Friendly Fire Esports franchise
2023 filing · April 28, 2023
Friendly Fire Esports at a glance
An esports arena with gaming stations, tournaments, events and quick food.
The business
- Industry
- Entertainment
- Franchisor
- Friendly Fire USA LLC
- The company that sells the franchises
- Franchising since
- 2022
- Franchisor based in
- Plano, Texas
- Typical size
- 1,500–2,500 sq ft
What you pay
- Cost to open
- $216K–$386K
- Fee, build-out and opening working capital
- Franchise fee
- $49,500
- Paid once, when you sign
- Royalty
- 8%
- 8% of gross revenue, paid monthly, plus 2% to the brand marketing fund and 3% on local marketing
- Brand fund
- 2%
- 2% of gross revenue, paid monthly; it can rise to 3%
- Renewal fee
- See terms
- 50% of then current Initial Franchise Fee
- Agreement length
- 10 years
- Territory
- Limited
- Limited protection
- Franchisor financing
- None offered
Where it is
- US locations, 2022
- 0
- Franchised and company-owned
- Franchised
- 0
- Company-owned
- 0
- Change in 3 years
- 0
- Franchised locations, 2020–2022
From Friendly Fire USA LLC’s 2023 filing; SBA status from the SBA Franchise Directory, October 28, 2026.
Where it ranks
Friendly Fire Esports among all franchises with the same figure.
| Figure | Friendly Fire Esports | Among all franchises |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, midpointHalfway between the low and high estimate | $300,790 | Costs less than 56% of franchises |
| Franchise feePaid once, when you sign | $49,500 | Higher than 64% of franchises |
| RoyaltyShare of sales paid to the franchisor | 8% | Higher than 85% of brands with a set rate |
| US locationsFranchised and company-owned | 0 | Fewer than 97% of franchises |
How much a Friendly Fire Esports franchise costs
Opening one Friendly Fire Esports costs an estimated $215,900 to $385,680. That covers the franchise fee and everything else needed to open, through the first months of working capital.
The biggest costs are computers and gaming consoles ($64,000 to $132,000) and furniture, fixtures and proprietary equipment ($25,000 to $50,000). Here is every line of the estimate as filed:
| What it pays for | Range | Low | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| To Be Made Initial Franchise Fee | $49,500 | ||
| Construction, Network Installation, and Leasehold Improvements | $25,000 | $45,000 | |
| Furniture, Fixtures and Proprietary Equipment | $25,000 | $50,000 | |
| Computers and Gaming Consoles | $64,000 | $132,000 | |
| Signage | $3,000 | $5,000 | |
| Proprietary Software | $2,900 | ||
| Grand Opening Marketing | $5,000 | ||
| Initial Inventory | $2,000 | $4,000 | |
| Prepaid Rent and Lease Deposits | $11,400 | $25,200 | |
| Utility Deposits | $1,000 | $3,000 | |
| Insurance Deposits – 3 Months | $1,800 | $3,780 | |
| Professional Fees | $5,000 | $15,000 | |
| Printing, Stationary and Office Supplies | $300 | ||
| Additional Funds – 3 months | $20,000 | $45,000 | |
| Total | $215,900 | $385,680 | |
Source: Friendly Fire USA LLC, 2023 filing, page 17
Friendly Fire Esports franchise fee
The franchise fee is $49,500. You pay it when you sign the franchise agreement.
Source: Friendly Fire USA LLC, 2023 filing, page 10
Royalty and ongoing fees
| Royalty | 8% of gross revenue, paid monthly, plus 2% to the brand marketing fund and 3% on local marketing. |
|---|---|
| Brand or marketing fund | 2% of gross revenue, paid monthly; it can rise to 3%. |
| Technology Fee | Currently $100 per month |
| Transfer | $10,000 |
| Renewal | 50% of then current Initial Franchise Fee |
| Additional Training Fee for a Substitute or New Manager or Principal | Not to exceed $1,000 per attendee |
| Local Marketing | 3% of Gross Revenue |
The typical franchise royalty is 6% of sales, plus 2% for marketing. See franchise fees and royalties to compare.
Source: Friendly Fire USA LLC, 2023 filing, page 11
Other fees as filed, from pages 11–13. The filing lists every fee, including late fees and audit costs.
Sales and earnings
No figures Friendly Fire Esports 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: Friendly Fire USA LLC, 2023 filing, page 44
How Friendly Fire Esports compares
Of the 168 entertainment franchises on this site, Friendly Fire Esports is the 70th cheapest to open and the 151st largest by number of locations.
| Figure | Friendly Fire Esports | Typical entertainment brand | Typical franchise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, low end | $216K | $286K | $222K |
| Cost to open, high end | $386K | $598K | $477K |
| Franchise fee | $50K | $45K | $40K |
| Royalty | 8% | 6% | 6% |
| Brand fund | 2% | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 0 (0) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 (0) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2022 | 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: franchise failure rates.
Source: Friendly Fire USA LLC, 2023 filing, page 45
Who owns Friendly Fire Esports?
Friendly Fire Esports franchises are sold by Friendly Fire USA LLC.
From Friendly Fire USA 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: Friendly Fire USA LLC, 2023 filing, litigation on page 10, bankruptcy on page 10
Friendly Fire Esports filings
The figures on this page come from Friendly Fire USA 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.
