I Heart Mac & Cheese franchise
2022 filing · April 30, 2022Growing
I Heart Mac & Cheese at a glance
A fast-casual restaurant serving made-to-order macaroni and cheese, grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup. At the end of 2021 there were 20 I Heart Mac & Cheese locations in the US, 18 franchised and 2 company-owned.
The business
- Franchisor
- Mac and Cheese Franchise Operations, LLC
- The company that sells the franchises
- Franchisor based in
- Boca Raton, Florida
- Typical size
- 1,200–2,000 sq ft
What you pay
- Cost to open
- $278K–$756K
- Fee, build-out and opening working capital
- Franchise fee
- $35,000
- Paid once, when you sign
- Royalty
- 5%
- 5% of gross sales, paid weekly, with a $175 weekly minimum starting when the restaurant opens or 12 months after signing
- Brand fund
- Yes
- 3% of gross sales, at least $100 a week
- Renewal fee
- $5,000
- When the agreement ends and you sign again
- Territory
- Limited
- Limited protection
Where it is
- US locations, 2021
- 20
- Franchised and company-owned
- Franchised
- 18
- Company-owned
- 2
- Change in 2 years
- +16
- Franchised locations, 2019–2021
- States
- 8
- Most in Florida, Texas and Indiana
From Mac and Cheese Franchise Operations, LLC’s 2022 filing; SBA status from the SBA Franchise Directory, October 28, 2026.
Where it ranks
I Heart Mac & Cheese among all franchises with the same figure.
| Figure | I Heart Mac & Cheese | Among all franchises |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, midpointHalfway between the low and high estimate | $516,900 | Costs more than 65% of franchises |
| Franchise feePaid once, when you sign | $35,000 | Lower than 61% of franchises |
| RoyaltyShare of sales paid to the franchisor | 5% | Lower than 69% of brands with a set rate |
| US locationsFranchised and company-owned | 20 | Fewer than 50% of franchises |
How much a I Heart Mac & Cheese franchise costs
Opening one I Heart Mac & Cheese costs an estimated $277,500 to $756,300. That covers the franchise fee and everything else needed to open, through the first months of working capital.
The biggest costs are leasehold improvements/build out/permits ($90,000 to $500,000) and furniture, fixtures and equipment; POS ($70,000 to $102,000). Here is every line of the estimate as filed:
| What it pays for | Range | Low | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Franchise Fee | $35,000 | ||
| Real Estate/Rent | $4,000 | $7,000 | |
| Utility Deposits | $1,000 | $2,000 | |
| Leasehold Improvements/Build Out/Permits | $90,000 | $500,000 | |
| Architecture Expenses | $7,600 | $14,000 | |
| Insurance | $2,500 | $6,000 | |
| Office equipment and supplies | $500 | $2,500 | |
| Pre-Opening Training Expenses | $1,000 | $3,000 | |
| Signage | $5,000 | $8,000 | |
| Furniture, Fixtures and Equipment; POS | $70,000 | $102,000 | |
| Initial Inventory | $5,000 | ||
| Grand Opening Advertising | $12,000 | ||
| Business Licenses | $500 | $1,000 | |
| Grand Opening Supplies | $4,300 | ||
| Legal & Accounting | $4,000 | ||
| Dues and Subscriptions | $100 | $500 | |
| Audio/Visual/Security System | $25,000 | $30,000 | |
| Additional Funds | $10,000 | $20,000 | |
| Total | $277,500 | $756,300 | |
Source: Mac and Cheese Franchise Operations, LLC, 2022 filing, page 16
I Heart Mac & Cheese franchise fee
The franchise fee is $35,000. You pay it when you sign the franchise agreement.
Source: Mac and Cheese Franchise Operations, LLC, 2022 filing, page 12
Royalty and ongoing fees
| Royalty | 5% of gross sales, paid weekly, with a $175 weekly minimum starting when the restaurant opens or 12 months after signing. |
|---|---|
| Brand or marketing fund | 3% of gross sales, at least $100 a week. |
| Technology Fee | Then-current fees to third-party suppliers and $150 per month to us |
| Transfer Fee (Franchise Agreement) | 50% of then- current Initial Franchise Fee |
| Renewal fee | $5,000 |
The typical franchise royalty is 6% of sales, plus 2% for marketing. See franchise fees and royalties to compare.
Source: Mac and Cheese Franchise Operations, LLC, 2022 filing, pages 12 and 13
Other fees as filed, from pages 14–15. The filing lists every fee, including late fees and audit costs.
Sales and earnings
No figures I Heart Mac & Cheese 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: Mac and Cheese Franchise Operations, LLC, 2022 filing, page 44
- Estimate Estimated yearly sales per location
- $660K–$1.2M
Estimated from the sales that 292 comparable franchises file, matched on industry, format, cost to open, fees and size.
SBA loans to I Heart Mac & Cheese franchisees
Lenders approved 25 SBA 7(a) loans for I Heart Mac & Cheese franchisees from 2019 to 2024, $8.81M in all. Of the 10 that have ended, 5 were paid in full and 5 were charged off. The other 15 haven’t ended yet.
A charged-off loan is one written off as uncollectible. See SBA franchise loans for how 7(a) and 504 loans work.
Source: SBA 7(a) and 504 loan data, as of September 30, 2026
How I Heart Mac & Cheese compares
Of the 309 fast food franchises on this site, I Heart Mac & Cheese is the 92nd cheapest to open and the 153rd largest by number of locations.
| Figure | I Heart Mac & Cheese | Typical fast food brand | Typical franchise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, low end | $278K | $353K | $222K |
| Cost to open, high end | $756K | $786K | $477K |
| Franchise fee | $35K | $35K | $40K |
| Royalty | 5% | 6% | 6% |
| US locations | 20 | 23 | 21 |
| Closed or left per year | 0% | 5.8% | – |
| Change in franchised locations, 2 yrs | +800% | +5.2% | – |
| Shares earnings figures | No | 189 of 309 | 2,147 of 3,352 |
Typical is the median across the 309 brands in fast food franchises; typical franchise, across every brand here.
Locations opened and closed
| Year | Franchised | Company-owned | Opened | Closed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 7 (+5) | 3 | +5 | 0 |
| 2020 | 9 (+2) | 5 | – | – |
| 2021 | 18 (+9) | 2 | +9 | 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: fast food franchise costs and franchise failure rates.
Source: Mac and Cheese Franchise Operations, LLC, 2022 filing, page 45
Where I Heart Mac & Cheese locations are
At the end of 2021, I Heart Mac & Cheese had locations in 8 states. The most are in Florida, Texas and Indiana.
- Florida6
- Texas4
- Indiana3
- Arizona2
- Georgia2
- Colorado1
| State | Franchised | Company-owned | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Florida | 5 | 1 | 6 |
| Texas | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| Indiana | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Arizona | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Georgia | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Colorado | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Nevada | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| South Carolina | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Source: Mac and Cheese Franchise Operations, LLC, 2022 filing, page 45
Who owns I Heart Mac & Cheese?
I Heart Mac & Cheese franchises are sold by Mac and Cheese Franchise Operations, LLC. It is a subsidiary of Mac and Cheese Franchise Group, LLC.
From Mac and Cheese Franchise Operations, LLC’s 2022 filing, page 6.
Lawsuits and bankruptcy
| Lawsuits and regulatory actions | Yes. The filing describes past or pending cases involving the franchisor, its affiliates or its executives on pages 11–12. |
|---|---|
| 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: Mac and Cheese Franchise Operations, LLC, 2022 filing, litigation on pages 11–12, bankruptcy on page 12
I Heart Mac & Cheese filings
The figures on this page come from Mac and Cheese Franchise Operations, LLC’s 2022 filing, issued April 30, 2022, on record with the NASAA Electronic Filing Depository.
| Filing | Issued | Registry | On this page |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 filing | April 30, 2022 | NASAA depository | Costs, fees and locations, 2019–2021 |
Each link opens the filing as a PDF. See the newest filings across all brands.
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