Moby Dick House of Kabob franchise
2023 filing · October 25, 2023
Moby Dick House of Kabob at a glance
A kabob restaurant serving lunch and dinner for dine-in or take-away. At the end of 2022 there were 25 Moby Dick House of Kabob locations in the US, 6 franchised and 19 company-owned, so most are run by the company itself.
The business
- Franchisor
- Moby Dick Franchise Corp
- The company that sells the franchises
- Typical size
- 1,000–2,500 sq ft
What you pay
- Cost to open
- $441K–$1.05M
- Fee, build-out and opening working capital
- Franchise fee
- $35,000
- Paid once, when you sign
- Royalty
- 5%
- 5% of weekly gross sales, plus 1% to the brand development fund once established
- Brand fund
- Yes
- 1% of gross sales once the fund is set up, paid with the royalty; it can rise to 2%
- Agreement length
- 10 years
Where it is
- US locations, 2022
- 25
- Franchised and company-owned
- Franchised
- 6
- Company-owned
- 19
- Change in 3 years
- 0
- Franchised locations, 2020–2022
- States
- 2
- Most in Virginia, Maryland and District of Columbia
From Moby Dick Franchise Corp’s 2023 filing; SBA status from the SBA Franchise Directory, October 28, 2026.
Where it ranks
Moby Dick House of Kabob among all franchises with the same figure.
| Figure | Moby Dick House of Kabob | Among all franchises |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, midpointHalfway between the low and high estimate | $747,050 | Costs more than 77% of franchises |
| Franchise feePaid once, when you sign | $35,000 | Lower than 61% of franchises |
| RoyaltyShare of sales paid to the franchisor | 5% | Lower than 69% of brands with a set rate |
| US locationsFranchised and company-owned | 25 | More than 53% of franchises |
How much a Moby Dick House of Kabob franchise costs
Opening one Moby Dick House of Kabob costs an estimated $440,900 to $1,053,200. That covers the franchise fee and everything else needed to open, through the first months of working capital.
The biggest costs are leasehold improvements ($150,000 to $500,000) and furniture, fixtures and equipment ($150,000 to $250,000). Here is every line of the estimate as filed:
| What it pays for | Range | Low | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee | $35,000 | ||
| Leasehold Improvements | $150,000 | $500,000 | |
| Rent – 3 Months | $14,500 | $50,000 | |
| Security Deposits | $7,000 | $20,000 | |
| Furniture, Fixtures and Equipment | $150,000 | $250,000 | |
| Signage | $6,000 | $15,000 | |
| Initial Inventory | $10,000 | $15,000 | |
| Blueprints and Plans | $10,000 | $40,000 | |
| Computerized Point of Sale System | $12,000 | $15,000 | |
| Travel, lodging and meals for initial training | $3,000 | $7,000 | |
| Reimbursement of Opening Expenses | $1,500 | $2,000 | |
| Insurance – 3 Months | $900 | $1,200 | |
| Grand Opening Advertising | $3,000 | ||
| Licenses and Permits | $3,000 | $45,000 | |
| Professional Fees | $5,000 | $15,000 | |
| Additional Funds – 3 Months | $30,000 | $40,000 | |
| Total | $440,900 | $1,053,200 | |
Source: Moby Dick Franchise Corp, 2023 filing, page 18
Moby Dick House of Kabob franchise fee
The franchise fee is $35,000. You pay it when you sign the franchise agreement.
Source: Moby Dick Franchise Corp, 2023 filing, page 11
Royalty and ongoing fees
| Royalty | 5% of weekly gross sales, plus 1% to the brand development fund once established. |
|---|---|
| Brand or marketing fund | 1% of gross sales once the fund is set up, paid with the royalty; it can rise to 2%. |
| Software Maintenance Fees and Subscriptions | $900-$1,500, or the then- current fee |
| Transfer Fee (Franchise Agreement) | $17,500 |
| Local Advertising | 2% of Gross Sales |
The typical franchise royalty is 6% of sales, plus 2% for marketing. See franchise fees and royalties to compare.
Source: Moby Dick Franchise Corp, 2023 filing, pages 12 and 13
Other fees as filed, from pages 13–16. The filing lists every fee, including late fees and audit costs.
Sales and earnings
No figures Moby Dick House of Kabob 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: Moby Dick Franchise Corp, 2023 filing, page 54
- Estimate Estimated yearly sales per location
- $1.1M–$2M
Estimated from the sales that 292 comparable franchises file, matched on industry, format, cost to open, fees and size.
Growth and closures
Share of franchised locations, 2022 / 2020–2022. Typical means the median: half of brands are above it, half below.
| Measure | Moby Dick House of Kabob | Typical restaurant brand | Typical franchise |
|---|---|---|---|
| GrowthNet change in franchised locations | +20% / 0% | 0% / +3% | +1.2% / +10% |
| ClosuresTerminated, not renewed or stopped operating | 0% / 0% | 2.5% / 13% | 3.9% / 16% |
| Bought backLocations the franchisor took back | 0% / 17% | 0% / 0% | 0% / 0% |
Typical restaurant brand is the median of the 301 brands in restaurant franchises with three years of counts.
How Moby Dick House of Kabob compares
Of the 813 restaurant franchises on this site, Moby Dick House of Kabob is the 454th cheapest to open and the 308th largest by number of locations.
| Figure | Moby Dick House of Kabob | Typical restaurant brand | Typical franchise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, low end | $441K | $408K | $222K |
| Cost to open, high end | $1.05M | $866K | $477K |
| Franchise fee | $35K | $35K | $40K |
| Royalty | 5% | 5% | 6% |
| US locations | 25 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 6 (0) | 18 | 0 | 0 |
| 2021 | 5 (−1) | 19 | 0 | −1 |
| 2022 | 6 (+1) | 19 | +1 | 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: Moby Dick Franchise Corp, 2023 filing, page 55
Where Moby Dick House of Kabob locations are
At the end of 2022, Moby Dick House of Kabob had locations in 3 states and territories. The most are in Virginia, Maryland and District of Columbia.
- Virginia14
- Maryland9
- District of Columbia2
| State | Franchised | Company-owned | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia | 4 | 10 | 14 |
| Maryland | 2 | 7 | 9 |
| District of Columbia | 0 | 2 | 2 |
Source: Moby Dick Franchise Corp, 2023 filing, page 56
Who owns Moby Dick House of Kabob?
Moby Dick House of Kabob franchises are sold by Moby Dick Franchise Corp.
From Moby Dick Franchise Corp’s 2023 filing.
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: Moby Dick Franchise Corp, 2023 filing, litigation on page 11, bankruptcy on page 11
Moby Dick House of Kabob filings
The figures on this page come from Moby Dick Franchise Corp’s 2023 filing, issued October 25, 2023, on record with the NASAA Electronic Filing Depository.
| Filing | Issued | Registry | On this page |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 filing | October 25, 2023 | NASAA depository | Costs, fees and locations, 2020–2022 |
Each link opens the filing as a PDF. See the newest filings across all brands.
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