How to Franchise Yellow Cab Pizza in the Philippines
Yellow Cab Pizza built its name on New York-style pizza and a strong delivery culture in the Philippines. If a full-format pizza franchise is on your radar, here’s what the numbers and process look like.
Behind the Brand
Yellow Cab Pizza Co. is a Philippine pizza chain under Max’s Group, known for its New York-style pizza and urban, delivery-focused positioning. It has grown into one of the more recognizable local pizza brands alongside Greenwich and Shakey’s.
The name isn’t random. Founders Eric Puno, Henry Lee, and Albert Tan opened the first branch on Makati Avenue in April 2001 and built the whole look, black and yellow, around New York City taxicabs, chasing that NY-pizza identity from day one.
Why Yellow Cab Pizza Can Be a Good Business
Yellow Cab’s urban, delivery-heavy identity fits well in office-dense and residential-condo areas where food delivery apps drive a large share of orders. Being under Max’s Group also means access to an established restaurant-group support system.
What Customers Are Saying
Positive: “My go to pizza place when I’m in the Philippines. It’s a bit more expensive but worth it to have proper ingredients and cheese, no quickmelt here!”, TripAdvisor review, Yellow Cab Makati branch, August 2019.
Critical: “The crusts and ingredients [are] a laughable imitation of the good stuff they used to do years ago… customer service is basically them blaming you for THEIR mistakes.”, TripAdvisor review, Yellow Cab Makati branch, November 2023.
Critical (service): A separate reviewer described a 45-minute wait for a delivery order well past the quoted 15-25 minutes, with dismissive follow-up from counter staff. TripAdvisor, Makati branch.
Quality perception seems to have shifted over the years according to repeat customers, worth factoring into how tightly you manage ingredient sourcing and prep consistency if you franchise a branch.
Yellow Cab Pizza Franchise Requirements
Here’s what you’ll need to put on the table:
- Franchise Fee: ₱1,250,000.
- Total Investment: ₱10,000,000 to ₱15,000,000, depending on format, mall-based packages run ₱10M–₱12M, standalone packages run ₱12M–₱15M.
- Royalty Fee: 6% of gross sales.
- Franchise Term: 10 years, renewable for another 5 years by mutual agreement.
- Space Requirement: 120 to 150 sqm.
The investment covers store construction, equipment, furniture and fixtures, initial manpower hiring and training, pre-opening marketing, and operations support, the training fee is already bundled into the initial investment.
How to Franchise Yellow Cab Pizza in the Philippines
Here’s how the process typically unfolds:
- Contact Yellow Cab Pizza Co. (under Max’s Group) for current franchise packages.
- Decide between a mall-based or standalone format based on your site and budget.
- Submit your application, business background, and proposed site (120–150 sqm minimum).
- Go through evaluation, sign the franchise agreement, and proceed to training and store build-out.
Who Is a Yellow Cab Pizza Franchise Best For?
Yellow Cab skews younger and more urban than the legacy pizza chains. That shapes who does well with it.
- Entrepreneurs with ₱10M–₱15M in capital targeting office-heavy or condo-dense urban areas.
- Those who want strong delivery-channel demand rather than a purely dine-in concept.
- Operators comfortable with a Max’s Group-run franchise system.
Advantages and Disadvantages of a Yellow Cab Pizza Franchise
The brand has real strengths, and a few things worth going in aware of.
What works in your favor:
- Strong delivery and urban brand positioning, well-suited to today’s food-delivery-app-driven market.
- Backed by Max’s Group’s restaurant operating experience.
- 10-year term with a 5-year renewal option gives long-term stability.
Here’s the other side of that.
What you’re taking on:
- ₱10M–₱15M total investment is a high bar, similar to Greenwich or Shakey’s.
- 6% royalty fee on gross sales adds up over the life of the franchise.
- Requires a fairly large site (120–150 sqm), limiting location options.
Cheaper Alternatives to Yellow Cab Pizza
If the budget’s tight, a few other pizza brands are worth comparing:
- Pizza Pedrico’s, franchise fee around ₱50,000, total investment ₱600,000–₱700,000 for its kiosk format.
- Czyrah’s Pizza, another lower-investment, food-cart-style pizza option.
- Angel’s Pizza, mid-tier option, see our Angel’s Pizza guide.
Alternative Franchise Opportunities
Beyond the cheaper options above, here’s how Yellow Cab compares to other pizza franchises in the Philippines:
- Shakey’s, the original Filipino thin-crust chain since 1975, built around a fried chicken/Mojos combo and family party format.
- Greenwich Pizza, thick-crust, heavily-loaded “Overload” pizzas at a lower price point, the most budget-accessible major chain.
- Papa John’s, competes directly on ingredient-quality claims the same way Yellow Cab does.
- Domino’s Pizza, delivery-speed focus rather than a dine-in experience.
See our list of the top pizza franchises in the Philippines for more options.
Frequently Asked Questions
A few common questions before you reach out to Yellow Cab directly.
How much is the Yellow Cab Pizza franchise fee?
₱1,250,000.
How much total investment do I need?
₱10M–₱12M for a mall-based store, or ₱12M–₱15M for a standalone store.
What’s the royalty fee?
6% of gross sales.
How long is the franchise term?
10 years, renewable for 5 more years by mutual agreement.
