Maryland Blue Crab franchise
2022 filing · November 29, 2022
Maryland Blue Crab at a glance
A full-service seafood restaurant serving crabs and other seafood dishes. At the end of 2021 there were 1 Maryland Blue Crab locations in the US, all company-owned.
The business
- Franchisor
- MD Blue Crab Franchising International, LLC
- The company that sells the franchises
- Franchisor based in
- Larose, Louisiana
- Typical size
- 1,500–5,500 sq ft
What you pay
- Cost to open
- $203K–$513K
- Fee, build-out and opening working capital
- Franchise fee
- $18,500
- Paid once, when you sign
- Royalty
- 3%
- 3% of gross revenues, paid monthly, plus 1% to the advertising fund
- Brand fund
- 1%
- 1% of gross revenue a month, paid monthly
- Agreement length
- 7 years
Where it is
- US locations, 2021
- 1
- Franchised and company-owned
- Franchised
- 0
- Company-owned
- 1
- Change in 3 years
- 0
- Franchised locations, 2019–2021
- States
- 1
- Most in Maryland
From MD Blue Crab Franchising International, LLC’s 2022 filing; SBA status from the SBA Franchise Directory, October 28, 2026.
Where it ranks
Maryland Blue Crab among all franchises with the same figure.
| Figure | Maryland Blue Crab | Among all franchises |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, midpointHalfway between the low and high estimate | $358,050 | Costs more than 50% of franchises |
| Franchise feePaid once, when you sign | $18,500 | Lower than 92% of franchises |
| RoyaltyShare of sales paid to the franchisor | 3% | Lower than 98% of brands with a set rate |
| US locationsFranchised and company-owned | 1 | Fewer than 88% of franchises |
How much a Maryland Blue Crab franchise costs
Opening one Maryland Blue Crab costs an estimated $203,450 to $512,650. That covers the franchise fee and everything else needed to open, through the first months of working capital.
The biggest costs are leasehold improvements ($25,000 to $160,000) and additional funds (3 months) ($50,000 to $100,000). Here is every line of the estimate as filed:
| What it pays for | Range | Low | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee | $18,500 | ||
| Technology | $6,000 | $23,000 | |
| Kitchen Equipment, Furniture and Fixtures | $33,750 | $80,000 | |
| Real Estate | $10,950 | $20,350 | |
| Leasehold Improvements | $25,000 | $160,000 | |
| Utilities | $1,500 | $3,000 | |
| Signage | $7,000 | $14,000 | |
| Start Up Inventory | $9,600 | $15,000 | |
| Vehicle | $0 | $10,000 | |
| Vehicle Graphics | $0 | $800 | |
| Grand Opening Marketing | $15,000 | $20,000 | |
| Staffing | $16,000 | $26,000 | |
| Uniforms | $300 | $500 | |
| Insurance | $4,500 | $12,000 | |
| Travel, Lodging and Meals for Initial Training Program | $3,850 | $5,500 | |
| Licenses, Permits, Certifications and other Professional Fees | $1,500 | $4,000 | |
| Additional Funds (3 Months) | $50,000 | $100,000 | |
| Total | $203,450 | $512,650 | |
Source: MD Blue Crab Franchising International, LLC, 2022 filing, page 17
Maryland Blue Crab franchise fee
The franchise fee is $18,500. You pay it when you sign the franchise agreement.
Source: MD Blue Crab Franchising International, LLC, 2022 filing, page 10
Royalty and ongoing fees
| Royalty | 3% of gross revenues, paid monthly, plus 1% to the advertising fund. |
|---|---|
| Brand or marketing fund | 1% of gross revenue a month, paid monthly. |
| Technology | $6,000 |
The typical franchise royalty is 6% of sales, plus 2% for marketing. See franchise fees and royalties to compare.
Source: MD Blue Crab Franchising International, LLC, 2022 filing, page 11
Other fees as filed, from page 17. The filing lists every fee, including late fees and audit costs.
Sales and earnings
No figures Maryland Blue Crab 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: MD Blue Crab Franchising International, LLC, 2022 filing, page 56
- Estimate Estimated yearly sales per location
- $780K–$1.4M
Estimated from the sales that 292 comparable franchises file, matched on industry, format, cost to open, fees and size.
How Maryland Blue Crab compares
Of the 813 restaurant franchises on this site, Maryland Blue Crab is the 104th cheapest to open and the 703rd largest by number of locations.
| Figure | Maryland Blue Crab | Typical restaurant brand | Typical franchise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, low end | $203K | $408K | $222K |
| Cost to open, high end | $513K | $866K | $477K |
| Franchise fee | $19K | $35K | $40K |
| Royalty | 3% | 5% | 6% |
| Brand fund | 1% | 2% | 2% |
| US locations | 1 | 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 | Opened | Closed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 0 (0) | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 (0) | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 (0) | 1 | 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: MD Blue Crab Franchising International, LLC, 2022 filing, page 56
Where Maryland Blue Crab locations are
At the end of 2021, Maryland Blue Crab had locations in 1 state. The most are in Maryland.
- Maryland1
| State | Franchised | Company-owned | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maryland | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Source: MD Blue Crab Franchising International, LLC, 2022 filing, page 57
Who owns Maryland Blue Crab?
Maryland Blue Crab franchises are sold by MD Blue Crab Franchising International, LLC. Its filing names no parent company.
From MD Blue Crab Franchising International, LLC’s 2022 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: MD Blue Crab Franchising International, LLC, 2022 filing, litigation on page 10, bankruptcy on page 10
Maryland Blue Crab filings
The figures on this page come from MD Blue Crab Franchising International, LLC’s 2022 filing, issued November 29, 2022, on record with the NASAA Electronic Filing Depository.
| Filing | Issued | Registry | On this page |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 filing | November 29, 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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