Johnny Rockets franchise
2025 filing · April 30, 2025Fewer locationsShares sales figures
Johnny Rockets at a glance
A retro diner-style burger restaurant serving burgers, fries and hand-spun shakes. At the end of 2024 there were 100 Johnny Rockets locations in the US, 98 franchised and 2 company-owned.
The business
- Franchisor
- JOHNNY ROCKETS LICENSING, LLC
- The company that sells the franchises
- Current franchisor selling since
- 1987
- 38 years of selling franchises
- Franchisor based in
- Beverly Hills, California
- Typical size
- 20,000–35,000 sq ft
What you pay
- Cost to open
- $517K–$2.67M
- Fee, build-out and opening working capital
- Franchise fee
- $50,000
- Paid once, when you sign
- Royalty
- 6%
- 6% of net sales, paid weekly
- Brand fund
- 2%
- 2% of net sales
- Renewal fee
- See terms
- 40% of then-current initial fees
- Agreement length
- 15 years
- Franchisor financing
- None offered
Where it is
- US locations, 2024
- 100
- Franchised and company-owned
- Franchised
- 98
- Company-owned
- 2
- Change in 3 years
- −19
- Franchised locations, 2022–2024
- States
- 23
- Most in California, Nevada and Florida
From JOHNNY ROCKETS LICENSING, LLC’s 2025 filing; SBA status from the SBA Franchise Directory, October 28, 2026.
Where it ranks
Johnny Rockets among all franchises with the same figure.
| Figure | Johnny Rockets | Among all franchises |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, midpointHalfway between the low and high estimate | $1,592,600 | 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 | 100 | More than 76% of franchises |
| Sales per locationYearly, as the brand reports it | $1,643,107 | Higher than 81% of brands that share sales figures |
| Sales against cost to openYearly sales over the cost midpoint | 1.0× | Lower than 76% of brands that share sales figures |
How much a Johnny Rockets franchise costs
Opening one Johnny Rockets costs an estimated $517,300 to $2,667,900. That covers the franchise fee and everything else needed to open, through the first months of working capital.
The biggest costs are leasehold improvements; construction costs ($150,000 to $1,500,000) and equipment, decor & furnishings ($160,000 to $600,000). Here is every line of the estimate as filed:
| What it pays for | Range | Low | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Fee | $50,000 | ||
| Leasehold Improvements; Construction Costs | $150,000 | $1,500,000 | |
| Equipment, Decor & Furnishings | $160,000 | $600,000 | |
| Signage | $10,000 | $125,000 | |
| Point of Sale Systems (POS) and related technology | $16,100 | $38,000 | |
| TV/Audio Video/Security | $8,000 | $35,000 | |
| Restaurant Small Wares | $11,500 | $30,000 | |
| Initial Inventory | $7,200 | $10,400 | |
| Security Deposits (Utilities, Insurance, etc.) | $9,000 | $32,500 | |
| Insurance and Bonds | $8,000 | $12,000 | |
| Rent | $3,500 | $20,000 | |
| Miscellaneous (legal, accounting, licenses, permits) | $14,000 | $25,000 | |
| Liquor Licenses and Fees | $5,000 | $75,000 | |
| Grand Opening & Marketing Materials | $7,500 | $10,000 | |
| Training | $32,500 | $65,000 | |
| Additional Funds - three months | $25,000 | $40,000 | |
| Total | $517,300 | $2,667,900 | |
Source: JOHNNY ROCKETS LICENSING, LLC, 2025 filing, page 30
Johnny Rockets franchise fee
The franchise fee is $50,000. You pay it when you sign the franchise agreement.
Source: JOHNNY ROCKETS LICENSING, LLC, 2025 filing, page 21
Royalty and ongoing fees
| Royalty | 6% of net sales, paid weekly. |
|---|---|
| Brand or marketing fund | 2% of net sales. |
| Transfer | $15,000 |
| Renewal Fee | 40% of then-current initial fees |
The typical franchise royalty is 6% of sales, plus 2% for marketing. See franchise fees and royalties to compare.
Source: JOHNNY ROCKETS LICENSING, LLC, 2025 filing, pages 22 and 23
Other fees as filed, from pages 24–25. The filing lists every fee, including late fees and audit costs.
Sales and earnings
Shares figures Johnny Rockets publishes sales or earnings figures for its locations. The full tables, with notes on which locations are counted, are in its filing.
- Average net sales
- $1,643,107
- Median net sales
- $1,065,910
Yearly figures for 2024, covering U.S. franchised restaurants open all of 2024 (including casino and other non-traditional venues) (58 locations). The average is about 1 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: JOHNNY ROCKETS LICENSING, LLC, 2025 filing, page 69
SBA loans to Johnny Rockets franchisees
Lenders approved 40 SBA-backed loans for Johnny Rockets franchisees from 1994 to 2021, $21.1M in all: 39 7(a) loans and 1 504 loan. Of the 36 that have ended, 21 were paid in full and 15 were charged off (41.7%). The other 4 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
Growth and closures
Share of franchised locations, 2024 / 2022–2024. Typical means the median: half of brands are above it, half below.
| Measure | Johnny Rockets | Typical burger brand | Typical franchise |
|---|---|---|---|
| GrowthNet change in franchised locations | −2% / −16% | 0% / −2.4% | +1.2% / +10% |
| ClosuresTerminated, not renewed or stopped operating | 4% / 21% | 3.7% / 6.3% | 3.9% / 16% |
| Bought backLocations the franchisor took back | 0% / 0% | 0% / 0% | 0% / 0% |
Typical burger brand is the median of the 29 brands in burger franchises with three years of counts.
How Johnny Rockets compares
Of the 63 burger franchises on this site, Johnny Rockets is the 30th cheapest to open and the 20th largest by number of locations.
| Figure | Johnny Rockets | Typical burger brand | Typical franchise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, low end | $517K | $556K | $222K |
| Cost to open, high end | $2.67M | $1.52M | $477K |
| Franchise fee | $50K | $35K | $40K |
| Royalty | 6% | 5% | 6% |
| Brand fund | 2% | 2% | 2% |
| Sales per location | $1.64M | $1.56M | $794K |
| US locations | 100 | 25 | 21 |
| Shares earnings figures | Yes | 44 of 63 | 2,147 of 3,352 |
Typical is the median across the 63 brands in burger franchises; typical franchise, across every brand here.
Locations opened and closed
| Year | Franchised | Company-owned | Opened | Closed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 106 (−11) | 4 | +3 | −14 |
| 2023 | 100 (−6) | 3 | +1 | −7 |
| 2024 | 98 (−2) | 2 | +2 | −4 |
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: burger franchise costs and franchise failure rates.
Source: JOHNNY ROCKETS LICENSING, LLC, 2025 filing, page 72
Where Johnny Rockets locations are
At the end of 2024, Johnny Rockets had franchised locations in 24 states and territories. The most are in California, Nevada and Florida.
- California13
- Nevada12
- Florida9
- Texas9
- Maryland8
- Arizona7
| State | Franchised |
|---|---|
| California | 13 |
| Nevada | 12 |
| Florida | 9 |
| Texas | 9 |
| Maryland | 8 |
| Arizona | 7 |
| Connecticut | 4 |
| Georgia | 4 |
| New Jersey | 4 |
| New York | 4 |
All 24 states
| Rhode Island | 3 |
|---|---|
| Utah | 3 |
| Washington | 3 |
| Illinois | 2 |
| Massachusetts | 2 |
| Pennsylvania | 2 |
| Tennessee | 2 |
| District of Columbia | 1 |
| Hawaii | 1 |
| Maine | 1 |
| Michigan | 1 |
| Minnesota | 1 |
| Missouri | 1 |
| Wisconsin | 1 |
Source: JOHNNY ROCKETS LICENSING, LLC, 2025 filing, page 73
Who owns Johnny Rockets?
Johnny Rockets franchises are sold by JOHNNY ROCKETS LICENSING, LLC. It is a subsidiary of FAT Brands, Inc.
Johnny Rockets is one of the 9 FAT Brands franchises here. FAT Brands is a public company whose shares were listed on Nasdaq. It and its affiliate Twin Hospitality filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in January 2026 to restructure their debt.
From JOHNNY ROCKETS LICENSING, LLC’s 2025 filing, page 9; FAT Brands.
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 17–19. |
|---|---|
| Bankruptcy | The franchisor, its parent FAT Brands and their affiliates filed for Chapter 11 in January 2026. |
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: JOHNNY ROCKETS LICENSING, LLC, 2025 filing, litigation on pages 17–19, bankruptcy on page 20
Johnny Rockets filings
The figures on this page come from JOHNNY ROCKETS LICENSING, LLC’s 2025 filing, issued April 30, 2025, on record with the Minnesota Department of Commerce.
| Filing | Issued | Registry | On this page |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 filing | April 30, 2025 | Minnesota | Costs, fees and locations, 2022–2024 |
Each link opens the filing as a PDF. See the newest filings across all brands.
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Other brands from FAT Brands: Buffalo's Cafe, Elevation Burger, Fatburger, Fazoli's, Great American Cookies, Hot Dog on a Stick, Marble Slab Creamery and Pretzelmaker. See all 9 in the finder