Bud's Place franchise
2022 filing · April 20, 2022
Bud's Place at a glance
A social lounge for cannabis consumption where local law allows, with food, drinks, entertainment and private rooms.
The business
- Industry
- Entertainment
- Franchisor
- Bud's Place Franchising, LLC
- The company that sells the franchises
- Franchisor based in
- Las Vegas, Nevada
What you pay
- Cost to open
- $600K–$1.43M
- Fee, build-out and opening working capital
- Franchise fee
- $75,000
- Or $65,000 for U.S. military veterans and $72,500 for a second or third lounge
- Royalty
- 7% + minimum
- The greater of 7% of gross sales (6% for veterans) or a minimum of $2,500 a week
- Brand fund
- 1%
- 1% of gross sales, paid with the royalty
- Agreement length
- 10 years
- Territory
- Limited
- Limited protection
- Franchisor financing
- None offered
Where it is
- US locations, 2021
- 0
- Franchised and company-owned
- Franchised
- 0
- Company-owned
- 0
- Change in 3 years
- 0
- Franchised locations, 2019–2021
From Bud's Place Franchising, LLC’s 2022 filing; SBA status from the SBA Franchise Directory, October 28, 2026.
Where it ranks
Bud's Place among all franchises with the same figure.
| Figure | Bud's Place | Among all franchises |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, midpointHalfway between the low and high estimate | $1,013,500 | Costs more than 83% of franchises |
| Franchise feePaid once, when you sign | $75,000 | Higher than 95% of franchises |
| RoyaltyShare of sales paid to the franchisor | 7% | Higher than 70% of brands with a set rate |
| US locationsFranchised and company-owned | 0 | Fewer than 97% of franchises |
How much a Bud's Place franchise costs
Opening one Bud's Place costs an estimated $600,400 to $1,426,600. That covers the franchise fee and everything else needed to open, through the first months of working capital.
The biggest costs are leasehold improvements ($325,000 to $747,500) and equipment, furniture and fixtures ($90,000 to $260,000). Here is every line of the estimate as filed:
| What it pays for | Range | Low | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee | $75,000 | ||
| Rent – 3 Months | $30,000 | $90,000 | |
| Lease & Utility Security Deposit | $10,000 | $30,000 | |
| Design & Architect Fees | $5,000 | $12,000 | |
| Leasehold Improvements | $325,000 | $747,500 | |
| Signage | $3,000 | $13,000 | |
| Equipment, Furniture and Fixtures | $90,000 | $260,000 | |
| Point of Sale & Computer Equipment | $2,400 | $6,600 | |
| Business Licenses & Permits (Not Including Beer/Wine License or liquor License) | $5,000 | $17,500 | |
| Professional Fees | $2,000 | $5,500 | |
| Insurance – 3 Months | $2,000 | $18,000 | |
| Initial Inventory | $15,000 | $36,000 | |
| Training Expenses | $1,000 | $6,500 | |
| Grand Opening Marketing | $10,000 | ||
| Additional Funds – 3 Months | $25,000 | $90,000 | |
| Total | $600,400 | $1,426,600 | |
Source: Bud's Place Franchising, LLC, 2022 filing, page 19
Bud's Place franchise fee
The franchise fee is $75,000, or $65,000 for U.S. military veterans and $72,500 for a second or third lounge. You pay it when you sign the franchise agreement.
Source: Bud's Place Franchising, LLC, 2022 filing, page 12
Royalty and ongoing fees
| Royalty | The greater of 7% of gross sales (6% for veterans) or a minimum of $2,500 a week. |
|---|---|
| Brand or marketing fund | 1% of gross sales, paid with the royalty. |
| Maintenance contract Software Fee | Estimated $35 |
| Transfer Fee – Franchise Agreement | $2,500 |
The typical franchise royalty is 6% of sales, plus 2% for marketing. See franchise fees and royalties to compare.
Source: Bud's Place Franchising, LLC, 2022 filing, page 13
Other fees as filed, from pages 15–17. The filing lists every fee, including late fees and audit costs.
Sales and earnings
No figures Bud's Place 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: Bud's Place Franchising, LLC, 2022 filing, page 51
How Bud's Place compares
Of the 168 entertainment franchises on this site, Bud's Place is the 118th cheapest to open and the 148th largest by number of locations.
| Figure | Bud's Place | Typical entertainment brand | Typical franchise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, low end | $600K | $286K | $222K |
| Cost to open, high end | $1.43M | $598K | $477K |
| Franchise fee | $75K | $45K | $40K |
| Royalty | 7% | 6% | 6% |
| Brand fund | 1% | 1.3% | 2% |
| US locations | 0 | 8 | 21 |
| Shares earnings figures | No | 113 of 168 | 2,147 of 3,352 |
Typical is the median across the 168 brands in entertainment franchises; typical franchise, across every brand here.
Locations opened and closed
| Year | Franchised | Company-owned | Opened | Closed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 0 (0) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 (0) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 (0) | 0 | 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: franchises for veterans and franchise failure rates.
Source: Bud's Place Franchising, LLC, 2022 filing, page 51
Who owns Bud's Place?
Bud's Place franchises are sold by Bud's Place Franchising, LLC. It is a subsidiary of Bud’s Place HQF, LLC.
From Bud's Place Franchising, LLC’s 2022 filing, page 7.
Lawsuits and bankruptcy
| Lawsuits and regulatory actions | Yes. The filing describes past or pending cases involving the franchisor, its affiliates or its executives on page 12. |
|---|---|
| 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: Bud's Place Franchising, LLC, 2022 filing, litigation on page 12, bankruptcy on page 12
Bud's Place filings
The figures on this page come from Bud's Place Franchising, LLC’s 2022 filing, issued April 20, 2022, on record with the NASAA Electronic Filing Depository.
| Filing | Issued | Registry | On this page |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 filing | April 20, 2022 | NASAA depository | Costs, fees and locations, 2019–2021 |
Each link opens the filing as a PDF. See the newest filings across all brands.
