How much does a Hickory River Smokehouse franchise cost?
Opening a Hickory River Smokehouse franchise takes a total initial investment of $315,000 to $674,500, according to the brand's 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document. The FDD's Item 19 reports median revenue of $1,536,579 across 5 outlets.
Hickory River Smokehouse franchises restaurants. Category: Food & Beverage.
Item 7
What it costs to open a Hickory River Smokehouse franchise
The franchisor's own estimated initial investment, as disclosed in its 2026 FDD. The total is $315,000 to $674,500. Each line below carries the FDD page it was read from.
Where the money goes
The largest costs are Furniture, Fixtures and Equipment ($80,000 to $250,000), Leasehold Improvements ($73,500 to $175,000), and Additional Funds (3 month period) ($60,000 to $75,000). Together they make up about 74% of the high-end estimate.
The initial franchise fee is $30,000, about 9.5% of the low-end total.
Our arithmetic from the Item 7 table below.
| Expenditure | Low | High | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 5 | $30,000 | $30,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 5 |
| Leasehold Improvements2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 5 | $73,500 | $175,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 5 |
| Furniture, Fixtures and Equipment2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 5 | $80,000 | $250,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 5 |
| Signage2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 5 | $15,000 | $25,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 5 |
| Computer System/ | $4,500 | $6,500 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 5 |
| Lease & Utility Security Deposits2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 5 | $500 | $15,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 5 |
| Initial Inventory2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 5 | $12,500 | $20,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 5 |
| Insurance2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 5 | $2,500 | $5,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 5 |
| Training2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 5 | $18,000 | $29,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 5 |
| Grand Opening Advertising/ | $10,000 | $20,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 5 |
| Beer and Wine License2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 5 | $750 | $5,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 5 |
| Professional Fees2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 5 | $1,000 | $10,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 5 |
| Business License and Permits2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 5 | $250 | $1,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 5 |
| Opening Team Travel Expenses2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 5 | $6,500 | $8,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 5 |
| Additional Funds (3 month period)2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 5 | $60,000 | $75,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 5 |
| Total estimated initial investment2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 5 | $315,000 | $674,500 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 5 |
Source Hickory River Smokehouse, 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 5, via Public FDD bucket (storage.googleapis.com/franchiseindx_fdds) (source record). Figures read and verified 2026-09-27.
Item 19
What Hickory River Smokehouse franchisees actually report earning
Median Revenue
$1,536,579
Hickory River Smokehouse's 2026 FDD, Item 19, for the 2025 and 2024. Basis: Five franchised Hickory River Smokehouse Restaurants open for the entire fiscal years ended December 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024.
Sample size: 5 outlets. The FDD also reports average revenue of $1,806,213. 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 figures exclude franchised restaurants that were not open and operating during the entire years included in this Item 19.
- There are no franchisor or affiliate owned locations currently, so no franchisor or affiliate owned locations are included in the figures.
This is a disclosure of what some existing outlets reported, not a projection of what a new Hickory River Smokehouse outlet would earn. Your results will differ.
Source Hickory River Smokehouse, 2026 FDD, Item 19, p. 28, via Public FDD bucket (storage.googleapis.com/franchiseindx_fdds) (source record). Figures read and verified 2026-09-27.
Item 20
How many Hickory River Smokehouse outlets there are, and how many closed
Hickory River Smokehouse ended 2025 with 5 franchised outlets and no company-owned outlets. No franchised outlets opened or left the system that year.
Three years at a glance
From 2023 through 2025, Hickory River Smokehouse opened 0 franchised outlets and 1 outlet left the system. That is a net loss of 1, from 6 to 5 franchised outlets. Of the outlets that left, 1 closed for other reasons.
With fewer than 10 outlets, one closure moves the numbers a lot, so we do not calculate a yearly rate.
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 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 2026 FDD, Item 20, p. 30 |
| 2024 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 2026 FDD, Item 20, p. 30 |
| 2023 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 2026 FDD, Item 20, p. 30 |
Source Hickory River Smokehouse, 2026 FDD, Item 20, p. 30, via Public FDD bucket (storage.googleapis.com/franchiseindx_fdds) (source record). Figures read and verified 2026-09-27.
Compare
How Hickory River Smokehouse 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 Hickory River Smokehouse's estimated range is $494,750. It costs less to open than 59% of Food & Beverage franchises here.
- Earnings disclosure. 152 of the 256 Food & Beverage franchises here publish earnings figures in Item 19. Hickory River Smokehouse 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 Hickory River Smokehouse files a new FDD
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