Ghost Kitchen Brands franchise
2023 filing · May 15, 2023
Ghost Kitchen Brands at a glance
A ghost kitchen or food hall preparing dishes from several licensed restaurant brands, mostly for takeout and delivery.
The business
- Franchisor
- GKA Franchising Inc
- The company that sells the franchises
- Current franchisor selling since
- 2021
- 2 years of selling franchises
- Franchisor based in
- Rochester, New York
- Typical size
- 1,500–3,500 sq ft
What you pay
- Cost to open
- $194K–$515K
- A Ghost Kitchen
- Franchise fee
- $40,000
- Paid once, when you sign
- Royalty
- 6% + brand fees
- 6% of gross revenues, paid weekly, plus each restaurant brand's own royalty on its sales
- Brand fund
- 2%
- 2% of gross revenue, paid monthly
- Franchisor financing
- None offered
Where it is
- US locations, 2022
- 0
- Franchised and company-owned
- Franchised
- 0
- Company-owned
- 0
From GKA Franchising Inc’s 2023 filing; SBA status from the SBA Franchise Directory, October 28, 2026.
Where it ranks
Ghost Kitchen Brands among all franchises with the same figure.
| Figure | Ghost Kitchen Brands | Among all franchises |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, midpointHalfway between the low and high estimate | $354,700 | Costs less than 51% of franchises |
| Franchise feePaid once, when you sign | $40,000 | Lower than 46% of franchises |
| RoyaltyShare of sales paid to the franchisor | 6% | Higher than 35% of brands with a set rate |
| US locationsFranchised and company-owned | 0 | Fewer than 97% of franchises |
How much a Ghost Kitchen Brands franchise costs
Opening a Ghost Kitchen costs an estimated $194,400 to $515,000. That covers the franchise fee and everything else needed to open, through the first months of working capital.
The biggest costs are kitchen build out ($50,000 to $200,000) and furniture, fixtures, and equipment ($50,000 to $100,000). Here is every line of the estimate as filed:
| What it pays for | Range | Low | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee | $40,000 | ||
| Training Travel Expenses | $500 | $3,000 | |
| Real Estate and Rent Deposits | $9,000 | $40,000 | |
| Rent Deposit | $5,000 | ||
| Utilities | $1,000 | $6,000 | |
| Kitchen Build Out | $50,000 | $200,000 | |
| Furniture, Fixtures, and Equipment | $50,000 | $100,000 | |
| Computer Software, Point of Sale System, TV, Cameras, and other Supplies | $15,000 | $25,000 | |
| Technology Installation | $5,000 | $7,500 | |
| Signs | $1,000 | $12,000 | |
| Insurance | $100 | $1,500 | |
| Professional Fees | $500 | $5,000 | |
| Architecture and Engineering | $1,000 | $20,000 | |
| Opening Inventory | $10,000 | $30,000 | |
| Licenses and Permits | $300 | $5,000 | |
| Grand Opening | $1,000 | $5,000 | |
| Additional Funds – Three (3) Months | $5,000 | $10,000 | |
| Total | $194,400 | $515,000 | |
Source: GKA Franchising Inc, 2023 filing, page 18
Ghost Kitchen Brands franchise fee
The franchise fee is $40,000. You pay it when you sign the franchise agreement.
Source: GKA Franchising Inc, 2023 filing, page 13
Royalty and ongoing fees
| Royalty | 6% of gross revenues, paid weekly, plus each restaurant brand's own royalty on its sales. |
|---|---|
| Brand or marketing fund | 2% of gross revenue, paid monthly. |
| Technology Fee | $500 - $2,000 |
| Transfer Fee | 50% of the then- current initial franchise fee |
| Local Marketing Requirement | 1% of Gross Revenues |
The typical franchise royalty is 6% of sales, plus 2% for marketing. See franchise fees and royalties to compare.
Source: GKA Franchising Inc, 2023 filing, page 14
Other fees as filed, from page 15. The filing lists every fee, including late fees and audit costs.
Sales and earnings
No figures Ghost Kitchen Brands 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: GKA Franchising Inc, 2023 filing, page 44
- Estimate Estimated yearly sales per location
- $530K–$930K
Estimated from the sales that 292 comparable franchises file, matched on industry, format, cost to open, fees and size.
How Ghost Kitchen Brands compares
Of the 813 restaurant franchises on this site, Ghost Kitchen Brands is the 90th cheapest to open and the 757th largest by number of locations.
| Figure | Ghost Kitchen Brands | Typical restaurant brand | Typical franchise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, low end | $194K | $408K | $222K |
| Cost to open, high end | $515K | $866K | $477K |
| Franchise fee | $40K | $35K | $40K |
| Royalty | 6% | 5% | 6% |
| Brand fund | 2% | 2% | 2% |
| US locations | 0 | 14 | 21 |
| Shares earnings figures | No | 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 0 (0) | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 (0) | 0 |
| 2022 | 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: GKA Franchising Inc, 2023 filing, page 45
Who owns Ghost Kitchen Brands?
Ghost Kitchen Brands franchises are sold by GKA Franchising Inc. It is a subsidiary of Ghost Kitchen Brands Inc.
From GKA Franchising Inc’s 2023 filing, page 8.
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: GKA Franchising Inc, 2023 filing, litigation on page 13, bankruptcy on page 13
Ghost Kitchen Brands filings
The figures on this page come from GKA Franchising Inc’s 2023 filing, issued May 15, 2023, on record with the NASAA Electronic Filing Depository.
| Filing | Issued | Registry | On this page |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 filing | May 15, 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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