Hotshots franchise
2026 filing · April 28, 2026GrowingShares sales figures
Hotshots at a glance
A sports-themed bar and grill. At the end of 2025 there were 14 Hotshots locations in the US, 7 franchised and 7 company-owned.
The business
- Franchisor
- HSF Franchising, LLC
- The company that sells the franchises
- Franchising since
- 2010
- 16 years of selling franchises
- Franchisor based in
- Wentzville, Missouri
- Typical size
- 8,000–11,000 sq ft
What you pay
- Cost to open
- $969K–$2.16M
- Fee, build-out and opening working capital
- Franchise fee
- $50,000
- Paid once, when you sign
- Royalty
- 6%
- The greater of 6% of gross sales or the minimum royalty, paid weekly, plus up to 5% (currently 2%) for advertising
- Brand fund
- 2%
- 2% of gross sales, paid weekly; it can rise to 5%
- Renewal fee
- See terms
- Up to 25% of the then current Initial Franchise Fee
- Franchisor financing
- None offered
Where it is
- US locations, 2025
- 14
- Franchised and company-owned
- Franchised
- 7
- Company-owned
- 7
- Change in 3 years
- +2
- Franchised locations, 2023–2025
- States
- 5
- Most in Missouri, Illinois and Arkansas
From HSF Franchising, LLC’s 2026 filing; revenue and net income from its audited financial statements, page 113; SBA status from the SBA Franchise Directory, October 28, 2026.
Franchisor revenue is the company that sells the franchises (royalties, fees and anything else it earns), not what a location makes.
Where it ranks
Hotshots among all franchises with the same figure.
| Figure | Hotshots | Among all franchises |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, midpointHalfway between the low and high estimate | $1,562,500 | Costs more than 90% of franchises |
| Franchise feePaid once, when you sign | $50,000 | Higher than 70% of franchises |
| RoyaltyShare of sales paid to the franchisor | 6% | Higher than 35% of brands with a set rate |
| US locationsFranchised and company-owned | 14 | Fewer than 56% of franchises |
| Sales per locationYearly, as the brand reports it | $1,288,572 | Higher than 73% of brands that share sales figures |
| Sales against cost to openYearly sales over the cost midpoint | 0.8× | Lower than 87% of brands that share sales figures |
How much a Hotshots franchise costs
Opening one Hotshots costs an estimated $969,000 to $2,156,000. 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 $1,400,000) and kitchen/bar equipment ($100,000 to $180,000). Here is every line of the estimate as filed:
| What it pays for | Range | Low | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee | $50,000 | ||
| Lease Deposit and Rent | $10,000 | $60,000 | |
| Leasehold Improvements | $500,000 | $1,400,000 | |
| Signage | $7,000 | $15,000 | |
| Furniture and Fixtures | $30,000 | $50,000 | |
| Kitchen/Bar Equipment | $100,000 | $180,000 | |
| Audio/Visual Equipment | $65,000 | $125,000 | |
| Smallwares/Uniforms | $12,000 | $25,000 | |
| POS Computer System / Office Equipment/Supplies | $3,000 | $6,000 | |
| Licenses, Dues, deposits, etc. | $3,000 | $5,000 | |
| Professional Fees | $10,000 | $20,000 | |
| Insurance | $10,000 | $20,000 | |
| Travel and Living Expenses while Training | $22,000 | $35,000 | |
| Initial Inventory | $47,000 | $65,000 | |
| Grand Opening Advertising | $25,000 | ||
| Additional Funds – 3 months | $75,000 | ||
| Total | $969,000 | $2,156,000 | |
Source: HSF Franchising, LLC, 2026 filing, page 12
Hotshots franchise fee
The franchise fee is $50,000. You pay it when you sign the franchise agreement.
Source: HSF Franchising, LLC, 2026 filing, page 9
Royalty and ongoing fees
| Royalty | The greater of 6% of gross sales or the minimum royalty, paid weekly, plus up to 5% (currently 2%) for advertising. |
|---|---|
| Brand or marketing fund | 2% of gross sales, paid weekly; it can rise to 5%. |
| POS Computer System/Office Equipment/Supplies | $3,000 – $6,000 |
| Transfer Fee | Up to 50% of the then current Initial Franchise Fee |
| Renewal Fee | Up to 25% of the then current Initial Franchise Fee |
The typical franchise royalty is 6% of sales, plus 2% for marketing. See franchise fees and royalties to compare.
Source: HSF Franchising, LLC, 2026 filing, page 9
Other fees as filed, from pages 9–12. The filing lists every fee, including late fees and audit costs.
Sales and earnings
Shares figures Hotshots publishes sales or earnings figures for its locations. The full tables, with notes on which locations are counted, are in its filing.
- Average sales
- $1,288,572
- Median sales
- $1,256,128
Yearly figures for 2025, covering franchised restaurants open all of 2025 (6 locations). The average is about 0.8 times the midpoint of the cost to open.
Sales are what a location takes in before rent, payroll, royalties and other costs, not what its owner keeps.
Source: HSF Franchising, LLC, 2026 filing, pages 32–33
Growth and closures
Share of franchised locations, 2025 / 2023–2025. Typical means the median: half of brands are above it, half below.
| Measure | Hotshots | Typical entertainment brand | Typical franchise |
|---|---|---|---|
| GrowthNet change in franchised locations | 0% / +40% | +2.9% / +33% | +1.2% / +10% |
| ClosuresTerminated, not renewed or stopped operating | 0% / 0% | 3.2% / 11% | 3.9% / 16% |
| Bought backLocations the franchisor took back | 0% / 0% | 0% / 0% | 0% / 0% |
Typical entertainment brand is the median of the 41 brands in entertainment franchises with three years of counts.
How Hotshots compares
Of the 168 entertainment franchises on this site, Hotshots is the 136th cheapest to open and the 58th largest by number of locations.
| Figure | Hotshots | Typical entertainment brand | Typical franchise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, low end | $969K | $286K | $222K |
| Cost to open, high end | $2.16M | $598K | $477K |
| Franchise fee | $50K | $45K | $40K |
| Royalty | 6% | 6% | 6% |
| Brand fund | 2% | 1.3% | 2% |
| Sales per location | $1.29M | $756K | $794K |
| US locations | 14 | 8 | 21 |
| Shares earnings figures | Yes | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 6 (+1) | 7 | +1 | 0 |
| 2024 | 7 (+1) | 7 | +1 | 0 |
| 2025 | 7 (0) | 7 | 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: HSF Franchising, LLC, 2026 filing, page 36
Where Hotshots locations are
At the end of 2025, Hotshots had locations in 5 states. The most are in Missouri, Illinois and Arkansas.
- Missouri8
- Illinois3
- Arkansas1
- North Carolina1
- Ohio1
| State | Franchised | Company-owned | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Missouri | 3 | 5 | 8 |
| Illinois | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Arkansas | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| North Carolina | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Ohio | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Source: HSF Franchising, LLC, 2026 filing, page 36
Who owns Hotshots?
Hotshots franchises are sold by HSF Franchising, LLC. Its filing names no parent company.
From HSF Franchising, LLC’s 2026 filing, page 6.
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: HSF Franchising, LLC, 2026 filing, litigation on page 8, bankruptcy on page 8
Hotshots filings
The figures on this page come from HSF Franchising, LLC’s 2026 filing, issued April 28, 2026, on record with the NASAA Electronic Filing Depository.
| Filing | Issued | Registry | On this page |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 filing | April 28, 2026 | NASAA depository | Costs, fees and locations, 2023–2025 |
Each link opens the filing as a PDF. See the newest filings across all brands.
Other entertainment franchises
All entertainment franchises
Hotshots is also on these lists: restaurant franchises, food franchises.