HCK Hot Chicken franchise
2024 filing · May 14, 2024Growing
HCK Hot Chicken at a glance
A fast-casual restaurant serving Nashville-style hot chicken sandwiches, tenders and sides. At the end of 2023 there were 7 HCK Hot Chicken locations in the US, 5 franchised and 2 company-owned.
The business
- Franchisor
- Hot Chikn Kitchn LLC
- The company that sells the franchises
- Franchising since
- 2021
- 3 years of selling franchises
- Franchisor based in
- Sarasota, Florida
- Typical size
- 1,400–1,800 sq ft
What you pay
- Cost to open
- $206K–$688K
- Fee, build-out and opening working capital
- Franchise fee
- $40,000
- Paid once, when you sign
- Royalty
- 6%
- 6% of gross sales, paid weekly
- Brand fund
- 2%
- 2% of gross sales; it can rise to 4%
- Agreement length
- 10 years
- Territory
- Protected
- Protected territory
- Franchisor financing
- None offered
Where it is
- US locations, 2023
- 7
- Franchised and company-owned
- Franchised
- 5
- Company-owned
- 2
- Change in 3 years
- +5
- Franchised locations, 2021–2023
- States
- 5
- Most in Florida, Virginia and New Jersey
Support and records
- Initial training
- 2 programs
- Initial training: 14 hours in class and 24 on the job; Operating principal and director of operations training: 12 hours in class and 28 on the job
- Lawsuits disclosed
- None
- Bankruptcy disclosed
- None
- Latest filing
- May 14, 2024
- 2024 filing
From Hot Chikn Kitchn LLC’s 2024 filing; SBA status from the SBA Franchise Directory, October 28, 2026.
Where it ranks
HCK Hot Chicken among all franchises with the same figure.
| Figure | HCK Hot Chicken | Among all franchises |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, midpointHalfway between the low and high estimate | $446,750 | Costs more than 59% 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 | 7 | Fewer than 66% of franchises |
How much a HCK Hot Chicken franchise costs
Opening one HCK Hot Chicken costs an estimated $205,500 to $688,000. That covers the franchise fee and everything else needed to open, through the first months of working capital.
The biggest costs are leasehold improvements ($40,000 to $270,000) and equipment and small wares ($30,000 to $130,000). Here is every line of the estimate as filed:
| What it pays for | Range | Low | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee | $40,000 | ||
| Travel/Living Expenses for Training | $3,000 | $6,000 | |
| Real estate/rent and deposit | $5,000 | $20,000 | |
| Leasehold Improvements | $40,000 | $270,000 | |
| Buildout Management | $0 | $20,000 | |
| Equipment and Small Wares | $30,000 | $130,000 | |
| Mill Works and Furniture | $10,000 | $50,000 | |
| Signage | $5,000 | $20,000 | |
| Computer System | $6,000 | $8,000 | |
| Office Supplies | $500 | $2,500 | |
| Licenses and Permits (not including liquor license) | $1,000 | $7,000 | |
| Legal and Accounting | $1,000 | $6,000 | |
| Dues and Subscriptions | $500 | $1,000 | |
| Utility Deposits | $0 | $2,500 | |
| Insurance | $2,500 | $10,000 | |
| Initial Inventory | $6,000 | $10,000 | |
| Grand Opening Marketing Spend | $20,000 | ||
| On-Site Training Fee | $5,000 | ||
| Additional Funds - 3 months | $30,000 | $60,000 | |
| Total | $205,500 | $688,000 | |
Source: Hot Chikn Kitchn LLC, 2024 filing, page 20
HCK Hot Chicken franchise fee
The franchise fee is $40,000. You pay it when you sign the franchise agreement.
Source: Hot Chikn Kitchn LLC, 2024 filing, page 13
Royalty and ongoing fees
| Royalty | 6% of gross sales, paid weekly. |
|---|---|
| Brand or marketing fund | 2% of gross sales; it can rise to 4%. |
| Transfer Fee | 50% of our then-current initial franchise fee per Restaurant |
| Additional Training or Assistance | Then-current charge (currently $500 to $1,000 per week per person) |
| Local Advertising, Marketing, and Promotional Expenditure | 1% of Gross Sales |
The typical franchise royalty is 6% of sales, plus 2% for marketing. See franchise fees and royalties to compare.
Source: Hot Chikn Kitchn LLC, 2024 filing, page 14
Other fees as filed, from pages 14–17. The filing lists every fee, including late fees and audit costs.
Sales and earnings
No figures HCK Hot 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: Hot Chikn Kitchn LLC, 2024 filing, page 52
- Estimate Estimated yearly sales per location
- $680K–$1.2M
Estimated from the sales that 292 comparable franchises file, matched on industry, format, cost to open, fees and size.
How HCK Hot Chicken compares
Of the 113 chicken franchises on this site, HCK Hot Chicken is the 13th cheapest to open and the 65th largest by number of locations.
| Figure | HCK Hot Chicken | Typical chicken brand | Typical franchise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, low end | $206K | $407K | $222K |
| Cost to open, high end | $688K | $868K | $477K |
| Franchise fee | $40K | $35K | $40K |
| Royalty | 6% | 5% | 6% |
| Brand fund | 2% | 2% | 2% |
| US locations | 7 | 10 | 21 |
| Closed or left per year | 0% | 4.5% | – |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 0 (0) | 0 | – | – |
| 2020 | 0 (0) | 1 | – | – |
| 2021 | 0 (0) | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2022 | 2 (+2) | 3 | +2 | 0 |
| 2023 | 5 (+3) | 2 | +3 | 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.
Over 5 years, from the start of 2019 to the end of 2023, franchised locations went from 0 to 5 (+5). The earlier years come from the brand's 2022 filing.
Source: Hot Chikn Kitchn LLC, 2024 filing, page 53
2019–2020: Hot Chikn Kitchn LLC, 2022 filing, page 54
Where HCK Hot Chicken locations are
At the end of 2023, HCK Hot Chicken had locations in 5 states. The most are in Florida, Virginia and New Jersey.
- Florida2
- Virginia2
- New Jersey1
- New York1
- Texas1
| State | Franchised | Company-owned | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Florida | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Virginia | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| New Jersey | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| New York | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Texas | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Source: Hot Chikn Kitchn LLC, 2024 filing, page 53
Who owns HCK Hot Chicken?
HCK Hot Chicken franchises are sold by Hot Chikn Kitchn LLC.
From Hot Chikn Kitchn LLC’s 2024 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: Hot Chikn Kitchn LLC, 2024 filing, litigation on page 12, bankruptcy on page 13
HCK Hot Chicken filings
A franchisor files a new disclosure each year it sells franchises. The figures on this page come from Hot Chikn Kitchn LLC’s 2024 filing, issued May 14, 2024; the earlier ones below are on record with the Minnesota Department of Commerce and the NASAA Electronic Filing Depository and fill in older location counts.
| Filing | Issued | Registry | On this page |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 filing | May 14, 2024 | Minnesota | Costs, fees and locations, 2021–2023 |
| 2022 filing | February 25, 2022 | NASAA depository | Locations, 2019–2020 |
Each link opens the filing as a PDF. See the newest filings across all brands.
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