What should I check before buying an independent pizzeria?

A franchised pizza outlet comes with a brand’s systems. An independent pizzeria comes with whatever the owner built. That makes the review more personal: the dough, the ovens, the phone line and the delivery routine are all particular to this shop, and each one is worth understanding before you commit.

Dough, sauce and recipes

Ask who makes the dough and whether the method is written down. Watch a full prep cycle. Ask whether the sauce and toppings come from regular suppliers you can keep using. If the recipe belongs to one person, ask the seller how it will pass to you and have it covered in the agreement.

Where the orders come from

Find out how sales divide between walk-in, phone orders, the shop’s own website and third-party delivery apps. A shop that depends on one channel is exposed if that channel changes. Ask the seller for reports from each channel and have your accountant compare them with the books.

Ovens, drivers and accounts

The oven is the heart of the shop, so ask whether it is owned or leased and have a technician inspect it, along with the hood and venting. Ask how drivers are engaged and whether they plan to stay. Then confirm the phone number, online ordering pages and delivery-app store accounts will move to you at closing, because repeat customers find the shop through them.

Work through these alongside the restaurant buyer checklist and the guide to pizza franchises in Canada if a franchise is also on your list.