How much does a Chester's franchise cost?
Opening a Chester's franchise takes a total initial investment of $27,500 to $306,500, according to the brand's 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document. That FDD makes no Item 19 financial performance representation, so it discloses no earnings figures at all.
Chester’s franchises Store-in-Store/Non-Trad Restaurants, Supermarket Restaurants, and Express Restaurants. Category: Food & Beverage.
Item 7
What it costs to open a Chester's franchise
The franchisor's own estimated initial investment, as disclosed in its 2026 FDD. The total is $27,500 to $306,500. Each line below carries the FDD page it was read from.
Where the money goes
The largest costs are Build-out Cost ($0 to $200,000), Equipment, Furniture, Signage, and Fixtures ($12,000 to $55,000), and Additional Funds (3 Months) ($10,000 to $25,000). Together they make up about 91% of the high-end estimate.
Our arithmetic from the Item 7 table below.
| Expenditure | Low | High | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Training Fee2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 11 | $3,500 | $3,500 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 11 |
| Insurance2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 11 | $0 | $10,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 11 |
| Build-out Cost2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 11 | $0 | $200,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 11 |
| Equipment, Furniture, Signage, and Fixtures2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 11 | $12,000 | $55,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 11 |
| Initial Inventory2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 11 | $2,000 | $9,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 11 |
| Grand Opening Advertising2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 11 | $0 | $4,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 11 |
| Additional Funds (3 Months)2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 11 | $10,000 | $25,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 11 |
| Total estimated initial investment2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 11 | $27,500 | $306,500 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 11 |
Source Chester's, 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 11, via Public FDD bucket (storage.googleapis.com/franchiseindx_fdds) (source record). Figures read and verified 2026-09-14.
Item 19
What Chester's 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.
Source Chester's, 2026 FDD, Item 19, p. 39-40, via Public FDD bucket (storage.googleapis.com/franchiseindx_fdds) (source record). Figures read and verified 2026-09-14.
Item 20
How many Chester's outlets there are, and how many closed
Chester's ended 2025 with 918 franchised outlets and no company-owned outlets. In that year 120 franchised outlets opened and 195 left the system.
Three years at a glance
From 2023 through 2025, Chester's opened 289 franchised outlets and 452 outlets left the system. That is a net loss of 163, from 1,081 to 918 franchised outlets. Of the outlets that left, 26 were terminated, 147 were not renewed, and 279 closed for other reasons.
On average, about 15% of franchised outlets left the system each year, roughly 1 in 7.
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 | 993 | 120 | 11 | 33 | 0 | 151 | 918 | 2026 FDD, Item 20, p. 47 |
| 2024 | 1,002 | 100 | 6 | 44 | 0 | 59 | 993 | 2026 FDD, Item 20, p. 47 |
| 2023 | 1,081 | 69 | 9 | 70 | 0 | 69 | 1,002 | 2026 FDD, Item 20, p. 47 |
Source Chester's, 2026 FDD, Item 20, p. 47, via Public FDD bucket (storage.googleapis.com/franchiseindx_fdds) (source record). Figures read and verified 2026-09-14.
Compare
How Chester's 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 Chester's' estimated range is $167,000. It costs less to open than 95% of Food & Beverage franchises here.
- Outlets leaving each year. 15% for Chester's. That is higher than 88% of the 165 Food & Beverage franchises with at least 10 outlets.
- Three-year growth. Chester's' franchised system shrank 15%. The typical Food & Beverage franchise here grew 5.0%.
- Earnings disclosure. 152 of the 256 Food & Beverage franchises here publish earnings figures in Item 19. Chester's 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 Chester's files a new FDD
Franchisors reissue their FDD at least once a year, and the Item 7 and Item 19 figures move. Leave an email and we will send you Chester's' updated numbers when the next document is published, plus the brand-comparison worksheet.
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