Don Chicken franchise
2026 filing · April 20, 2026Growing
Don Chicken at a glance
A Korean fried chicken restaurant. At the end of 2025 there were 18 Don Chicken locations in the US, 16 franchised and 2 company-owned.
The business
- Franchisor
- Don Chicken LLC
- The company that sells the franchises
- Current franchisor selling since
- 2025
- Franchisor based in
- Palisades Park, New Jersey
- Typical size
- 400–3,000 sq ft
What you pay
- Cost to open
- $226K–$780K
- Fee, build-out and opening working capital
- Franchise fee
- $20,000
- Paid once, when you sign
- Royalty
- 3%
- 3% of gross sales, paid monthly, plus 2% on local marketing. A brand fund of up to 2% is not charged yet
- Brand fund
- None now
- Up to 2% of gross sales, not charged at present
- Renewal fee
- $7,500
- When the agreement ends and you sign again
- Agreement length
- 10 years
- Franchisor financing
- None offered
Where it is
- US locations, 2025
- 18
- Franchised and company-owned
- Franchised
- 16
- Company-owned
- 2
- Change in 3 years
- +13
- Franchised locations, 2023–2025
- States
- 4
- Most in New Jersey, New York and Maryland
From Don Chicken LLC’s 2026 filing; SBA status from the SBA Franchise Directory, October 28, 2026.
Where it ranks
Don Chicken among all franchises with the same figure.
| Figure | Don Chicken | Among all franchises |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, midpointHalfway between the low and high estimate | $503,200 | Costs more than 64% of franchises |
| Franchise feePaid once, when you sign | $20,000 | Lower than 89% of franchises |
| RoyaltyShare of sales paid to the franchisor | 3% | Lower than 98% of brands with a set rate |
| US locationsFranchised and company-owned | 18 | Fewer than 52% of franchises |
How much a Don Chicken franchise costs
Opening one Don Chicken costs an estimated $226,400 to $780,000. That covers the franchise fee and everything else needed to open, through the first months of working capital.
The biggest costs are construction and leasehold improvements ($100,000 to $400,000) and furniture, fixtures, and equipment ($50,000 to $120,000). Here is every line of the estimate as filed:
| What it pays for | Range | Low | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee | $20,000 | ||
| Construction and Leasehold Improvements | $100,000 | $400,000 | |
| Lease Deposits and Rent – Three Months | $3,000 | $50,000 | |
| Furniture, Fixtures, and Equipment | $50,000 | $120,000 | |
| Signage | $5,000 | $25,000 | |
| Computer, Software, and Point of Sale System | $5,000 | $15,000 | |
| Grand Opening Marketing | $10,000 | ||
| Initial Inventory | $8,000 | $15,000 | |
| Utility Deposits | $1,000 | $8,000 | |
| Insurance Deposits – Three Months | $1,500 | $30,000 | |
| Travel for Initial Training | $500 | $5,000 | |
| Professional Fees | $2,000 | $20,000 | |
| General Licenses and Permits | $100 | $2,000 | |
| Liquor License | $300 | $20,000 | |
| Additional Funds – Three Months | $20,000 | $40,000 | |
| Total | $226,400 | $780,000 | |
Source: Don Chicken LLC, 2026 filing, page 16
Don Chicken franchise fee
The franchise fee is $20,000. You pay it when you sign the franchise agreement.
Source: Don Chicken LLC, 2026 filing, page 11
Royalty and ongoing fees
| Royalty | 3% of gross sales, paid monthly, plus 2% on local marketing. A brand fund of up to 2% is not charged yet. |
|---|---|
| Brand or marketing fund | Up to 2% of gross sales, not charged at present. |
| Technology | Up to $750 per month, currently not assessed |
| Renewal | $7,500 |
| Franchisee Directed Local Marketing | 2% of Gross Sales |
The typical franchise royalty is 6% of sales, plus 2% for marketing. See franchise fees and royalties to compare.
Source: Don Chicken LLC, 2026 filing, page 12
Other fees as filed, from pages 12–14. The filing lists every fee, including late fees and audit costs.
Sales and earnings
No figures Don Chicken 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: Don Chicken LLC, 2026 filing, page 47
- Estimate Estimated yearly sales per location
- $910K–$1.6M
Estimated from the sales that 292 comparable franchises file, matched on industry, format, cost to open, fees and size.
Growth and closures
Share of franchised locations, 2025 / 2023–2025. Typical means the median: half of brands are above it, half below.
| Measure | Don Chicken | Typical chicken brand | Typical franchise |
|---|---|---|---|
| GrowthNet change in franchised locations | +6.7% / +433% | +3.7% / +27% | +1.2% / +10% |
| ClosuresTerminated, not renewed or stopped operating | 0% / 0% | 2.4% / 12% | 3.9% / 16% |
| Bought backLocations the franchisor took back | 0% / 0% | 0% / 0% | 0% / 0% |
Typical chicken brand is the median of the 34 brands in chicken franchises with three years of counts.
How Don Chicken compares
Of the 113 chicken franchises on this site, Don Chicken is the 18th cheapest to open and the 41st largest by number of locations.
| Figure | Don Chicken | Typical chicken brand | Typical franchise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, low end | $226K | $407K | $222K |
| Cost to open, high end | $780K | $868K | $477K |
| Franchise fee | $20K | $35K | $40K |
| Royalty | 3% | 5% | 6% |
| US locations | 18 | 10 | 21 |
| Shares earnings figures | No | 61 of 113 | 2,147 of 3,352 |
Typical is the median across the 113 brands in chicken franchises; typical franchise, across every brand here.
Locations opened and closed
| Year | Franchised | Company-owned | Opened | Closed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 9 (+6) | 3 | +6 | 0 |
| 2024 | 15 (+6) | 3 | +6 | 0 |
| 2025 | 16 (+1) | 2 | +1 | 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: chicken franchise costs and franchise failure rates.
Source: Don Chicken LLC, 2026 filing, page 48
Where Don Chicken locations are
At the end of 2025, Don Chicken had locations in 4 states. The most are in New Jersey, New York and Maryland.
- New Jersey11
- New York3
- Maryland2
- Texas2
| State | Franchised | Company-owned | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Jersey | 9 | 2 | 11 |
| New York | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Maryland | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Texas | 2 | 0 | 2 |
Source: Don Chicken LLC, 2026 filing, page 49
Who owns Don Chicken?
Don Chicken franchises are sold by Don Chicken LLC.
From Don Chicken LLC’s 2026 filing.
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 11. |
|---|---|
| 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: Don Chicken LLC, 2026 filing, litigation on page 11, bankruptcy on page 11
Don Chicken filings
The figures on this page come from Don Chicken LLC’s 2026 filing, issued April 20, 2026, on record with the NASAA Electronic Filing Depository.
| Filing | Issued | Registry | On this page |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 filing | April 20, 2026 | NASAA depository | Costs, fees and locations, 2023–2025 |
Each link opens the filing as a PDF. See the newest filings across all brands.
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