The Blackjack Pizza & Salads franchise is a carryout and delivery restaurant concept with Colorado roots. Its menu extends beyond pizza, and prospective owners need to evaluate food preparation, staffing, order management and local competition alongside the brand’s history.
The Blackjack Pizza & Salads franchise profile provides an overview. This article draws on attributed official company sources; a current applicable FDD was not available for the review.
Blackjack’s Colorado history
The company’s official history identifies Vince Schmuhl as its founder and dates the first store to June 29, 1983, in Federal Heights, Colorado. It describes a second store opening in Greeley in 1984 and formal owner/operator franchising beginning in 1988, following earlier franchised activity.
That history explains the brand’s origins. It does not establish the performance of a new restaurant or eliminate the need to assess a proposed location and operating plan.
Menu and customer ordering
The official menu page lists specialty pizzas, wings, calzones, salads, breads and desserts. Consumers should use the selected store’s menu and ordering information for current products, prices and availability.
The company’s menu notices explain that stores are independently owned and operated, prices can vary and offers apply at participating locations. Delivery areas and charges also apply. Avoid assuming that every promotion or service is identical across the system.
The carryout and delivery model
The official franchise page describes traditional carryout and delivery restaurants. For an owner, that means evaluating the workflow from ordering and food preparation through pickup or delivery, rather than relying on a general assumption that pizza is simple to operate.
Ask how the required menu affects equipment, ingredient storage and staff preparation. Examine order peaks, staffing coverage, customer communication and the delivery arrangements proposed for the location. Confirm requirements for approved products and suppliers in the current documents.
Training and support described by the company
The franchise page describes training for owners and management teams, location guidance, build-out support, purchasing-network access and ongoing consulting from the field-operations team. It also says guidance is tailored to owners’ needs.
Request the current written training program and contractual support provisions. Clarify required attendees, training locations, completion standards, travel costs and opening assistance. A broad description of support does not establish a precise schedule or a guarantee of successful operation.
Daily responsibilities to investigate
- What work must the owner perform, and what management arrangements are permitted?
- Who recruits, trains and supervises restaurant staff?
- How are food preparation, inventory and waste monitored?
- How are online, telephone and in-store orders coordinated?
- Who manages delivery, customer concerns and refunds?
- What local marketing and promotional participation are required?
Discuss these questions with current and former franchisees. Customer service and consistency require ongoing work; neither the brand name nor a broad menu guarantees repeat sales.
Assess the local restaurant market
Compare the proposed location with other delivery and carryout options serving the same customers. Consider access, parking, delivery coverage, operating hours and local pricing. Evaluate customer acquisition and labor costs as well as potential order volume.
Pizza purchases for families, groups and events are possible customer occasions to investigate, not proof of year-round demand or resilience in every market. Build the local plan around evidence and realistic costs rather than broad industry claims.
Costs and franchise documents
Obtain the current FDD and amendments before relying on startup estimates, franchise fees, territory descriptions or financial performance figures. Review the total opening budget separately from applicant cash and net-worth qualifications. Include premises, build-out, equipment, inventory, staffing and working capital.
Evaluate any Item 19 information using its definitions, reporting period, included locations and limitations. Gross sales are not profit or owner income. A high-performing store or promotional headline should not be treated as an expected result for a new franchisee.
Next steps
Confirm current market availability and the proposed agreement format, then review the documents and speak with operators. The franchise purchase process guide can help organize that work before a commitment. Base the decision on the specific restaurant plan and written terms.
Source note: official Blackjack Pizza & Salads history, franchise and menu pages reviewed October 15, 2026. Company descriptions are attributed above. Current contractual and financial terms have not been independently verified against an applicable FDD for this article.