Jon Smith Subs franchise
2022 filing · April 27, 2022
Jon Smith Subs at a glance
A sub shop serving hot and cold subs grilled to order, plus salads and fries. At the end of 2021 there were 11 Jon Smith Subs locations in the US, all franchised.
The business
- Franchisor
- J.S. Subs, LLC
- The company that sells the franchises
- Franchising since
- 1992
- 30 years of selling franchises
- Franchisor based in
- West Palm Beach, Florida
- Typical size
- 1,200–1,400 sq ft
What you pay
- Cost to open
- $300K–$644K
- Fee, build-out and opening working capital
- Franchise fee
- $39,500
- Paid once, when you sign
- Royalty
- 6%
- 6% of gross revenues, paid weekly
- Brand fund
- 3%
- 3% of gross revenue, paid weekly
- Renewal fee
- $2,500
- When the agreement ends and you sign again
- Agreement length
- 35 years
- Territory
- Protected
- Protected territory
- Franchisor financing
- None offered
Where it is
- US locations, 2021
- 11
- Franchised and company-owned
- Franchised
- 11
- Company-owned
- 0
- Change in 3 years
- 0
- Franchised locations, 2019–2021
- States
- 8
- Most in Florida, Michigan and California
From J.S. Subs, LLC’s 2022 filing; revenue and net loss from its audited financial statements, page 122; 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
Jon Smith Subs among all franchises with the same figure.
| Figure | Jon Smith Subs | Among all franchises |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, midpointHalfway between the low and high estimate | $471,901 | Costs more than 61% of franchises |
| Franchise feePaid once, when you sign | $39,500 | Lower than 57% of franchises |
| RoyaltyShare of sales paid to the franchisor | 6% | Higher than 35% of brands with a set rate |
| US locationsFranchised and company-owned | 11 | Fewer than 60% of franchises |
How much a Jon Smith Subs franchise costs
Opening one Jon Smith Subs costs an estimated $299,500 to $644,302. That covers the franchise fee and everything else needed to open, through the first months of working capital.
Source: J.S. Subs, LLC, 2022 filing, page 27
Jon Smith Subs franchise fee
The franchise fee is $39,500. You pay it when you sign the franchise agreement.
Source: J.S. Subs, LLC, 2022 filing, page 19
Royalty and ongoing fees
| Royalty | 6% of gross revenues, paid weekly. |
|---|---|
| Brand or marketing fund | 3% of gross revenue, paid weekly. |
| Technology Fee | $25 per month or then current fee. |
| Renewal Fee | $2,500 |
| Local Advertising | 1% of your gross revenues |
The typical franchise royalty is 6% of sales, plus 2% for marketing. See franchise fees and royalties to compare.
Source: J.S. Subs, LLC, 2022 filing, page 20
Other fees as filed, from pages 20–21. The filing lists every fee, including late fees and audit costs.
Sales and earnings
No figures Jon Smith Subs 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: J.S. Subs, LLC, 2022 filing, page 53
- Estimate Estimated yearly sales per location
- $400K–$700K
Estimated from the sales that 292 comparable franchises file, matched on industry, format, cost to open, fees and size.
SBA loans to Jon Smith Subs franchisees
Lenders approved 21 SBA-backed loans for Jon Smith Subs franchisees from 2017 to 2025, $9.12M in all: 20 7(a) loans and 1 504 loan. Of the 16 that have ended, 9 were paid in full and 7 were charged off. The other 5 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, 2021 / 2019–2021. Typical means the median: half of brands are above it, half below.
| Measure | Jon Smith Subs | Typical sandwich brand | Typical franchise |
|---|---|---|---|
| GrowthNet change in franchised locations | −27% / 0% | 0% / 0% | +1.2% / +10% |
| ClosuresTerminated, not renewed or stopped operating | 47% / 118% | 2% / 13% | 3.9% / 16% |
| Bought backLocations the franchisor took back | 0% / 0% | 0% / 0% | 0% / 0% |
Typical sandwich brand is the median of the 35 brands in sandwich franchises with three years of counts.
How Jon Smith Subs compares
Of the 80 sandwich franchises on this site, Jon Smith Subs is the 34th cheapest to open and the 44th largest by number of locations.
| Figure | Jon Smith Subs | Typical sandwich brand | Typical franchise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, low end | $300K | $321K | $222K |
| Cost to open, high end | $644K | $683K | $477K |
| Franchise fee | $40K | $32K | $40K |
| Royalty | 6% | 6% | 6% |
| Brand fund | 3% | 2% | 2% |
| US locations | 11 | 31 | 21 |
| Shares earnings figures | No | 50 of 80 | 2,147 of 3,352 |
Typical is the median across the 80 brands in sandwich franchises; typical franchise, across every brand here.
Locations opened and closed
| Year | Franchised | Company-owned | Opened | Closed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 15 (+4) | 0 | +8 | −4 |
| 2020 | 15 (0) | 0 | +2 | −2 |
| 2021 | 11 (−4) | 0 | +3 | −7 |
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: sandwich and sub franchise costs and franchise failure rates.
Source: J.S. Subs, LLC, 2022 filing, page 54
Where Jon Smith Subs locations are
At the end of 2021, Jon Smith Subs had franchised locations in 8 states. The most are in Florida, Michigan and California.
- Florida3
- Michigan2
- California1
- Georgia1
- Idaho1
- Nevada1
| State | Franchised |
|---|---|
| Florida | 3 |
| Michigan | 2 |
| California | 1 |
| Georgia | 1 |
| Idaho | 1 |
| Nevada | 1 |
| South Carolina | 1 |
| Virginia | 1 |
Source: J.S. Subs, LLC, 2022 filing, page 55
Who owns Jon Smith Subs?
Jon Smith Subs franchises are sold by J.S. Subs, LLC.
From J.S. Subs, LLC’s 2022 filing.
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 17–18. |
|---|---|
| Bankruptcy | No bankruptcy of the franchisor. A regional vice president filed for personal Chapter 7 bankruptcy in April 2015; it was discharged in July 2015. |
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: J.S. Subs, LLC, 2022 filing, litigation on pages 17–18, bankruptcy on page 18
Jon Smith Subs filings
The figures on this page come from J.S. Subs, LLC’s 2022 filing, issued April 27, 2022, on record with the NASAA Electronic Filing Depository.
| Filing | Issued | Registry | On this page |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 filing | April 27, 2022 | NASAA depository | Costs, fees and locations, 2019–2021 |
Each link opens the filing as a PDF. See the newest filings across all brands.
Other sandwich franchises
All sandwich franchises
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