How much does a Buns on Fire franchise cost?
Opening a Buns on Fire franchise takes a total initial investment of $255,000 to $462,000, according to the brand's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document. That FDD makes no Item 19 financial performance representation, so it discloses no earnings figures at all.
Buns on Fire franchises a restaurant business. Category: Food & Beverage.
Item 7
What it costs to open a Buns on Fire franchise
The franchisor's own estimated initial investment, as disclosed in its 2025 FDD. The total is $255,000 to $462,000. Each line below carries the FDD page it was read from.
Where the money goes
The largest costs are Build-Out/Construction ($150,000 to $250,000), Fixture Package ($20,000 to $40,000), and Additional Funds – 3 Months ($10,000 to $30,000). Together they make up about 69% of the high-end estimate.
The initial franchise fee is $40,000 to $60,000, about 16% of the low-end total.
Our arithmetic from the Item 7 table below.
| Expenditure | Low | High | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 18 | $40,000 | $60,000 | 2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 18 |
| Travel Expenses to Attend Training2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 18 | $2,000 | $10,000 | 2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 18 |
| Real Property2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 18 | $3,000 | $10,000 | 2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 18 |
| Build-Out/ | $150,000 | $250,000 | 2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 18 |
| Fixture Package2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 18 | $20,000 | $40,000 | 2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 18 |
| Initial Inventory2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 18 | $8,000 | $15,000 | 2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 18 |
| Marketing Supplies2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 18 | $2,000 | $7,000 | 2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 18 |
| Signage2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 19 | $5,000 | $10,000 | 2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 19 |
| Computer Hardware, Software, and POS System2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 19 | $4,000 | $6,000 | 2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 19 |
| Insurance2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 19 | $6,000 | $10,000 | 2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 19 |
| Licenses, Permits2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 19 | $1,000 | $3,000 | 2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 19 |
| Grand Opening Campaign2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 19 | $1,000 | $5,000 | 2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 19 |
| Legal & Accounting2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 19 | $3,000 | $6,000 | 2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 19 |
| Additional Funds – 3 Months2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 19 | $10,000 | $30,000 | 2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 19 |
| Total estimated initial investment2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 18-19 | $255,000 | $462,000 | 2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 18-19 |
Source Buns on Fire, 2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 18-19, via Public FDD bucket (storage.googleapis.com/franchiseindx_fdds) (source record). Figures read and verified 2026-09-21. Read from a scanned copy of this FDD; figures and page citations were transcribed from the page images.
Item 19
What Buns on Fire franchisees actually report earning
This brand's FDD publishes no Item 19.
We do not make any representations about a franchisee's future financial performance or the past financial performance of company-owned or franchised outlets. We also do not authorize our employees or representatives to make any such representations either orally or in writing. If you are purchasing an existing outlet, however, we may provide you with the actual records of that outlet. If you receive any other financial performance information or projections of your future income, you should report it to the franchisor's management by contacting us at (630) 614-1010, the Federal Trade Commission, and the appropriate state regulatory agencies.
Source Buns on Fire, 2025 FDD, Item 19, p. 46, via Public FDD bucket (storage.googleapis.com/franchiseindx_fdds) (source record). Figures read and verified 2026-09-21. Read from a scanned copy of this FDD; figures and page citations were transcribed from the page images.
Item 20
How many Buns on Fire outlets there are, and how many closed
Buns on Fire had no franchised outlets open from 2023 through 2025, according to its FDD. At the end of 2025 it had 2 company-owned outlets.
| Year | Start | Opened | Terminated | Non-renewed | Reacquired | Ceased, other | End | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2025 FDD, Item 20, p. 48 |
| 2024 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2025 FDD, Item 20, p. 48 |
| 2023 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2025 FDD, Item 20, p. 48 |
Source Buns on Fire, 2025 FDD, Item 20, p. 47-48, via Public FDD bucket (storage.googleapis.com/franchiseindx_fdds) (source record). Figures read and verified 2026-09-21. Read from a scanned copy of this FDD; figures and page citations were transcribed from the page images.
Compare
How Buns on Fire compares with other Food & Beverage franchises
Measured against the 256 Food & Beverage franchises on this site, using each brand's own FDD.
- Cost to open. The middle of Buns on Fire's estimated range is $358,500. It costs less to open than 78% of Food & Beverage franchises here.
- Earnings disclosure. 152 of the 256 Food & Beverage franchises here publish earnings figures in Item 19. Buns on Fire is not one of them.
Our arithmetic from each brand's Item 7 and Item 20. Growth and departure comparisons leave out brands with fewer than 10 outlets, where one opening or closure distorts the figures. See every Food & Beverage franchise side by side.
Alert me when Buns on Fire files a new FDD
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