one in Whitefish Bay, is now looking to expand across the state as part of its effort to own Wisconsin’s craft pizza market.
“Some restaurants serve cardboard pizzas and throw the word craft in front of it on a menu just to make a quick buck. That’s not The Roman Candle’s style. We’re completely committed to serving authentic craft pizzas—and the best Wisconsin craft beer to go with them—at all of our locations,” said Brewer Stouffer, The Roman Candle’s founder and CEO. “Our mission is to make great pizza in vibrant neighborhoods across the state.”
The Roman Candle relies on local resources to make its mission a reality. The brand uses fresh Wisconsin ingredients on all of its artisan pizzas. The state’s strong agriculture and dairy environment also allows the brand to use a network of Wisconsin-based suppliers who deliver everywhere in the state. At its core, “We’re committed to making the most of all the goodness Wisconsin has to offer, from cheese to beer to ice cream,” says Stouffer.
The brand also wants to remain local when it comes to its first franchise partners. The Roman Candle is looking for dedicated, Wisconsin-based franchisees to introduce its premium pizzas to five key markets where it knows the brand can thrive: Milwaukee, La Crosse, Eau Claire, Green Bay and the Fox River Valley. These cities are perfect for The Roman Candle because they all have populations of more than 75,000 and are made up of the brand’s core customer base, including thousands of university staff and students, young professionals and families.
“One of the things I know for certain is that franchisees bring local knowledge and experience to the table that you can’t find or buy anywhere else. You can look at demographics all you want, but there’s nothing quite like a franchisee’s native understanding of their own backyard. That’s why we want to team up with local owners,” said Stouffer. “We tell them everything we know about our industry-best business practices, and they help us identify the right areas to open up in with the right customer base. Together, it’s a system that really works.”
The Roman Candle works with all of its franchisees as soon as they sign on to open a unit. Future owners should expect to invest between $478,000 and $852,000 on top of a $30,000 franchise fee. The brand offers franchisees all the training and support they need until they’re certified and open for business. Then The Roman Candle’s corporate team will come in and begin a two-week training program for all staff members. The Roman Candle also has an extensive marketing program for all franchisees to follow in order to ensure the unit’s target customers stay in the loop, from the restaurant’s grand opening to weekly events and promotions.
“Over the last ten years, we’ve proven that we know pizza and we know Wisconsin. That’s why we’re confident we’ll succeed when we expand to new territories. We’re excited to introduce ourselves to new communities throughout our home state and really hit the ground running,” said Stouffer.
For more information on franchising opportunities with The Roman Candle in Wisconsin, click here.