Kajiken franchise
2024 filing · July 18, 2024
Kajiken at a glance
A Japanese ramen restaurant serving noodle dishes, bowls and appetizers. At the end of 2023 there were 3 Kajiken locations in the US, all franchised.
The business
- Franchisor
- Kajiken International, Inc
- The company that sells the franchises
- Current franchisor selling since
- 2021
- 3 years of selling franchises
- First location
- 2010
- Franchisor based in
- San Mateo, California
- Typical size
- 1,000–2,500 sq ft
What you pay
- Cost to open
- $521K–$831K
- Fee, build-out and opening working capital
- Franchise fee
- $50,000
- Paid once, when you sign
- Royalty
- 4%
- 4% of gross sales, paid weekly
- Brand fund
- None now
- 0.75% of gross sales once a fund is set up; not charged at present
- Agreement length
- 10 years
- Territory
- Limited
- Limited protection
- Franchisor financing
- None offered
Where it is
- US locations, 2023
- 3
- Franchised and company-owned
- Franchised
- 3
- Company-owned
- 0
- States
- 3
- Most in California, Illinois and Maryland
From Kajiken International, Inc’s 2024 filing; SBA status from the SBA Franchise Directory, October 28, 2026.
Where it ranks
Kajiken among all franchises with the same figure.
| Figure | Kajiken | Among all franchises |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, midpointHalfway between the low and high estimate | $675,550 | Costs more than 74% of franchises |
| Franchise feePaid once, when you sign | $50,000 | Higher than 70% of franchises |
| RoyaltyShare of sales paid to the franchisor | 4% | Lower than 93% of brands with a set rate |
| US locationsFranchised and company-owned | 3 | Fewer than 78% of franchises |
How much a Kajiken franchise costs
Opening one Kajiken costs an estimated $520,500 to $830,600. That covers the franchise fee and everything else needed to open, through the first months of working capital.
The biggest costs are build-out/leasehold improvements ($225,000 to $330,000) and furniture, fixtures and equipment ($135,000 to $198,000). Here is every line of the estimate as filed:
| What it pays for | Range | Low | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee | $50,000 | ||
| Initial Training Fee | $30,000 | ||
| Travel and Living Expenses while Training | $3,000 | $8,000 | |
| Real Estate/Lease (3 months + deposit) | $14,000 | $75,000 | |
| Build-Out/Leasehold Improvements | $225,000 | $330,000 | |
| Furniture, Fixtures and Equipment | $135,000 | $198,000 | |
| Opening Inventory | $9,000 | $18,000 | |
| Signage | $4,500 | $6,600 | |
| Utility Deposits | $0 | $3,000 | |
| Business License and Permits | $5,000 | $10,000 | |
| Professional/Legal Fees | $6,000 | $20,000 | |
| Computer and POS Systems | $4,500 | $10,000 | |
| Insurance | $3,500 | $7,000 | |
| Grand Opening Expenses | $1,000 | $5,000 | |
| Additional Funds (3 Months) | $30,000 | $60,000 | |
| Total | $520,500 | $830,600 | |
Source: Kajiken International, Inc, 2024 filing, page 16
Kajiken franchise fee
The franchise fee is $50,000. You pay it when you sign the franchise agreement.
Source: Kajiken International, Inc, 2024 filing, page 9
Royalty and ongoing fees
| Royalty | 4% of gross sales, paid weekly. |
|---|---|
| Brand or marketing fund | 0.75% of gross sales once a fund is set up; not charged at present. |
| Transfer Fee | 40% or 70% of the then-current Initial Franchise Fee, or $2,300. |
| Additional Training Fee | $2,760 per trainee. |
| Local Marketing and Advertising Expenses | 1% of Gross Sales |
The typical franchise royalty is 6% of sales, plus 2% for marketing. See franchise fees and royalties to compare.
Source: Kajiken International, Inc, 2024 filing, page 10
Other fees as filed, from pages 10–11. The filing lists every fee, including late fees and audit costs.
Sales and earnings
No figures Kajiken 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: Kajiken International, Inc, 2024 filing, page 51
- Estimate Estimated yearly sales per location
- $910K–$1.6M
Estimated from the sales that 292 comparable franchises file, matched on industry, format, cost to open, fees and size.
How Kajiken compares
Of the 813 restaurant franchises on this site, Kajiken is the 521st cheapest to open and the 610th largest by number of locations.
| Figure | Kajiken | Typical restaurant brand | Typical franchise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, low end | $521K | $408K | $222K |
| Cost to open, high end | $831K | $866K | $477K |
| Franchise fee | $50K | $35K | $40K |
| Royalty | 4% | 5% | 6% |
| US locations | 3 | 14 | 21 |
| Shares earnings figures | No | 474 of 813 | 2,147 of 3,352 |
Typical is the median across the 813 brands in restaurant franchises; typical franchise, across every brand here.
Locations opened and closed
| Year | Franchised | Company-owned |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 0 (0) | 0 |
| 2022 | 1 (+1) | 0 |
| 2023 | 3 (+2) | 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: Kajiken International, Inc, 2024 filing, page 51
Where Kajiken locations are
At the end of 2023, Kajiken had franchised locations in 3 states. The most are in California, Illinois and Maryland.
- California1
- Illinois1
- Maryland1
| State | Franchised |
|---|---|
| California | 1 |
| Illinois | 1 |
| Maryland | 1 |
Source: Kajiken International, Inc, 2024 filing, page 52
Who owns Kajiken?
Kajiken franchises are sold by Kajiken International, Inc. Its filing names no parent company.
From Kajiken International, Inc’s 2024 filing, page 7.
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: Kajiken International, Inc, 2024 filing, litigation on page 9, bankruptcy on page 9
Kajiken filings
The figures on this page come from Kajiken International, Inc’s 2024 filing, issued July 18, 2024, on record with the Minnesota Department of Commerce.
| Filing | Issued | Registry | On this page |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 filing | July 18, 2024 | Minnesota | Costs, fees and locations, 2021–2023 |
Each link opens the filing as a PDF. See the newest filings across all brands.
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