Mr. Charlie's Told Me So franchise
2026 filing · April 20, 2026Shares sales figures
Mr. Charlie's Told Me So at a glance
A fast-service restaurant serving plant-based burgers, chicken-style sandwiches and other meatless food. At the end of 2025 there were 3 Mr. Charlie's Told Me So locations in the US, all company-owned.
The business
- Franchisor
- Mr. Charlie's World LLC
- The company that sells the franchises
- First location
- 2022
- Typical size
- 1,000–2,000 sq ft
What you pay
- Cost to open
- $281K–$697K
- A restaurant without the optional food truck
- Franchise fee
- $35,000
- Paid once, when you sign
- Royalty
- 5%
- 5% of gross sales, paid weekly, plus a brand fund contribution
- Brand fund
- 2%
- 2% of gross sales, paid with the royalty
- Renewal fee
- See terms
- Greater of $17,500 or 50% of then-current initial franchise fee
Where it is
- US locations, 2025
- 3
- Franchised and company-owned
- Franchised
- 0
- Company-owned
- 3
- Change in 3 years
- 0
- Franchised locations, 2023–2025
- States
- 1
- Most in California
From Mr. Charlie's World LLC’s 2026 filing; SBA status from the SBA Franchise Directory, October 28, 2026.
Where it ranks
Mr. Charlie's Told Me So among all franchises with the same figure.
| Figure | Mr. Charlie's Told Me So | Among all franchises |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, midpointHalfway between the low and high estimate | $488,840 | Costs more than 63% 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 | 3 | Fewer than 78% of franchises |
How much a Mr. Charlie's Told Me So franchise costs
Opening a restaurant without the optional food truck costs an estimated $280,780 to $696,900. That covers the franchise fee and everything else needed to open, through the first months of working capital.
The biggest costs are construction ($100,000 to $300,000) and lease deposit & rent (3 months) ($12,000 to $80,000). Here is every line of the estimate as filed:
| What it pays for | Range | Low | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee | $35,000 | ||
| Security Deposit | $5,000 | ||
| Initial Training Expenses | $500 | $10,000 | |
| Food Handler Certification | $200 | $500 | |
| Lease Deposit & Rent (3 months) | $12,000 | $80,000 | |
| Architect Fees | $8,500 | $11,200 | |
| Construction | $100,000 | $300,000 | |
| Exterior & Interior Signage | $15,000 | $30,000 | |
| Furniture, Fixtures & Décor | $9,000 | $20,000 | |
| Technology Systems | $6,980 | $17,000 | |
| Kitchen Equipment | $32,000 | $57,000 | |
| Employee Uniforms | $2,500 | $3,500 | |
| Opening Inventory | $22,500 | $51,500 | |
| Grand Opening Advertising | $5,000 | $12,000 | |
| Office Supplies | $500 | $900 | |
| Utility Deposits | $3,500 | $5,000 | |
| Business Licenses & Permits | $2,000 | $6,000 | |
| Professional Fees | $5,000 | $16,000 | |
| Insurance Premium (3 months) | $600 | $1,300 | |
| Additional Funds (3 months) | $15,000 | $35,000 | |
| Total | $280,780 | $696,900 | |
Source: Mr. Charlie's World LLC, 2026 filing, page 17
Mr. Charlie's Told Me So franchise fee
The franchise fee is $35,000. You pay it when you sign the franchise agreement.
Source: Mr. Charlie's World LLC, 2026 filing, page 12
Royalty and ongoing fees
| Royalty | 5% of gross sales, paid weekly, plus a brand fund contribution. |
|---|---|
| Brand or marketing fund | 2% of gross sales, paid with the royalty. |
| Technology Systems | $6,980 to $17,000 |
| Transfer Fee | [Franchise Agreement] $10,000 |
| Renewal Fee | Greater of $17,500 or 50% of then-current initial franchise fee |
| Local Marketing Commitment | Greater of (a) 1% of monthly Gross Sales or (b) $500 per month |
The typical franchise royalty is 6% of sales, plus 2% for marketing. See franchise fees and royalties to compare.
Source: Mr. Charlie's World LLC, 2026 filing, pages 13 and 14
Other fees as filed, from pages 14–17. The filing lists every fee, including late fees and audit costs.
Sales and earnings
Shares figures Mr. Charlie's Told Me So publishes sales or earnings figures for its locations. The full tables, with notes on which locations are counted, are in its filing.
Source: Mr. Charlie's World LLC, 2026 filing, page 43
- Estimate Estimated yearly sales per location
- $730K–$1.3M
Estimated from the sales that 292 comparable franchises file, matched on industry, format, cost to open, fees and size.
How Mr. Charlie's Told Me So compares
Of the 63 burger franchises on this site, Mr. Charlie's Told Me So is the 11th cheapest to open and the 53rd largest by number of locations.
| Figure | Mr. Charlie's Told Me So | Typical burger brand | Typical franchise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, low end | $281K | $556K | $222K |
| Cost to open, high end | $697K | $1.52M | $477K |
| Franchise fee | $35K | $35K | $40K |
| Royalty | 5% | 5% | 6% |
| Brand fund | 2% | 2% | 2% |
| US locations | 3 | 25 | 21 |
| Shares earnings figures | Yes | 44 of 63 | 2,147 of 3,352 |
Typical is the median across the 63 brands in burger franchises; typical franchise, across every brand here.
Locations opened and closed
| Year | Franchised | Company-owned | Opened | Closed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 0 (0) | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 (0) | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 (0) | 3 | 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: burger franchise costs and franchise failure rates.
Source: Mr. Charlie's World LLC, 2026 filing, page 45
Where Mr. Charlie's Told Me So locations are
At the end of 2025, Mr. Charlie's Told Me So had locations in 1 state. The most are in California.
- California3
| State | Franchised | Company-owned | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | 0 | 3 | 3 |
Source: Mr. Charlie's World LLC, 2026 filing, page 45
Who owns Mr. Charlie's Told Me So?
Mr. Charlie's Told Me So franchises are sold by Mr. Charlie's World LLC.
From Mr. Charlie's World LLC’s 2026 filing.
Lawsuits and bankruptcy
| Lawsuits and regulatory actions | Yes. The filing describes past or pending cases involving the franchisor, its affiliates or its executives on page 12. |
|---|---|
| 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: Mr. Charlie's World LLC, 2026 filing, litigation on page 12, bankruptcy on page 12
Mr. Charlie's Told Me So filings
The figures on this page come from Mr. Charlie's World LLC’s 2026 filing, issued April 20, 2026, on record with the NASAA Electronic Filing Depository.
| Filing | Issued | Registry | On this page |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 filing | April 20, 2026 | NASAA depository | Costs, fees and locations, 2023–2025 |
Each link opens the filing as a PDF. See the newest filings across all brands.
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