WINONA, Minn. – Restaurateur Tim Beier, who closed his Ground Round franchise in Winona in 2022, has changed his mind. Beier confirmed he will be the proprietor of a new franchise, Pizza Ranch, at the same site off U.S. Highway14 on the Far West End. He had closed the Ground Round after setbacks during the CoVid crisis. There also were family health issues. This all was amid a major remodeling to add a jazz and blues entertainment venue to the Ground Ground’s adult bar business. Beier put the building up for lease. There were no takers. As a Pizza Ranch, the place will be a far cry from the Ground Round, which was one of Winona’s classier sit-down restaurants and which had an extensive menu. The attraction now will be a pizza and salad bar with a game arcade for kids. The place is undergoing an extensive remodel for a larger footprint. Target to open: Spring.
Earlier: Ground Round make-over: Pizza, chicken, salad buffet
Earlier: Ground Round eatery hit with CoVid
Earlier: Ground Round eatery, bar closing
Typical motif. Nearest franchises to Winiona: In LaCrosse and Stewartville.
Pizza Ranch profile
The first Pizza Ranch opened in Hull, Iowa, in 1991. Now has 200 locations in 15 states. Annual revenue: $138 million. With 70 locations in Iowa, Pizza Ranches are frequent backdrops for presidential campaigns in the state’s caucuses. Joe Biden has campaigned in Pizza Ranches. So too Donald Trump and Hilary Clinton.
A Pizza Ranch franchise
A typical Pizza Ranch franchise is a 6,000-square foot restaurant wth a 1,600-square foot arcade for kids. It’s called a “fun zone”. The initial investment for a start-up from scratch: Varies frm $1.1 million to $9.2 million This includes:
> Construction: Up to $1.6 million.
> Land improvements: Up to $1 million.
> Furniture, fixtures, equipment: $622,000 to $690,0000
> Arcade games: $330,000 to $350,000.
> Architectural, engineering fees: $46,000 to $100,000.
> Three months working capital: $20,000.
> Royalty fee: 3.5% of gross revenue.