How Much Does It Cost to Start a Pizza Shop? Real 2026 Numbers
Plan on $100,000 to $500,000, with most independent builds landing around $275,000. Pizza demand is permanent, the market is packed, and delivery apps will eat the margin you think you have.
Updated 2026-07-05· US figures
The short answer
Opening a pizza shop costs $100,000 to $500,000 in 2026, with a typical independent build around $275,000. Build-out dominates: $150,000 to $350,000 for raw space, meaningfully less if you take over a former restaurant. Ovens run $10,000 to $50,000, and budget three to six months of operating cash.
Everyone loves pizza, which is exactly why every block already has a shop. Opening one costs $100,000 to $500,000 depending mostly on the space you inherit, and the chains have spent decades optimizing the delivery economics you will be fighting. Third-party apps take 15 to 30 percent of every order they bring you, on a business that nets single digits. You can still win with a genuinely better product in the right neighborhood, but go in knowing the typical independent owner earns $30,000 to $70,000 in year one for very long weeks.
Where the money goes
| Item | Low | Typical | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lease deposit and first months of rent | $6,000 | $15,000 | $45,000 |
| Build-out and kitchen constructionThe single biggest lever you control. A second-generation restaurant space with a working hood, grease trap, and plumbing can save $50,000 to $150,000 versus raw retail. | $50,000 | $150,000 | $350,000 |
| Deck or conveyor ovensUsed deck ovens are the value play for slice shops. Conveyors cost more and suit high-volume delivery operations. | $8,000 | $20,000 | $50,000 |
| Other kitchen equipment (mixer, walk-in, prep tables, refrigeration) | $12,000 | $30,000 | $70,000 |
| Permits, licenses, and health inspections | $2,000 | $5,000 | $15,000 |
| POS, phones, and online ordering setup | $2,000 | $4,000 | $12,000 |
| Initial inventory (food, boxes, smallwares) | $4,000 | $8,000 | $18,000 |
| Signage and opening marketing | $2,000 | $6,000 | $20,000 |
| Working capital (3 to 6 months)Almost no shop is profitable at opening. This line is what keeps you alive while the neighborhood finds you. | $15,000 | $40,000 | $100,000 |
The costs the sellers do not mention
Every pitch deck and broker pro forma for this business leaves the same lines out.
- Delivery app commissions. DoorDash and Uber Eats take 15 to 30 percent per order. If a third of your volume flows through the apps, they quietly become your most expensive employee.
- Rent during build-out. You pay rent from lease signing, and construction plus permitting routinely takes four to eight months. That is months of rent burned before your first slice sells.
- Equipment failure. Walk-in compressors and oven elements fail on Friday nights. Emergency commercial refrigeration repair runs $500 to $2,500 a visit.
- Waste and shrinkage. Dough is unforgiving and cheese is the most expensive thing in the building. Expect 2 to 5 percent of food cost to disappear to waste, comps, and theft.
What you will actually make
- Year-one profit
- $30k-$70k
- Established
- $60k-$120k
- Net margin
- Food cost runs 28-32%
- Payback
- 3-6 years
Count your own hours honestly. At 60 to 70 hours a week, a $50,000 year one works out to under $15 an hour. The economics improve meaningfully at location two, if you get there.
Verdict: Crowded, and the apps skim the cream
Demand for pizza is permanent, and that is the trap: everyone knows people buy pizza, so everyone opens a shop. You are competing against chains with better delivery tech and per-store economics, plus every other independent in town. The realistic outcome, roughly $275,000 invested to earn $30,000 to $70,000 while working the line 60 hours a week, is a bad trade for most people. Do it only if you have restaurant operating experience, a specific underserved neighborhood, and a product people will cross town for. The market does not need another average pizza shop.
Thinking about a specific version of this?
Numbers say whether the model works. They cannot say whether your version, in your town, against your competitors, will. Run it through Olune for a build-or-kill verdict on live demand signals, or model your own costs first.
Keep reading
Pizza Shop: common questions
Is owning a pizza shop profitable?
Modestly, for most. Independents net 5 to 12 percent after food cost of 28 to 32 percent, labor, rent, and the owner's own hours. A typical single location pays its owner-operator $30,000 to $70,000 in year one and $60,000 to $120,000 once established. Real money comes from multiple locations, not one great shop.
How much do DoorDash and Uber Eats take?
15 to 30 percent of each order depending on plan tier. On a business with single-digit net margins, that commission is the difference between profit and loss, which is why the chains built their own delivery networks. Push customers to order direct with a discount; it is worth the effort.
Should I buy a pizza franchise instead of going independent?
Franchises like Domino's win on delivery technology, supply chain pricing, and marketing scale, and they charge royalties of roughly 5 to 8 percent plus ad fund contributions for it. A strong operator in a good territory can do well. But you are buying a job with rules; independents keep the upside and the risk.
Can I open a pizza shop for under $100,000?
Only by taking over a second-generation restaurant space with a working hood and buying used equipment. That path can land near $100,000, and it is the single biggest cost lever you control. Raw retail space pushes build-out alone past $150,000 before you buy an oven.