How much does a Fat Shack franchise cost?
Opening a Fat Shack franchise takes a total initial investment of $183,250 to $487,600, according to the brand's 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document. The FDD's Item 19 reports median of $614,309 across 24 outlets.
Fat Shack franchises quick service sandwich restaurants associated with the service mark “FAT SHACK.” Category: Food & Beverage.
Item 7
What it costs to open a Fat Shack franchise
The franchisor's own estimated initial investment, as disclosed in its 2026 FDD. The total is $183,250 to $487,600. Each line below carries the FDD page it was read from.
Where the money goes
The largest costs are Space Acquisition and Leasehold Improvements ($50,000 to $200,000), Furnishings and Equipment ($40,000 to $90,000), and Additional Funds - 3 months ($15,000 to $30,000). Together they make up about 66% of the high-end estimate.
The initial franchise fee is $35,000, about 19% of the low-end total.
Our arithmetic from the Item 7 table below.
| Expenditure | Low | High | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 9 | $35,000 | $35,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 9 |
| Lease Costs2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 9 | $4,000 | $15,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 9 |
| Space Acquisition and Leasehold Improvements2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 9 | $50,000 | $200,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 9 |
| Architectural Design and Professional Fees2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 9 | $2,500 | $20,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 9 |
| Furnishings and Equipment2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 9 | $40,000 | $90,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 9 |
| Signs2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 9 | $5,000 | $12,500 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 9 |
| Computer, Software and Office Equipment2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 9 | $750 | $2,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 9 |
| POS System2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 10 | $6,000 | $12,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 10 |
| Security Surveillance System2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 10 | $500 | $4,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 10 |
| Opening Inventory and Supplies2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 10 | $6,000 | $15,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 10 |
| Initial Starting Package including Smallwares2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 10 | $9,500 | $9,500 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 10 |
| Security Deposits, Utility Deposits, Business Licenses2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 10 | $3,000 | $10,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 10 |
| Lease Review Fee2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 10 | $0 | $750 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 10 |
| On-Site Opening Assistance Fee2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 10 | $0 | $5,850 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 10 |
| Pre-Opening Hiring and Training of Employees2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 10 | $3,000 | $10,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 10 |
| Opening Marketing2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 10 | $1,000 | $10,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 10 |
| Business Insurance2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 10 | $2,000 | $6,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 10 |
| Additional Funds - 3 months2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 10 | $15,000 | $30,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 10 |
| Total estimated initial investment2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 9-10 | $183,250 | $487,600 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 9-10 |
Source Fat Shack, 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 9-10, via Public FDD bucket (storage.googleapis.com/franchiseindx_fdds) (source record). Figures read and verified 2026-10-12.
Item 19
What Fat Shack franchisees actually report earning
Median
$614,309
Fat Shack's 2026 FDD, Item 19, for the calendar year 2025. Basis: FAT SHACK Units that were in operation for the entire calendar year 2025.
Sample size: 24 outlets. The FDD also reports average unit sales of $670,665. 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
- The company-owned and affiliate-owned chart excludes the results of three Units that were owned and operated for part of the year by an affiliate and for part of the year by a franchisee, since those Units did not operate for the full year as company-owned Units.
- The franchisee-owned chart excludes four Units that did not operate the entire year in calendar year 2025 as franchised Units: two Units that first opened during 2025 and two Units that were operated during part of the year by an affiliate and then transferred to a franchisee.
This is a disclosure of what some existing outlets reported, not a projection of what a new Fat Shack outlet would earn. Your results will differ.
Source Fat Shack, 2026 FDD, Item 19, p. 37, via Public FDD bucket (storage.googleapis.com/franchiseindx_fdds) (source record). Figures read and verified 2026-10-12.
Item 20
How many Fat Shack outlets there are, and how many closed
Fat Shack ended 2025 with 28 franchised outlets and 3 company-owned outlets. In that year 4 franchised outlets opened and none left the system.
Three years at a glance
From 2023 through 2025, Fat Shack opened 6 franchised outlets and 2 outlets left the system. That is a net gain of 4, from 24 to 28 franchised outlets. Of the outlets that left, 1 was terminated and 1 was bought back by the franchisor.
On average, about 2.8% of franchised outlets left the system each year, roughly 1 in 36.
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 | 24 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 2026 FDD, Item 20, p. 39 |
| 2024 | 24 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 2026 FDD, Item 20, p. 40 |
| 2023 | 24 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 24 | 2026 FDD, Item 20, p. 40 |
Source Fat Shack, 2026 FDD, Item 20, p. 40, via Public FDD bucket (storage.googleapis.com/franchiseindx_fdds) (source record). Figures read and verified 2026-10-12.
Compare
How Fat Shack 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 Fat Shack's estimated range is $335,425. It costs less to open than 82% of Food & Beverage franchises here.
- Outlets leaving each year. 2.8% for Fat Shack. That is lower than 76% of the 165 Food & Beverage franchises with at least 10 outlets.
- Three-year growth. Fat Shack's franchised system grew 17%. 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. Fat Shack 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 Fat Shack files a new FDD
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