Little Big Burger franchise
2022 filing · May 19, 2022Fewer locationsShares sales figures
Little Big Burger at a glance
A burger restaurant with a short menu of small burgers, truffle fries and shakes. At the end of 2021 there were 16 Little Big Burger locations in the US, all company-owned.
The business
- Franchisor
- LBB Franchising, LLC
- The company that sells the franchises
- Current franchisor selling since
- 2017
- 5 years of selling franchises
- Franchisor based in
- Charlotte, North Carolina
- Typical size
- 1,200–1,800 sq ft
What you pay
- Cost to open
- $206K–$607K
- Fee, build-out and opening working capital
- Franchise fee
- $30,000
- $20,000 if you already run a Little Big Burger
- Royalty
- 5%
- 5% of net sales, paid weekly, plus 1.5% to the brand fund once it is formed and at least 2% on local marketing
- Brand fund
- Yes
- 1.5% of net sales once the fund is formed
- Renewal fee
- $7,500
- When the agreement ends and you sign again
- Agreement length
- 10 years
Where it is
- US locations, 2021
- 16
- Franchised and company-owned
- Franchised
- 0
- Company-owned
- 16
- Change in 3 years
- −3
- Franchised locations, 2019–2021
- States
- 3
- Most in Oregon, North Carolina and Washington
From LBB Franchising, LLC’s 2022 filing; SBA status from the SBA Franchise Directory, October 28, 2026.
Where it ranks
Little Big Burger among all franchises with the same figure.
| Figure | Little Big Burger | Among all franchises |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, midpointHalfway between the low and high estimate | $406,500 | Costs more than 55% of franchises |
| Franchise feePaid once, when you sign | $30,000 | Lower than 72% of franchises |
| RoyaltyShare of sales paid to the franchisor | 5% | Lower than 69% of brands with a set rate |
| US locationsFranchised and company-owned | 16 | Fewer than 54% of franchises |
How much a Little Big Burger franchise costs
Opening one Little Big Burger costs an estimated $206,000 to $607,000. That covers the franchise fee and everything else needed to open, through the first months of working capital.
The biggest costs are leasehold improvements ($75,000 to $250,000) and furnishings, fixtures, equipment and supplies ($40,000 to $150,000). Here is every line of the estimate as filed:
| What it pays for | Range | Low | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee | $30,000 | ||
| Lease and Security Deposits | $12,000 | $20,000 | |
| Building and Zoning Permits | $10,000 | $30,000 | |
| Leasehold Improvements | $75,000 | $250,000 | |
| Signage | $5,000 | $40,000 | |
| Initial Inventory | $5,000 | $12,000 | |
| Insurance | $1,000 | $5,000 | |
| Training Expenses | $5,000 | $20,000 | |
| Grand Opening Marketing | $5,000 | ||
| Furnishings, Fixtures, Equipment and Supplies | $40,000 | $150,000 | |
| Business Licenses and Professional Fees | $500 | $10,000 | |
| Computer Equipment and Software | $5,000 | $15,000 | |
| Additional Funds (3 Months) | $12,500 | $20,000 | |
| Total | $206,000 | $607,000 | |
Source: LBB Franchising, LLC, 2022 filing, page 15
Little Big Burger franchise fee
The franchise fee is $30,000, $20,000 if you already run a Little Big Burger. You pay it when you sign the franchise agreement.
Source: LBB Franchising, LLC, 2022 filing, page 9
Royalty and ongoing fees
| Royalty | 5% of net sales, paid weekly, plus 1.5% to the brand fund once it is formed and at least 2% on local marketing. |
|---|---|
| Brand or marketing fund | 1.5% of net sales once the fund is formed. |
| Technology Fee | Currently, $75 per week |
| Transfer Fee – Franchise Agreement | $7,500 |
| Renewal Franchise Fee | $7,500 |
| Local Store Marketing Expenditures | Currently, at least 2% of quarterly Net Sales |
The typical franchise royalty is 6% of sales, plus 2% for marketing. See franchise fees and royalties to compare.
Source: LBB Franchising, LLC, 2022 filing, page 10
Other fees as filed, from pages 10–14. The filing lists every fee, including late fees and audit costs.
Sales and earnings
Shares figures Little Big Burger publishes sales or earnings figures for its locations. The full tables, with notes on which locations are counted, are in its filing.
Source: LBB Franchising, LLC, 2022 filing, page 41
- Estimate Estimated yearly sales per location
- $700K–$1.3M
Estimated from the sales that 292 comparable franchises file, matched on industry, format, cost to open, fees and size.
How Little Big Burger compares
Of the 63 burger franchises on this site, Little Big Burger is the 3rd cheapest to open and the 34th largest by number of locations.
| Figure | Little Big Burger | Typical burger brand | Typical franchise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, low end | $206K | $556K | $222K |
| Cost to open, high end | $607K | $1.52M | $477K |
| Franchise fee | $30K | $35K | $40K |
| Royalty | 5% | 5% | 6% |
| US locations | 16 | 25 | 21 |
| Closed or left per year | 100% | 2% | – |
| Change in franchised locations, 3 yrs | −100% | −2.4% | – |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 0 (−3) | 19 | 0 | −3 |
| 2020 | 0 (0) | 15 | 0 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 (0) | 16 | 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: burger franchise costs and franchise failure rates.
Source: LBB Franchising, LLC, 2022 filing, page 42
Where Little Big Burger locations are
At the end of 2021, Little Big Burger had locations in 3 states. The most are in Oregon, North Carolina and Washington.
- Oregon13
- North Carolina2
- Washington1
| State | Franchised | Company-owned | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oregon | 0 | 13 | 13 |
| North Carolina | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Washington | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Source: LBB Franchising, LLC, 2022 filing, page 43
Who owns Little Big Burger?
Little Big Burger franchises are sold by LBB Franchising, LLC. It is a subsidiary of LBB Acquisition, LLC.
From LBB Franchising, LLC’s 2022 filing, page 7.
Lawsuits and bankruptcy
| Lawsuits and regulatory actions | Yes. The filing describes past or pending cases involving the franchisor, its affiliates or its executives on page 9. |
|---|---|
| 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: LBB Franchising, LLC, 2022 filing, litigation on page 9, bankruptcy on page 9
Little Big Burger filings
The figures on this page come from LBB Franchising, LLC’s 2022 filing, issued May 19, 2022, on record with the NASAA Electronic Filing Depository.
| Filing | Issued | Registry | On this page |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 filing | May 19, 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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