How much does a Shuckin Shack franchise cost?
Opening a Shuckin Shack franchise takes a total initial investment of $456,750 to $1,401,420, according to the brand's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document. The FDD's Item 19 reports median of $1,141,949 across 16 outlets.
Shuckin’ Shack Oyster Bar franchises Shuckin’ Shack Oyster Bar Restaurants. Category: Food & Beverage.
Item 7
What it costs to open a Shuckin Shack franchise
The franchisor's own estimated initial investment, as disclosed in its 2025 FDD. The total is $456,750 to $1,401,420. Each line below carries the FDD page it was read from.
Where the money goes
The largest costs are Construction and Leasehold Improvements ($232,000 to $803,540), Furniture, Fixtures and Equipment ($103,000 to $332,353), and Additional Funds – Three Months ($20,000 to $50,000). Together they make up about 85% of the high-end estimate.
The initial franchise fee is $45,000, about 9.9% of the low-end total.
Our arithmetic from the Item 7 table below.
| Expenditure | Low | High | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 11 | $45,000 | $45,000 | 2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 11 |
| Training and Opening Fee2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 11 | $15,000 | $15,000 | 2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 11 |
| Construction and Leasehold Improvements2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 11 | $232,000 | $803,540 | 2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 11 |
| Lease Deposits and Rent – Three Months2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 11 | $10,000 | $30,000 | 2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 11 |
| Furniture, Fixtures and Equipment2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 11 | $103,000 | $332,353 | 2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 11 |
| Signage2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 11 | $1,400 | $21,954 | 2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 11 |
| Computer, Software and Point of Sales System2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 11 | $8,600 | $14,750 | 2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 11 |
| Grand Opening Marketing2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 11 | $1,500 | $7,800 | 2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 11 |
| Initial Inventory2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 11 | $15,000 | $16,500 | 2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 11 |
| Utility Deposits and Miscellaneous Opening Costs2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 11 | $1,000 | $20,432 | 2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 11 |
| Insurance Deposits – Three Months2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 11 | $750 | $9,000 | 2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 11 |
| Travel for Initial Training2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 12 | $700 | $8,000 | 2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 12 |
| Professional Fees2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 12 | $1,000 | $2,500 | 2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 12 |
| Licenses and Permits2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 12 | $1,800 | $24,591 | 2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 12 |
| Additional Funds – Three Months2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 12 | $20,000 | $50,000 | 2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 12 |
| Total estimated initial investment2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 11-12 | $456,750 | $1,401,420 | 2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 11-12 |
Source Shuckin Shack, 2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 11-12, via Public FDD bucket (storage.googleapis.com/franchiseindx_fdds) (source record). Figures read and verified 2026-09-15.
Item 19
What Shuckin Shack franchisees actually report earning
Median
$1,141,949
Shuckin Shack's 2025 FDD, Item 19, for the 2024 Calendar Year. Basis: All Operational Franchise Outlets.
Sample size: 16 outlets. The FDD also reports average of $1,315,675. 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 data provided is limited to Operational Franchise Outlets and does not include New Franchise Outlets as to each respective Calendar Year reported below.
- One Franchise Outlet that was closed for a portion of the 2023 Calendar Year is excluded and therefore did not qualify as an Operational Franchise Outlet.
This is a disclosure of what some existing outlets reported, not a projection of what a new Shuckin Shack outlet would earn. Your results will differ.
Source Shuckin Shack, 2025 FDD, Item 19, p. 49-52, via Public FDD bucket (storage.googleapis.com/franchiseindx_fdds) (source record). Figures read and verified 2026-09-15.
Item 20
How many Shuckin Shack outlets there are, and how many closed
Shuckin Shack ended 2024 with 16 franchised outlets and 2 company-owned outlets. No franchised outlets opened or left the system that year.
Three years at a glance
From 2022 through 2024, Shuckin Shack opened 4 franchised outlets and 2 outlets left the system. That is a net gain of 2, from 14 to 16 franchised outlets. Of the outlets that left, 2 closed for other reasons.
On average, about 4.3% of franchised outlets left the system each year, roughly 1 in 24.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 2025 FDD, Item 20, p. 54 |
| 2023 | 17 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 16 | 2025 FDD, Item 20, p. 54 |
| 2022 | 14 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 2025 FDD, Item 20, p. 54 |
Source Shuckin Shack, 2025 FDD, Item 20, p. 54, via Public FDD bucket (storage.googleapis.com/franchiseindx_fdds) (source record). Figures read and verified 2026-09-15.
Compare
How Shuckin 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 Shuckin Shack's estimated range is $929,085. It costs more to open than 69% of Food & Beverage franchises here.
- Outlets leaving each year. 4.3% for Shuckin Shack. That is lower than 59% of the 165 Food & Beverage franchises with at least 10 outlets.
- Three-year growth. Shuckin Shack's franchised system grew 14%. 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. Shuckin 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 Shuckin Shack 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 Shuckin Shack's updated numbers when the next document is published, plus the brand-comparison worksheet.
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