Since what year has Carbones Pizzeria been offering franchises?
Carbones_Pizzeria Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
We are a Minnesota corporation incorporated on November 4, 1977. Our principal business address is 680 East Seventh Street, St. Paul, Minnesota 55106. We do business under our corporate name and as M & T Pizza. We do not do business under any other names. We have been offering franchises since 1977. We have never offered franchises in any other lines of business. Our agents for services of process are listed on Exhibit A.
Parents, Predecessor and Certain Affiliates
We have no parent or predecessor companies required to be disclosed in this disclosure document. The original franchisor of the Carbone's Pizza concept was Carbone & Sons, Inc. This entity ceased franchising activities in 1977 but there are two franchisees who continue to operate under their licenses with Carbone & Sons, Inc.
Source: Item 1 — THE FRANCHISOR, AND ANY PARENTS, PREDECESSORS AND AFFILIATES (FDD pages 6–7)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to Carbones Pizzeria's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, the company has been offering franchises since 1977. M & T Pizza Incorporated is the corporation that offers the Carbones Pizzeria franchise. The original franchisor of the Carbone's Pizza concept was Carbone & Sons, Inc., but this entity ceased franchising activities in 1977. There are currently two franchisees who continue to operate under licenses with Carbone & Sons, Inc.
For a prospective franchisee, this indicates that Carbones Pizzeria has a long history in the franchise industry. The change in franchisors from Carbone & Sons, Inc. to M & T Pizza Incorporated in 1977 may be important to understand. It may be prudent for a potential franchisee to investigate the reasons behind this change and how it might affect the current franchise operations.
While Carbone & Sons, Inc. no longer offers franchises, the fact that two franchisees still operate under their licenses suggests a degree of continuity and potentially a strong brand reputation. Understanding the terms of those original franchise agreements compared to the current agreement offered by M & T Pizza could provide valuable insight into the evolution of the Carbones Pizzeria franchise system. A prospective franchisee should also inquire about the relationship between M & T Pizza and Carbone & Sons, Inc., and how the brand has been maintained and developed over the years.