Minnie Bird franchise
2026 filing · April 30, 2026Shares sales figures
Minnie Bird at a glance
A fast-food restaurant serving fried chicken tenders and sandwiches, free soft-serve and flavored "dirty" sodas. At the end of 2025 there were 2 Minnie Bird locations in the US, all company-owned.
The business
- Franchisor
- Minnie Bird Franchise System, LLC
- The company that sells the franchises
- Franchisor based in
- Schaumburg, Illinois
- Typical size
- 2,200–3,500 sq ft
What you pay
- Cost to open
- $575K–$1.98M
- Fee, build-out and opening working capital
- Franchise fee
- $40,000
- Paid once, when you sign
- Royalty
- 6%
- 6% of weekly gross sales, paid weekly, plus local advertising of at least 1% of sales
- Renewal fee
- See terms
- 50% of the then- current Initial Franchise Fee
- Agreement length
- 10 years
- Territory
- Protected
- Protected territory
- Franchisor financing
- None offered
Where it is
- US locations, 2025
- 2
- Franchised and company-owned
- Franchised
- 0
- Company-owned
- 2
- Change in 1 years
- 0
- Franchised locations, 2023–2025
- States
- 1
- Most in Illinois
From Minnie Bird Franchise System, LLC’s 2026 filing; SBA status from the SBA Franchise Directory, October 28, 2026.
Where it ranks
Minnie Bird among all franchises with the same figure.
| Figure | Minnie Bird | Among all franchises |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, midpointHalfway between the low and high estimate | $1,277,250 | Costs more than 87% of franchises |
| Franchise feePaid once, when you sign | $40,000 | Lower than 46% of franchises |
| RoyaltyShare of sales paid to the franchisor | 6% | Higher than 35% of brands with a set rate |
| US locationsFranchised and company-owned | 2 | Fewer than 82% of franchises |
How much a Minnie Bird franchise costs
Opening one Minnie Bird costs an estimated $575,000 to $1,979,500. That covers the franchise fee and everything else needed to open, through the first months of working capital.
The biggest costs are build-out of approved location ($250,000 to $890,000) and equipment ($105,000 to $320,000). Here is every line of the estimate as filed:
| What it pays for | Range | Low | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee (See) | $40,000 | ||
| Opening Inventory, Supplies, and Smallwares | $30,000 | $75,000 | |
| Pre-Opening Rent | $5,000 | $25,000 | |
| Lease and Utility Deposits | $7,000 | $15,000 | |
| Design Professional Fees (Drawings for Permitting or Drawings for Construction) | $15,000 | $50,000 | |
| Business Licenses and Permits | $1,000 | $35,000 | |
| Build-out of Approved Location | $250,000 | $890,000 | |
| Signage | $15,000 | $115,000 | |
| Digital Screens and Artwork | $20,000 | $75,000 | |
| Furniture, Fixtures, and Décor | $15,000 | $100,000 | |
| Equipment | $105,000 | $320,000 | |
| Initial Training (Your Travel Costs/Expenses) | $10,000 | $20,000 | |
| Pre–Opening and Grand Opening Advertising and Marketing | $7,500 | $10,000 | |
| Uniforms | $1,000 | $5,000 | |
| Legal and Accounting Fees Related to Startup Assistance | $1,000 | $15,000 | |
| Office Supplies | $1,000 | $2,500 | |
| Pre-Opening Labor | $15,000 | $37,500 | |
| Computer System and Required Hardware and Operating System plus Recommended Security Systems | $12,500 | $37,500 | |
| Drive Thru Window (Optional) | $0 | $35,000 | |
| Insurance (quarterly estimate) | $3,000 | $5,000 | |
| Miscellaneous Opening Costs | $1,000 | $22,000 | |
| Additional Funds for Initial Three Months | $20,000 | $50,000 | |
| Total | $575,000 | $1,979,500 | |
Source: Minnie Bird Franchise System, LLC, 2026 filing, page 17
Minnie Bird franchise fee
The franchise fee is $40,000. You pay it when you sign the franchise agreement.
Source: Minnie Bird Franchise System, LLC, 2026 filing, page 11
Royalty and ongoing fees
| Royalty | 6% of weekly gross sales, paid weekly, plus local advertising of at least 1% of sales. |
|---|---|
| Transfer Fee under Franchise Agreement | 50% of the then- current Initial Franchise Fee |
| Renewal Fee | 50% of the then- current Initial Franchise Fee |
| Additional Training or Assistance | Then-current charge ($500 to $1,000 per week per person) |
The typical franchise royalty is 6% of sales, plus 2% for marketing. See franchise fees and royalties to compare.
Source: Minnie Bird Franchise System, LLC, 2026 filing, page 11
Other fees as filed, from pages 12–15. The filing lists every fee, including late fees and audit costs.
Sales and earnings
Shares figures Minnie Bird publishes sales or earnings figures for its locations. The full tables, with notes on which locations are counted, are in its filing.
Source: Minnie Bird Franchise System, LLC, 2026 filing, page 44
- Estimate Estimated yearly sales per location
- $1.3M–$2.4M
Estimated from the sales that 292 comparable franchises file, matched on industry, format, cost to open, fees and size.
How Minnie Bird compares
Of the 113 chicken franchises on this site, Minnie Bird is the 75th cheapest to open and the 94th largest by number of locations.
| Figure | Minnie Bird | Typical chicken brand | Typical franchise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, low end | $575K | $407K | $222K |
| Cost to open, high end | $1.98M | $868K | $477K |
| Franchise fee | $40K | $35K | $40K |
| Royalty | 6% | 5% | 6% |
| US locations | 2 | 10 | 21 |
| Shares earnings figures | Yes | 61 of 113 | 2,147 of 3,352 |
Typical is the median across the 113 brands in chicken franchises; typical franchise, across every brand here.
Locations opened and closed
| Year | Franchised | Company-owned | Opened | Closed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 0 (0) | 0 | – | – |
| 2024 | 0 (0) | 1 | – | – |
| 2025 | 0 (0) | 2 | 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: chicken franchise costs and franchise failure rates.
Source: Minnie Bird Franchise System, LLC, 2026 filing, page 46
Where Minnie Bird locations are
At the end of 2025, Minnie Bird had locations in 1 state. The most are in Illinois.
- Illinois2
| State | Franchised | Company-owned | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Illinois | 0 | 2 | 2 |
Source: Minnie Bird Franchise System, LLC, 2026 filing, page 47
Who owns Minnie Bird?
Minnie Bird franchises are sold by Minnie Bird Franchise System, LLC. It is a subsidiary of Minnie Bird, LLC.
From Minnie Bird Franchise System, LLC’s 2026 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: Minnie Bird Franchise System, LLC, 2026 filing, litigation on page 10, bankruptcy on page 10
Minnie Bird filings
The figures on this page come from Minnie Bird Franchise System, LLC’s 2026 filing, issued April 30, 2026, on record with the NASAA Electronic Filing Depository.
| Filing | Issued | Registry | On this page |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 filing | April 30, 2026 | NASAA depository | Costs, fees and locations, 2023–2025 |
Each link opens the filing as a PDF. See the newest filings across all brands.
Other chicken franchises
All chicken franchises
Minnie Bird is also on these lists: fast food franchises, restaurant franchises, food franchises.