Chuck Lager franchise
2023 filing · April 28, 2023Growing
Chuck Lager at a glance
An upscale full-service tavern restaurant serving chef-inspired American food with a European influence, including burgers, pizzas and flatbreads. At the end of 2022 there were 4 Chuck Lager locations in the US, 1 franchised and 3 company-owned, so most are run by the company itself.
The business
- Franchisor
- Chuck Lager's Franchising, LLC
- The company that sells the franchises
- Typical size
- 5,000–8,000 sq ft
What you pay
- Cost to open
- $1.05M–$3.95M
- Fee, build-out and opening working capital
- Franchise fee
- $50,000
- Paid once, when you sign
- Royalty
- 5.5%
- 5.5% of gross sales, paid weekly, plus 2% to the advertising fund and 2% on local advertising
- Brand fund
- 2%
- 2% of gross sales, paid with the royalty
- Renewal fee
- $25,000
- When the agreement ends and you sign again
- Agreement length
- 15 years
Where it is
- US locations, 2022
- 4
- Franchised and company-owned
- Franchised
- 1
- Company-owned
- 3
- Change in 3 years
- +1
- Franchised locations, 2020–2022
- States
- 2
- Most in Florida and Illinois
From Chuck Lager's Franchising, LLC’s 2023 filing; SBA status from the SBA Franchise Directory, October 28, 2026.
Where it ranks
Chuck Lager among all franchises with the same figure.
| Figure | Chuck Lager | Among all franchises |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, midpointHalfway between the low and high estimate | $2,501,750 | Costs more than 94% of franchises |
| Franchise feePaid once, when you sign | $50,000 | Higher than 70% of franchises |
| RoyaltyShare of sales paid to the franchisor | 5.5% | Lower than 66% of brands with a set rate |
| US locationsFranchised and company-owned | 4 | Fewer than 74% of franchises |
How much a Chuck Lager franchise costs
Opening one Chuck Lager costs an estimated $1,054,500 to $3,949,000. That covers the franchise fee and everything else needed to open, through the first months of working capital.
The biggest costs are leasehold improvements ($500,000 to $2,000,000) and equipment and smallwares ($250,000 to $650,000). Here is every line of the estimate as filed:
| What it pays for | Range | Low | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee | $50,000 | ||
| Lease and Utilities Security Deposits | $1,000 | $50,000 | |
| Leasehold Improvements | $500,000 | $2,000,000 | |
| Architect, Design and Construction fees | $5,000 | $50,000 | |
| Signage | $20,000 | $60,000 | |
| Furniture and Fixtures | $50,000 | $200,000 | |
| Equipment and Smallwares | $250,000 | $650,000 | |
| Security System | $0 | $10,000 | |
| Computer Hardware and Software (including POS system) | $25,000 | $60,000 | |
| Office Equipment and Supplies | $500 | $2,000 | |
| Uniforms | $500 | $2,000 | |
| Business Licenses and Permits (including liquor license) | $5,000 | $500,000 | |
| Professional Services | $1,000 | $10,000 | |
| Initial Inventory/Supplies | $25,000 | $100,000 | |
| Insurance | $1,500 | $10,000 | |
| Initial Training Costs | $60,000 | $85,000 | |
| Grand Opening Advertising | $10,000 | ||
| Additional Funds – Initial 3 months | $50,000 | $100,000 | |
| Total | $1,054,500 | $3,949,000 | |
Source: Chuck Lager's Franchising, LLC, 2023 filing, page 23
Chuck Lager franchise fee
The franchise fee is $50,000. You pay it when you sign the franchise agreement.
Source: Chuck Lager's Franchising, LLC, 2023 filing, page 14
Royalty and ongoing fees
| Royalty | 5.5% of gross sales, paid weekly, plus 2% to the advertising fund and 2% on local advertising. |
|---|---|
| Brand or marketing fund | 2% of gross sales, paid with the royalty. |
| Computer Hardware and Software (including POS system) | $25,000 to $60,000 |
| Renewal Fee | $25,000 |
| Local Advertising and Cooperatives | 2% of the Chuck Lager Restaurant’s Gross Sales |
The typical franchise royalty is 6% of sales, plus 2% for marketing. See franchise fees and royalties to compare.
Source: Chuck Lager's Franchising, LLC, 2023 filing, pages 15 and 17
Other fees as filed, from pages 16–23. The filing lists every fee, including late fees and audit costs.
Sales and earnings
No figures Chuck Lager 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: Chuck Lager's Franchising, LLC, 2023 filing, page 61
- Estimate Estimated yearly sales per location
- $1.8M–$3.2M
Estimated from the sales that 292 comparable franchises file, matched on industry, format, cost to open, fees and size.
SBA loans to Chuck Lager franchisees
Lenders approved one SBA 7(a) loan for a Chuck Lager franchisee in 2024, for $1.55M. It hasn’t been paid off or charged off yet.
A charged-off loan is one written off as uncollectible. See SBA franchise loans for how 7(a) and 504 loans work.
Source: SBA 7(a) and 504 loan data, as of September 30, 2026
How Chuck Lager compares
Of the 63 burger franchises on this site, Chuck Lager is the 41st cheapest to open and the 50th largest by number of locations.
| Figure | Chuck Lager | Typical burger brand | Typical franchise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, low end | $1.05M | $556K | $222K |
| Cost to open, high end | $3.95M | $1.52M | $477K |
| Franchise fee | $50K | $35K | $40K |
| Royalty | 5.5% | 5% | 6% |
| Brand fund | 2% | 2% | 2% |
| US locations | 4 | 25 | 21 |
| Closed or left per year | 0% | 2% | – |
| Shares earnings figures | No | 44 of 63 | 2,147 of 3,352 |
Typical is the median across the 63 brands in burger franchises; typical franchise, across every brand here.
Locations opened and closed
| Year | Franchised | Company-owned | Opened | Closed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 1 (+1) | 2 | +1 | 0 |
| 2021 | 1 (0) | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 2022 | 1 (0) | 3 | 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: burger franchise costs and franchise failure rates.
Source: Chuck Lager's Franchising, LLC, 2023 filing, page 62
Where Chuck Lager locations are
At the end of 2022, Chuck Lager had locations in 2 states. The most are in Florida and Illinois.
- Florida1
- Illinois1
Source: Chuck Lager's Franchising, LLC, 2023 filing, page 63
Who owns Chuck Lager?
Chuck Lager franchises are sold by Chuck Lager's Franchising, LLC.
From Chuck Lager's Franchising, LLC’s 2023 filing.
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: Chuck Lager's Franchising, LLC, 2023 filing, litigation on pages 13–14, bankruptcy on page 14
Chuck Lager filings
The figures on this page come from Chuck Lager's Franchising, LLC’s 2023 filing, issued April 28, 2023, on record with the NASAA Electronic Filing Depository.
| Filing | Issued | Registry | On this page |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 filing | April 28, 2023 | NASAA depository | Costs, fees and locations, 2020–2022 |
Each link opens the filing as a PDF. See the newest filings across all brands.
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