The only competition that the Cooking Mama franchise has ever faced was the Papa's franchise, with it's amazing selection of restaurant manager games, where you need to cook, decorate and manage the place yourself, as the only staff member.

Papa's Pizzeria was the first game in the franchise, and while it is charming, and improved by the "to Go!" verison, it feels like the first entry of a franchise. It is rather barebones, features some of the newer elements, but not all of them, and very grindy in terms of customers. However, it is charming, and undeniably a great start!