Rank no.392 – Orion Food Systems LLC – US

Products & Services: Fast-food systems for nontraditional markets

Number of Locations: 864

Total Investment: $58.5K – 133K

Founded: 1982

Began Franchising: 1993

About Orion Food Systems LLC

Hot Stuff Foods franchises a variety of quick-service brands that place locations within nontraditional locations such as convenience stores, hospitals, colleges, sports arenas, shopping centers, airports and military bases. Brands include Hot Stuff Pizza, SmashHits Deli, Eddie Peppers and Lettieri’s Food To Go.

Where Seeking Franchisees: Franchisor is seeking new franchise units in the following states:
Alaska, Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, Midwest, Nebraska, North Carolina, North Dakota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South, South Carolina, South Dakota, Southeast, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Vermont, West, Washington, Wisconsin, West Virginia, Wyoming.
Startup Costs, Ongoing Fees and Financing

Total Investment: $58,500 – $133,000
Term of Franchise Agreement: 10 years, renewable
FINANCIAL REQUIREMENTS
Net Worth: $100,000
OPERATIONS
Number of employees needed to run franchised unit: 4 – 6. Absentee ownership of franchise is allowed..
How This Franchise Supports Franchisees

Training: At franchisee’s location: 5 days.
Ongoing Support: Newsletter, Meetings, Toll-free phone line, Grand opening, Internet, Security/safety procedures, Field operations/evaluations
Marketing Support: Ad slicks, National media, Regional advertising,

Franchise Ranking History

Franchise 500®: #392 (2013), #459 (2012), #375 (2011), #74 (2010), #81 (2009),
Fastest-Growing: #37 (2010),

History of Quality
Success through quality food since 1983.
In 1983, Orion was founded with a vision of providing restaurant-quality food to the on-the-go consumer. At that time, home pizza delivery competition was growing at a rapid rate, but there was no real focus on the consumer who desired that same quality food away from home.

We worked hard to make the original vision a reality, and in 1986 the Hot Stuff Pizza brand was born. The first licensed Hot Stuff location opened in Webster, SD, on December 17, 1986, and today there are more than 800 Hot Stuff Pizza franchises and licenses operating in the United States, with dozens of others in Canada and the United Kingdom.

Pizza and beyond—the evolution of our brands.
Orion’s growth didn’t stop with pizza. The food service company continued to expand into other services and industries throughout the 1990s, with the introduction of recognized brands as Smash Hit Subs, Eddie Peppers Great Mexican Food, and Chix Chicken.

A variety of other specialty food brands were also created for specific industries, such as the U.S. military, including Game Time Sports Grill, Chopz, and more. Orion currently offers numerous brands across a variety of industries, including convenience stores, grocery stores, restaurants, military bases, hospitals, colleges and universities, bowling alleys, and more. We also offer a large number of private label and specialty food manufacturing options for those who wish to utilize our high-quality food products yet retain their own branding.

Our leadership today.
Today, we are proud to continue to expand our business with the leadership of CEO Hank Suerth and President Steve Watkins providing “Quality Products Through Quality People™”.

Partnerships and Associations

Credibility through quality.
At Orion Food Systems, we hold ourselves to the very strictest standards of quality while remaining firmly balanced on the edge of innovation, and we strive to ensure that our services benefit our clients. To that end, we are involved with a number of professional groups and organizations that promote and keep us educated about each of the sectors we serve.

NACS Hunter Club
We belong to the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS) Hunter Club, which is an exclusive association of convenience store suppliers.

NATSO
Orion is a member of the National Association of Truck Stop Owners, a trade association with 1,200 members based in the travel plaza and truck stop industry.

Real Cheese
We use 100% certified Real Cheese in all of our products.

Put our credibility to work for your organization.
Let our associations become a credit to your organization. Explore your options by contacting us or giving us a call at 1-800-336-1320.