MaLa Project franchise
2024 filing · April 15, 2024Shares sales figures
MaLa Project at a glance
A Chinese restaurant serving traditional dishes in a stylish, Chinese-inspired dining room. At the end of 2023 there were 4 MaLa Project locations in the US, all company-owned.
The business
- Franchisor
- MaLa Project Franchise LLC
- The company that sells the franchises
- Current franchisor selling since
- 2023
- Franchisor based in
- New York, New York
- Typical size
- 2,000–3,000 sq ft
What you pay
- Cost to open
- $547K–$950K
- Fee, build-out and opening working capital
- Franchise fee
- $40,000
- Paid once, when you sign
- Royalty
- 5%
- 5% of gross sales, paid monthly, plus 2% to the national marketing fund
- Brand fund
- 2%
- 2% of gross sales, paid with the royalty
- Renewal fee
- $5,000
- When the agreement ends and you sign again
- Agreement length
- 10 years
- Franchisor financing
- None offered
Where it is
- US locations, 2023
- 4
- Franchised and company-owned
- Franchised
- 0
- Company-owned
- 4
- Change in 3 years
- 0
- Franchised locations, 2021–2023
From MaLa Project Franchise LLC’s 2024 filing; SBA status from the SBA Franchise Directory, October 28, 2026.
Where it ranks
MaLa Project among all franchises with the same figure.
| Figure | MaLa Project | Among all franchises |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, midpointHalfway between the low and high estimate | $748,500 | Costs more than 77% of franchises |
| Franchise feePaid once, when you sign | $40,000 | Lower than 46% of franchises |
| RoyaltyShare of sales paid to the franchisor | 5% | Lower than 69% of brands with a set rate |
| US locationsFranchised and company-owned | 4 | Fewer than 74% of franchises |
How much a MaLa Project franchise costs
Opening one MaLa Project costs an estimated $547,000 to $950,000. That covers the franchise fee and everything else needed to open, through the first months of working capital.
The biggest costs are leasehold improvements/buildout ($200,000 to $500,000) and furniture, fixtures, & equipment ($130,000 to $160,000). Here is every line of the estimate as filed:
| What it pays for | Range | Low | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee | $40,000 | ||
| Lease Deposit and Payment | $42,000 | $60,000 | |
| Utility Deposits | $5,000 | $15,000 | |
| Initial Inventory | $10,000 | ||
| Additional Initial Inventory | $20,000 | $30,000 | |
| Furniture, Fixtures, & Equipment | $130,000 | $160,000 | |
| Leasehold Improvements/Buildout | $200,000 | $500,000 | |
| Signage | $5,000 | $10,000 | |
| Grand Opening Advertising | $5,000 | ||
| Insurance | $6,000 | $8,000 | |
| Permits and Licenses | $8,000 | $10,000 | |
| Accounting and Legal Fees | $1,000 | $2,000 | |
| Travel and living expenses while training | $15,000 | $20,000 | |
| Additional Funds – 3 months | $60,000 | $80,000 | |
| Total | $547,000 | $950,000 | |
Source: MaLa Project Franchise LLC, 2024 filing, page 14
MaLa Project franchise fee
The franchise fee is $40,000. You pay it when you sign the franchise agreement.
Source: MaLa Project Franchise LLC, 2024 filing, page 11
Royalty and ongoing fees
| Royalty | 5% of gross sales, paid monthly, plus 2% to the national marketing fund. |
|---|---|
| Brand or marketing fund | 2% of gross sales, paid with the royalty. |
| Franchise Transfer Fee | $10,000 |
| Renewal Fee | $5,000 |
| Additional Training | Our then-current fee, currently $2,000 per day, plus expenses |
| Local Advertising | 2% of your Gross Sales |
The typical franchise royalty is 6% of sales, plus 2% for marketing. See franchise fees and royalties to compare.
Source: MaLa Project Franchise LLC, 2024 filing, page 12
Other fees as filed, from pages 12–13. The filing lists every fee, including late fees and audit costs.
Sales and earnings
Shares figures MaLa Project publishes sales or earnings figures for its locations. The full tables, with notes on which locations are counted, are in its filing.
Source: MaLa Project Franchise LLC, 2024 filing, page 41
- Estimate Estimated yearly sales per location
- $960K–$1.7M
Estimated from the sales that 292 comparable franchises file, matched on industry, format, cost to open, fees and size.
How MaLa Project compares
Of the 813 restaurant franchises on this site, MaLa Project is the 539th cheapest to open and the 577th largest by number of locations.
| Figure | MaLa Project | Typical restaurant brand | Typical franchise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, low end | $547K | $408K | $222K |
| Cost to open, high end | $950K | $866K | $477K |
| Franchise fee | $40K | $35K | $40K |
| Royalty | 5% | 5% | 6% |
| Brand fund | 2% | 2% | 2% |
| US locations | 4 | 14 | 21 |
| Shares earnings figures | Yes | 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 | Opened | Closed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 0 (0) | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 (0) | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 (0) | 4 | 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: franchise failure rates.
Source: MaLa Project Franchise LLC, 2024 filing, page 44
Who owns MaLa Project?
MaLa Project franchises are sold by MaLa Project Franchise LLC. Its filing names no parent company.
From MaLa Project Franchise LLC’s 2024 filing, page 8.
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: MaLa Project Franchise LLC, 2024 filing, litigation on page 11, bankruptcy on page 11
MaLa Project filings
The figures on this page come from MaLa Project Franchise LLC’s 2024 filing, issued April 15, 2024, on record with the NASAA Electronic Filing Depository.
| Filing | Issued | Registry | On this page |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 filing | April 15, 2024 | NASAA depository | 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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