How much does a Hooters franchise cost?
Opening a Hooters franchise takes a total initial investment of $1,253,300 to $3,022,000, 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.
Hooters franchises Hooters Restaurants. Category: Food & Beverage.
Item 7
What it costs to open a Hooters franchise
The franchisor's own estimated initial investment, as disclosed in its 2026 FDD. The total is $1,253,300 to $3,022,000. Each line below carries the FDD page it was read from.
Where the money goes
The largest costs are Leasehold Improvement, Architect, and Other Site-Related Fees (Excludes land purchase costs) ($525,000 to $1,750,000), Equipment, Furniture, Fixtures, Supplies, Signage, and Technology Systems ($455,000 to $665,000), and Initial Labor and Training ($95,000 to $162,000). Together they make up about 85% of the high-end estimate.
The initial franchise fee is $50,000, about 4.0% of the low-end total.
Our arithmetic from the Item 7 table below.
| Expenditure | Low | High | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 18 | $50,000 | $50,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 18 |
| Liquor License2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 18 | $300 | $10,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 18 |
| Leasehold Improvement, Architect, and Other Site-Related Fees (Excludes land purchase costs)2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 18 | $525,000 | $1,750,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 18 |
| Equipment, Furniture, Fixtures, Supplies, Signage, and Technology Systems2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 18 | $455,000 | $665,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 18 |
| Initial Inventory2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 18 | $25,000 | $95,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 18 |
| Initial Labor and Training2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 18 | $95,000 | $162,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 18 |
| Grand Opening Expenses2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 18 | $10,000 | $50,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 18 |
| Insurance2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 18 | $45,000 | $80,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 18 |
| Professional Fees, Licenses, Deposits, and Other Prepaid Expenses2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 18-19 | $8,000 | $25,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 18-19 |
| Additional Funds – 3 months2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 19 | $40,000 | $135,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 19 |
| Total estimated initial investment2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 18-19 | $1,253,300 | $3,022,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 18-19 |
Source Hooters, 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 18-19, via Public FDD bucket (storage.googleapis.com/franchiseindx_fdds) (source record). Figures read and verified 2026-09-14.
Item 19
What Hooters 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 Hooters, 2026 FDD, Item 19, p. 63, via Public FDD bucket (storage.googleapis.com/franchiseindx_fdds) (source record). Figures read and verified 2026-09-14.
Item 20
How many Hooters outlets there are, and how many closed
Hooters ended 2025 with 118 franchised outlets and 76 company-owned outlets. In that year 58 franchised outlets opened and 32 left the system.
Three years at a glance
From 2023 through 2025, Hooters opened 59 franchised outlets and 43 outlets left the system. That is a net gain of 16, from 102 to 118 franchised outlets. Of the outlets that left, 8 were terminated, 3 were not renewed, 22 were bought back by the franchisor, and 10 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 | 92 | 58 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 10 | 118 | 2026 FDD, Item 20, p. 66 |
| 2024 | 97 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 92 | 2026 FDD, Item 20, p. 66 |
| 2023 | 102 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 97 | 2026 FDD, Item 20, p. 66 |
Source Hooters, 2026 FDD, Item 20, p. 66, via Public FDD bucket (storage.googleapis.com/franchiseindx_fdds) (source record). Figures read and verified 2026-09-14.
Compare
How Hooters 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 Hooters' estimated range is $2,137,650. It costs more to open than 93% of Food & Beverage franchises here.
- Outlets leaving each year. 15% for Hooters. That is higher than 88% of the 165 Food & Beverage franchises with at least 10 outlets.
- Three-year growth. Hooters' franchised system grew 16%. 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. Hooters 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 Hooters files a new FDD
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