Harlem Shake vs La Pino'z Pizza

Right now, the only software seats that exist are inside two operating Harlem Shake locations. Two units is a microscopic total addressable market, but it’s two more than La Pino’z Pizza, which hasn’t opened a single store. That flips the usual TAM math: when one brand delivers immediate deal velocity and the other delivers zero, timing becomes the dominant dimension. A vendor can close those two units this quarter—sell POS, scheduling, and back-office—and begin earning reference logos and case-study material from day one.

The terrain tilts further toward Harlem Shake because both chains mandate franchisor-controlled procurement, meaning the software selection lives at the brand level. With Harlem Shake, that brand already governs real, revenue-generating foot traffic, so the sales motion is a straightforward technology replacement or greenfield install across two live sites. La Pino’z, by contrast, offers a cheaper initial franchise fee and a wider investment band, which might fuel faster future franchisee growth, but its procurement model is a locked door behind a wall of zero units. Until the first franchise agreement is signed and a store is built, the vendor gets nothing—no pilot, no proof of concept, no cash.

The tradeoff is meaningful but easy to weigh: Harlem Shake provides immediate, if tiny, revenue with a path to grow if the brand scales; La Pino’z offers only an option on a future that hasn’t started. A vendor can’t book revenue on hypothetical franchisees. In early-stage franchising, the first-mover brand with active units wins the software sale today.

Verdict: Harlem Shake’s two tangible units beat La Pino’z’s zero; timing and an existing install base make it the only viable near-term opportunity.