How much does a Charleys Philly Steaks franchise cost?
Opening a Charleys Philly Steaks franchise takes a total initial investment of $203,492 to $696,266, according to the brand's 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document. The FDD's Item 19 reports all restaurants of $743,169 across 713 outlets.
The brand franchises CPS Restaurants and CPSW Restaurants. Category: Food & Beverage.
Item 7
What it costs to open a Charleys Philly Steaks franchise
The franchisor's own estimated initial investment, as disclosed in its 2026 FDD. The total is $203,492 to $696,266. Each line below carries the FDD page it was read from.
Where the money goes
The largest costs are Leasehold Improvements ($50,000 to $329,000), Equipment/Furniture/Fixtures ($50,931 to $145,000), and Real Estate Lease ($12,500 to $80,000). Together they make up about 80% of the high-end estimate.
The initial franchise fee is $24,500, about 12% of the low-end total.
Our arithmetic from the Item 7 table below.
| Expenditure | Low | High | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 10 | $24,500 | $24,500 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 10 |
| Leasehold Improvements2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 25 | $50,000 | $329,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 25 |
| Equipment/ | $50,931 | $145,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 25 |
| POS and Kiosk System2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 25 | $12,711 | $15,766 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 25 |
| Signage2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 25 | $5,000 | $20,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 25 |
| Architect & Engineer2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 25 | $8,000 | $16,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 25 |
| Travel and Living Expenses Associated With Initial Training2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 25 | $4,000 | $8,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 25 |
| Insurance2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 25 | $3,850 | $11,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 25 |
| Deposits and Professional Fees2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 26 | $1,000 | $7,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 26 |
| Real Estate Lease2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 26 | $12,500 | $80,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 26 |
| Grand Opening Marketing Kit2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 26 | $7,000 | $10,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 26 |
| Additional Funds (3 month period)2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 26 | $24,000 | $30,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 26 |
| Total estimated initial investment2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 10-11 | $203,492 | $696,266 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 10-11 |
Source Charleys Philly Steaks, 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 10-11, via Public FDD bucket (storage.googleapis.com/franchiseindx_fdds) (source record). Figures read and verified 2026-09-14.
Item 19
What Charleys Philly Steaks franchisees actually report earning
All Restaurants
$743,169
Charleys Philly Steaks' 2026 FDD, Item 19, for the 2025. Basis: franchised Restaurants that were open during the entire 2025 calendar.
Sample size: 713 outlets. The FDD also reports all restaurants of $845,372. We lead with the median because an average is pulled upward by the strongest outlets; the median is the middle outlet.
What the franchisor excluded from this figure
- This table excludes the performance of 40 franchised Restaurants that opened during 2025.
- This table excludes the performance of 24 franchised Restaurants that permanently closed during 2025.
- This table excludes the performance of 13 franchised restaurants that were temporarily closed in 2025.
This is a disclosure of what some existing outlets reported, not a projection of what a new Charleys Philly Steaks outlet would earn. Your results will differ.
Source Charleys Philly Steaks, 2026 FDD, Item 19, p. 57, via Public FDD bucket (storage.googleapis.com/franchiseindx_fdds) (source record). Figures read and verified 2026-09-14.
Item 20
How many Charleys Philly Steaks outlets there are, and how many closed
Charleys Philly Steaks ended 2025 with 766 franchised outlets and 60 company-owned outlets. In that year 45 franchised outlets opened and 23 left the system.
Three years at a glance
From 2023 through 2025, Charleys Philly Steaks opened 221 franchised outlets and 66 outlets left the system. That is a net gain of 155, from 611 to 766 franchised outlets. Of the outlets that left, 1 was terminated, 4 were bought back by the franchisor, and 61 closed for other reasons.
On average, about 3.2% of franchised outlets left the system each year, roughly 1 in 31.
Our arithmetic from the FDD's Item 20 table below. "Left the system" counts every outlet the franchisor reports as terminated, not renewed, bought back, or closed for other reasons.
| Year | Start | Opened | Terminated | Non-renewed | Reacquired | Ceased, other | End | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 744 | 45 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 23 | 766 | 2026 FDD, Item 20, p. 64 |
| 2024 | 700 | 65 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 16 | 744 | 2026 FDD, Item 20, p. 64 |
| 2023 | 611 | 111 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 700 | 2026 FDD, Item 20, p. 64 |
Source Charleys Philly Steaks, 2026 FDD, Item 20, p. 49, via Public FDD bucket (storage.googleapis.com/franchiseindx_fdds) (source record). Figures read and verified 2026-09-14.
Compare
How Charleys Philly Steaks 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 Charleys Philly Steaks' estimated range is $449,879. It costs less to open than 65% of Food & Beverage franchises here.
- Outlets leaving each year. 3.2% for Charleys Philly Steaks. That is lower than 68% of the 165 Food & Beverage franchises with at least 10 outlets.
- Three-year growth. Charleys Philly Steaks' franchised system grew 25%. The typical Food & Beverage franchise here grew 4.4%.
- Earnings disclosure. 152 of the 256 Food & Beverage franchises here publish earnings figures in Item 19. Charleys Philly Steaks is 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 Charleys Philly Steaks files a new FDD
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