Pizza Nova is a family-owned, Toronto-founded pizza franchisor concentrated in the GTA and Hamilton area — a private, Ontario-based system rather than a multinational one — with a delivery-driven model where the storefront itself is often modest but the delivery fleet and drivers are central to what a buyer is actually taking over.
Pizza Nova resales follow the franchisor's own approval process on top of the usual purchase mechanics — here's how the two run together.
Getting approved
Price and terms get set, with the offer conditioned on franchisor consent, a workable lease assignment, and diligence on the delivery fleet and driver roster — not just financing.
1–3 weeks†The application goes to Pizza Nova's franchisor for review of the proposed buyer and terms, opening a right-of-first-refusal window where the franchisor could step in on the same terms instead.
several weeks, typically†Whether an Arthur Wishart disclosure document applies to this specific resale is assessed early — the resale exemption is read narrowly by Ontario courts.
assessed alongside the offer†Getting to closing
The landlord's written consent to assign the lease is pursued alongside a review of the delivery vehicles — owned or leased — and the driver roster, since the fleet is a meaningful part of what makes the location operable on day one.
2–6 weeks†The incoming owner is trained on Pizza Nova's kitchen and delivery-operations standards before the franchisor finalizes approval.
before or shortly after closing†Funds, keys, and signed documents change hands, and an inventory count is taken and settled at closing.
1 day, once conditions are met†Family-owned Ontario franchisor with an active franchise program (including a Military Veterans track); listed on the CFA's Look For A Franchise directory
Numerous locations concentrated in Southern Ontario, with continued growth in the GTA and Hamilton area
This is the first real decision in a Pizza Nova resale — and it changes what you're buying, what you're taking on, and how the franchise agreement moves.
| Question | Asset purchase | Share purchase |
|---|---|---|
| What you buy | The location's assets — kitchen equipment, delivery vehicles or their leases, leasehold improvements, inventory, and the franchise agreement's benefit, subject to consent. | The shares of the operating company, including everything it owns and owes. |
| Franchisor consent & ROFR | Required for this specific location; typically the pacing condition on the deal. | Required for the change of control itself; the franchisor reviews who's taking over. |
| Arthur Wishart disclosure | May still be required despite a resale framing — the exemption is read narrowly. | The same disclosure analysis applies regardless of how the shares change hands. |
| Delivery fleet & drivers | Vehicle titles or leases are reassigned individually, and Employment Standards Act continuity rules typically apply to how driver staff carry over. | Vehicles and driver employment generally continue with the company unchanged, since the employer doesn't change. |
| The lease | Needs the landlord's consent to assign, often the practical pacing item. | Usually stays in place unless the lease has its own change-of-control clause. |
| Typical use | The default for a single Pizza Nova location changing hands. | More common where one owner holds several GTA or Hamilton-area locations under one company. |
The location's assets — kitchen equipment, delivery vehicles or their leases, leasehold improvements, inventory, and the franchise agreement's benefit, subject to consent.
The shares of the operating company, including everything it owns and owes.
Required for this specific location; typically the pacing condition on the deal.
Required for the change of control itself; the franchisor reviews who's taking over.
May still be required despite a resale framing — the exemption is read narrowly.
The same disclosure analysis applies regardless of how the shares change hands.
Vehicle titles or leases are reassigned individually, and Employment Standards Act continuity rules typically apply to how driver staff carry over.
Vehicles and driver employment generally continue with the company unchanged, since the employer doesn't change.
Needs the landlord's consent to assign, often the practical pacing item.
Usually stays in place unless the lease has its own change-of-control clause.
The default for a single Pizza Nova location changing hands.
More common where one owner holds several GTA or Hamilton-area locations under one company.
We tell you which structure fits — before you sign anything.
No open-ended hourly surprises — the cost is confirmed in writing before any work begins.
| Type of work | Fee | How it's confirmed |
|---|---|---|
| Straightforward purchase or sale | Starting from $3,388.87 Our charges · taxes included | Confirmed in writing once we see the agreement. |
| Larger or more complex deal | Quoted to scope | Short call → fixed written quote before any work begins. |
| Searches, filings & third-party fees | At cost | Itemized on your invoice, not marked up. |
A single Pizza Nova location changing hands between one buyer and one seller — a straightforward resale with a standard consent process.
Start my file →A multi-unit operator selling several Pizza Nova locations as one operating company, or a resale where the delivery fleet, driver transition, or a right-of-first-refusal question needs to be worked through before terms are final.
Book a consultation →Not sure which you are? That's our job to figure out, not yours. As a rough guide, most deals under a couple of million dollars are the first kind — above that, you're usually in Mergers & Acquisitions territory.
The underlying mechanics stay the same — franchisor review of the buyer and deal terms, and a right-of-first-refusal window — but as a private, Ontario-based system, buyers often find the consent process runs through a more direct relationship with the franchisor than a large multinational's corporate franchise office.
Generally, the vehicles are handled as individual assets — owned outright, leased, or financed — and reassigned or paid out at closing, while driver employment is reviewed under Employment Standards Act continuity rules so nothing is left to assumption.
It can, since decisions may sit with fewer people, but that's not something we can guarantee deal to deal. We still build the standard ROFR window into your conditions rather than assuming a faster review.
Not by itself — a franchisor's ownership structure doesn't change the legal test for whether a resale exemption applies. We assess the exemption based on this transaction's own facts, not on who owns the franchisor.
It can — a delivery-forward pizza location often needs parking or staging space for its fleet worked into the lease terms, so that's typically reviewed as part of the landlord consent process rather than assumed to carry over automatically.
Related
Where we close franchise resale deals
Treadstone Law is an independent law firm. We act for buyers and sellers of franchise businesses. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or retained by Pizza Nova or its franchisor.
Tell us about your Pizza Nova resale — we'll point you the right way and confirm the cost in writing before any work begins.