Al's #1 Italian Beef franchise
2026 filing · April 28, 2026
Al's #1 Italian Beef at a glance
A Chicago Italian beef restaurant serving beef sandwiches, sausages, hot dogs and fries. At the end of 2025 there were 5 Al's #1 Italian Beef locations in the US, 4 franchised and 1 company-owned.
The business
- Franchisor
- Al's #1 Italian Beef Franchising, LLC
- The company that sells the franchises
What you pay
- Cost to open
- $945K–$1.34M
- A Roastery restaurant
- Franchise fee
- $35,000
- $25,000 for a second restaurant and less for later ones
- Royalty
- 6%
- 6% of gross sales, paid weekly, plus up to 3% to the national marketing fund
- Brand fund
- Yes
- Up to 3% of gross sales, paid weekly
- Renewal fee
- $10,000
- When the agreement ends and you sign again
- Agreement length
- 10 years
- Territory
- Limited
- Limited protection
- Franchisor financing
- None offered
Where it is
- US locations, 2025
- 5
- Franchised and company-owned
- Franchised
- 4
- Company-owned
- 1
- States
- 1
- Most in Illinois
From Al's #1 Italian Beef Franchising, LLC’s 2026 filing; SBA status from the SBA Franchise Directory, October 28, 2026.
Where it ranks
Al's #1 Italian Beef among all franchises with the same figure.
| Figure | Al's #1 Italian Beef | Among all franchises |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, midpointHalfway between the low and high estimate | $1,141,395 | Costs more than 85% of franchises |
| Franchise feePaid once, when you sign | $35,000 | Lower than 61% of franchises |
| RoyaltyShare of sales paid to the franchisor | 6% | Higher than 35% of brands with a set rate |
| US locationsFranchised and company-owned | 5 | Fewer than 71% of franchises |
How much a Al's #1 Italian Beef franchise costs
Opening a Roastery restaurant costs an estimated $945,240 to $1,337,550. That covers the franchise fee and everything else needed to open, through the first months of working capital.
The biggest costs are site improvements ($300,000 to $430,000) and signs, computer, furniture, fixtures and equipment ($340,000 to $360,000). Here is every line of the estimate as filed:
| What it pays for | Range | Low | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee | $35,000 | ||
| Travel and Living Costs while Training | $4,440 | $8,700 | |
| Lease/Occupancy Costs (3 months) | $10,500 | $48,500 | |
| Site Improvements | $300,000 | $430,000 | |
| Signs, Computer, Furniture, Fixtures and Equipment | $340,000 | $360,000 | |
| POS System | $10,000 | $30,000 | |
| Opening Inventory and Supplies | $45,000 | $70,000 | |
| Initial Supply of Proprietary Spices | $1,700 | $2,550 | |
| Professional Services | $30,000 | $80,000 | |
| Licenses, Permits, Registrations | $5,000 | $10,000 | |
| Insurance | $7,200 | $15,000 | |
| Grand Opening Advertising | $25,000 | $35,000 | |
| On-Site Opening Assistance and Training | $6,400 | $12,800 | |
| Payroll (first 3 months) | $90,000 | $125,000 | |
| Additional Funds (for 3 months of operation) | $35,000 | $75,000 | |
| Total | $945,240 | $1,337,550 | |
Source: Al's #1 Italian Beef Franchising, LLC, 2026 filing, page 18
Al's #1 Italian Beef franchise fee
The franchise fee is $35,000, $25,000 for a second restaurant and less for later ones. You pay it when you sign the franchise agreement.
Source: Al's #1 Italian Beef Franchising, LLC, 2026 filing, page 10
Royalty and ongoing fees
| Royalty | 6% of gross sales, paid weekly, plus up to 3% to the national marketing fund. |
|---|---|
| Brand or marketing fund | Up to 3% of gross sales, paid weekly. |
| Transfer Fee | $15,000 |
| Renewal Fee | $10,000 |
| Local Advertising | 2% of Gross Sales |
The typical franchise royalty is 6% of sales, plus 2% for marketing. See franchise fees and royalties to compare.
Source: Al's #1 Italian Beef Franchising, LLC, 2026 filing, page 11
Other fees as filed, from pages 11–12. The filing lists every fee, including late fees and audit costs.
Sales and earnings
No figures Al's #1 Italian Beef does not share sales or profit figures for its locations. Talking to current and former franchise owners is the usual way to learn what a location earns.
Source: Al's #1 Italian Beef Franchising, LLC, 2026 filing, page 54
- Estimate Estimated yearly sales per location
- $840K–$1.5M
Estimated from the sales that 292 comparable franchises file, matched on industry, format, cost to open, fees and size.
How Al's #1 Italian Beef compares
Of the 80 sandwich franchises on this site, Al's #1 Italian Beef is the 74th cheapest to open and the 54th largest by number of locations.
| Figure | Al's #1 Italian Beef | Typical sandwich brand | Typical franchise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, low end | $945K | $321K | $222K |
| Cost to open, high end | $1.34M | $683K | $477K |
| Franchise fee | $35K | $32K | $40K |
| Royalty | 6% | 6% | 6% |
| US locations | 5 | 31 | 21 |
| Change in franchised locations, 0 yrs | −20% | 0% | – |
| Shares earnings figures | No | 50 of 80 | 2,147 of 3,352 |
Typical is the median across the 80 brands in sandwich franchises; typical franchise, across every brand here.
Locations opened and closed
| Year | Franchised | Company-owned |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 5 (0) | 1 |
| 2024 | 4 (−1) | 1 |
| 2025 | 4 (0) | 1 |
Closed or left counts terminations, non-renewals, locations bought back by the franchisor and locations that stopped operating.
See which brands grew most in the fastest-growing franchises rankings.
More in the guides: sandwich and sub franchise costs and franchise failure rates.
Source: Al's #1 Italian Beef Franchising, LLC, 2026 filing, page 55
Where Al's #1 Italian Beef locations are
At the end of 2025, Al's #1 Italian Beef had franchised locations in 1 state. The most are in Illinois.
- Illinois4
| State | Franchised |
|---|---|
| Illinois | 4 |
Source: Al's #1 Italian Beef Franchising, LLC, 2026 filing, page 56
Who owns Al's #1 Italian Beef?
Al's #1 Italian Beef franchises are sold by Al's #1 Italian Beef Franchising, LLC. Its filing names no parent company.
From Al's #1 Italian Beef Franchising, LLC’s 2026 filing, page 7.
Lawsuits and bankruptcy
| Lawsuits and regulatory actions | None. The filing says no litigation has to be disclosed. |
|---|---|
| Bankruptcy | None. The filing says no bankruptcy has to be disclosed. |
Franchisors must disclose lawsuits and bankruptcies involving the company, its parents and affiliates, and its executives. Many cases are routine disputes with franchisees over fees or contracts; read the descriptions in the filing and ask current owners about anything that worries you.
Source: Al's #1 Italian Beef Franchising, LLC, 2026 filing, litigation on page 9, bankruptcy on page 9
Al's #1 Italian Beef filings
The figures on this page come from Al's #1 Italian Beef Franchising, LLC’s 2026 filing, issued April 28, 2026, on record with the NASAA Electronic Filing Depository.
| Filing | Issued | Registry | On this page |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 filing | April 28, 2026 | NASAA depository | Costs, fees and locations, 2023–2025 |
Each link opens the filing as a PDF. See the newest filings across all brands.
Other sandwich franchises
All sandwich franchises
Al's #1 Italian Beef is also on these lists: fast food franchises, restaurant franchises, food franchises.