BrewDog franchise
2024 filing · April 29, 2024Shares sales figures
BrewDog at a glance
A brewpub serving BrewDog craft beer with pizza, burgers and sandwiches. At the end of 2023 there were 8 BrewDog locations in the US, all company-owned.
The business
- Franchisor
- BrewDog Franchising LLC
- The company that sells the franchises
- Franchising since
- 2020
- 4 years of selling franchises
- Franchisor based in
- Canal Winchester, Ohio
- Typical size
- 8,500–10,000 sq ft
What you pay
- Cost to open
- $3.36M–$5.73M
- New brewpub
- Franchise fee
- $50,000
- Paid once, when you sign
- Royalty
- 5%
- 5% of total monthly receipts
- Brand fund
- Yes
- 1% of monthly receipts if a fund is set up; it can rise to 3%
- Agreement length
- 10 years
- Territory
- Protected
- Protected territory
- Franchisor financing
- None offered
Where it is
- US locations, 2023
- 8
- Franchised and company-owned
- Franchised
- 0
- Company-owned
- 8
- Change in 3 years
- 0
- Franchised locations, 2021–2023
- States
- 3
- Most in Ohio, Georgia and Nevada
Support and records
- Initial training
- 3 programs
- General manager or principal owner: 30 hours in class and 50 on the job; Kitchen manager: 14 hours in class and 26 on the job; Brewer: 20 hours in class and 60 on the job
- Lawsuits disclosed
- None
- Bankruptcy disclosed
- None
- Latest filing
- Apr 29, 2024
- 2024 filing
From BrewDog Franchising LLC’s 2024 filing; SBA status from the SBA Franchise Directory, October 28, 2026.
Where it ranks
BrewDog among all franchises with the same figure.
| Figure | BrewDog | Among all franchises |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, midpointHalfway between the low and high estimate | $4,547,000 | Costs more than 96% of franchises |
| Franchise feePaid once, when you sign | $50,000 | Higher than 70% of franchises |
| RoyaltyShare of sales paid to the franchisor | 5% | Lower than 69% of brands with a set rate |
| US locationsFranchised and company-owned | 8 | Fewer than 65% of franchises |
How much a BrewDog franchise costs
Opening new brewpub costs an estimated $3,363,500 to $5,730,500. That covers the franchise fee and everything else needed to open, through the first months of working capital.
The biggest costs are leasehold improvements/construction ($2,000,000 to $3,000,000) and furniture, fixtures & equipment ($800,000 to $1,500,000). Here is every line of the estimate as filed:
| What it pays for | Range | Low | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee | $50,000 | ||
| Leasehold Improvements/Construction | $2,000,000 | $3,000,000 | |
| Construction Consultant/Owners Representation | $30,000 | $100,000 | |
| Design and Architect Fees | $100,000 | $150,000 | |
| Furniture, Fixtures & Equipment | $800,000 | $1,500,000 | |
| Signage | $100,000 | $250,000 | |
| Three Months’ Rent | $75,000 | $180,000 | |
| Security Deposit | $25,000 | $60,000 | |
| Opening Inventory and Supplies | $75,000 | $150,000 | |
| Grand Opening Advertising | $10,000 | ||
| Training Expenses | $50,000 | ||
| Miscellaneous Opening Costs | $20,500 | $50,500 | |
| Additional Funds – 3 months | $50,000 | $200,000 | |
| Total | $3,363,500 | $5,730,500 | |
Source: BrewDog Franchising LLC, 2024 filing, page 20
BrewDog franchise fee
The franchise fee is $50,000. You pay it when you sign the franchise agreement.
Source: BrewDog Franchising LLC, 2024 filing, page 14
Royalty and ongoing fees
| Royalty | 5% of total monthly receipts. |
|---|---|
| Brand or marketing fund | 1% of monthly receipts if a fund is set up; it can rise to 3%. |
| Local Marketing Spend | 1.5% of BrewPub’s Total Monthly Receipts |
The typical franchise royalty is 6% of sales, plus 2% for marketing. See franchise fees and royalties to compare.
Source: BrewDog Franchising LLC, 2024 filing, page 15
Other fees as filed, from page 15. The filing lists every fee, including late fees and audit costs.
Sales and earnings
Shares figures BrewDog publishes sales or earnings figures for its locations. The full tables, with notes on which locations are counted, are in its filing.
Source: BrewDog Franchising LLC, 2024 filing, page 61
- Estimate Estimated yearly sales per location
- $2.8M–$5M
Estimated from the sales that 292 comparable franchises file, matched on industry, format, cost to open, fees and size.
How BrewDog compares
Of the 813 restaurant franchises on this site, BrewDog is the 800th cheapest to open and the 465th largest by number of locations.
| Figure | BrewDog | Typical restaurant brand | Typical franchise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, low end | $3.36M | $408K | $222K |
| Cost to open, high end | $5.73M | $866K | $477K |
| Franchise fee | $50K | $35K | $40K |
| Royalty | 5% | 5% | 6% |
| US locations | 8 | 14 | 21 |
| Shares earnings figures | Yes | 474 of 813 | 2,147 of 3,352 |
Typical is the median across the 813 brands in restaurant franchises; typical franchise, across every brand here.
Locations opened and closed
| Year | Franchised | Company-owned | Opened | Closed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 0 (0) | 5 | – | – |
| 2020 | 0 (0) | 6 | – | – |
| 2021 | 0 (0) | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 (0) | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 (0) | 8 | 0 | 0 |
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: franchise failure rates.
Over 5 years, from the start of 2019 to the end of 2023, franchised locations went from 0 to 0, no change. The earlier years come from the brand's 2022 filing.
Source: BrewDog Franchising LLC, 2024 filing, pages 66–67
2019–2020: BrewDog Franchising LLC, 2022 filing, page 61
Where BrewDog locations are
At the end of 2023, BrewDog had locations in 3 states. The most are in Ohio, Georgia and Nevada.
- Ohio6
- Georgia1
- Nevada1
Source: BrewDog Franchising LLC, 2024 filing, page 67
Who owns BrewDog?
BrewDog franchises are sold by BrewDog Franchising LLC. It is a subsidiary of BrewDog USA Inc.
From BrewDog Franchising LLC’s 2024 filing, page 10.
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: BrewDog Franchising LLC, 2024 filing, litigation on page 13, bankruptcy on page 13
BrewDog filings
A franchisor files a new disclosure each year it sells franchises. The figures on this page come from BrewDog Franchising LLC’s 2024 filing, issued April 29, 2024; the earlier ones below are on record with the Minnesota Department of Commerce and the NASAA Electronic Filing Depository and fill in older location counts.
| Filing | Issued | Registry | On this page |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 filing | April 29, 2024 | Minnesota | Costs, fees and locations, 2021–2023 |
| 2022 filing | April 27, 2022 | NASAA depository | Locations, 2019–2020 |
Each link opens the filing as a PDF. See the newest filings across all brands.
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