Mercato Cucina franchise
2024 filing · April 18, 2024
Mercato Cucina at a glance
An eatery and marketplace serving coffee, breakfast, lunch sandwiches and catering. At the end of 2023 there were 1 Mercato Cucina locations in the US, all company-owned.
The business
- Franchisor
- Mercato Cucina Plastic Fork Franchising LLC
- The company that sells the franchises
- Franchisor based in
- Huntington Station, New York
What you pay
- Cost to open
- $199K–$346K
- Fee, build-out and opening working capital
- Franchise fee
- $39,500
- Paid once, when you sign
- Royalty
- 5.5%
- 5.5% of gross revenue, paid monthly, plus 1% on local advertising
- Renewal fee
- $10,000
- When the agreement ends and you sign again
- Territory
- Protected
- Protected territory
- Franchisor financing
- None offered
Where it is
- US locations, 2023
- 1
- Franchised and company-owned
- Franchised
- 0
- Company-owned
- 1
- Change in 3 years
- 0
- Franchised locations, 2021–2023
From Mercato Cucina Plastic Fork Franchising LLC’s 2024 filing; SBA status from the SBA Franchise Directory, October 28, 2026.
Where it ranks
Mercato Cucina among all franchises with the same figure.
| Figure | Mercato Cucina | Among all franchises |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, midpointHalfway between the low and high estimate | $272,475 | Costs less than 60% of franchises |
| Franchise feePaid once, when you sign | $39,500 | Lower than 57% of franchises |
| RoyaltyShare of sales paid to the franchisor | 5.5% | Lower than 66% of brands with a set rate |
| US locationsFranchised and company-owned | 1 | Fewer than 88% of franchises |
How much a Mercato Cucina franchise costs
Opening one Mercato Cucina costs an estimated $198,650 to $346,300. That covers the franchise fee and everything else needed to open, through the first months of working capital.
The biggest costs are leasehold improvements ($50,000 to $100,000) and TV, cameras and other supplies ($40,000 to $80,000). Here is every line of the estimate as filed:
| What it pays for | Range | Low | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee | $39,500 | ||
| Traveling and Living Expenses while Training | $3,750 | $7,500 | |
| Furniture, Fixtures, and Equipment | $5,000 | $10,000 | |
| Real Property Rent and Security Deposits | $9,000 | $18,000 | |
| Leasehold Improvements | $50,000 | $100,000 | |
| TV, Cameras and other Supplies | $40,000 | $80,000 | |
| Initial Inventory | $10,000 | $20,000 | |
| Signage | $5,000 | $8,000 | |
| Grand Opening Advertising | $2,000 | $5,000 | |
| Licenses, Permits, and Certifications | $1,000 | $3,000 | |
| Insurance (3 Months) | $900 | $1,800 | |
| Professional Fees | $2,500 | $3,500 | |
| Additional Funds (3 months) | $30,000 | $50,000 | |
| Total | $198,650 | $346,300 | |
Source: Mercato Cucina Plastic Fork Franchising LLC, 2024 filing, page 16
Mercato Cucina franchise fee
The franchise fee is $39,500. You pay it when you sign the franchise agreement.
Source: Mercato Cucina Plastic Fork Franchising LLC, 2024 filing, page 11
Royalty and ongoing fees
| Royalty | 5.5% of gross revenue, paid monthly, plus 1% on local advertising. |
|---|---|
| POS and Software Fees | Approximately $200 per month (plus transaction costs) |
| Transfer Fee | $15,000 |
| Renewal Fee | $10,000 |
| Local Advertising | 1% of Gross Revenues |
The typical franchise royalty is 6% of sales, plus 2% for marketing. See franchise fees and royalties to compare.
Source: Mercato Cucina Plastic Fork Franchising LLC, 2024 filing, page 12
Other fees as filed, from pages 12–14. The filing lists every fee, including late fees and audit costs.
Sales and earnings
No figures Mercato Cucina 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: Mercato Cucina Plastic Fork Franchising LLC, 2024 filing, page 39
- Estimate Estimated yearly sales per location
- $460K–$810K
Estimated from the sales that 292 comparable franchises file, matched on industry, format, cost to open, fees and size.
How Mercato Cucina compares
Of the 80 sandwich franchises on this site, Mercato Cucina is the 14th cheapest to open and the 67th largest by number of locations.
| Figure | Mercato Cucina | Typical sandwich brand | Typical franchise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, low end | $199K | $321K | $222K |
| Cost to open, high end | $346K | $683K | $477K |
| Franchise fee | $40K | $32K | $40K |
| Royalty | 5.5% | 6% | 6% |
| US locations | 1 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 0 (0) | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 (0) | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023 | 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: sandwich and sub franchise costs and franchise failure rates.
Source: Mercato Cucina Plastic Fork Franchising LLC, 2024 filing, page 40
Who owns Mercato Cucina?
Mercato Cucina franchises are sold by Mercato Cucina Plastic Fork Franchising LLC. Its filing names no parent company.
From Mercato Cucina Plastic Fork Franchising LLC’s 2024 filing, page 9.
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: Mercato Cucina Plastic Fork Franchising LLC, 2024 filing, litigation on page 10, bankruptcy on page 10
Mercato Cucina filings
The figures on this page come from Mercato Cucina Plastic Fork Franchising LLC’s 2024 filing, issued April 18, 2024, on record with the NASAA Electronic Filing Depository.
| Filing | Issued | Registry | On this page |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 filing | April 18, 2024 | NASAA depository | Costs, fees and locations, 2021–2023 |
Each link opens the filing as a PDF. See the newest filings across all brands.
Other sandwich franchises
All sandwich franchises
Mercato Cucina is also on these lists: coffee franchises, restaurant franchises, food franchises.