Panini Bistro franchise
2026 filing · April 2, 2026Shares sales figures
Panini Bistro at a glance
A restaurant serving paninis and other dishes, as a sit-down traditional restaurant or a carry-out and delivery express format.
The business
- Franchisor
- Panini Bistro Franchising LLC
- The company that sells the franchises
What you pay
- Cost to open
- $404K–$861K
- A traditional restaurant
- Franchise fee
- $25,000
- Paid once, when you sign
- Royalty
- 6%
- 6% of weekly gross sales, plus 2% franchisee-directed marketing; a brand development fund of up to 2% is not currently charged
- Brand fund
- None now
- Up to 2% of gross sales, not charged at present
- Renewal fee
- See terms
- 25% of the then-current Initial Franchise Fee
- Agreement length
- 10 years
Where it is
- Franchised, 2025
- 1
- As printed in the filing
From Panini Bistro Franchising LLC’s 2026 filing; SBA status from the SBA Franchise Directory, October 28, 2026.
Where it ranks
Panini Bistro among all franchises with the same figure.
| Figure | Panini Bistro | Among all franchises |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, midpointHalfway between the low and high estimate | $632,700 | Costs more than 72% of franchises |
| Franchise feePaid once, when you sign | $25,000 | Lower than 82% of franchises |
| RoyaltyShare of sales paid to the franchisor | 6% | Higher than 35% of brands with a set rate |
How much a Panini Bistro franchise costs
Opening a traditional restaurant costs an estimated $404,400 to $861,000. That covers the franchise fee and everything else needed to open, through the first months of working capital.
The biggest costs are construction and leasehold improvements ($244,000 to $610,000) and furniture, fixtures and equipment ($58,000 to $64,000). Here is every line of the estimate as filed:
| What it pays for | Range | Low | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee | $25,000 | ||
| Construction and Leasehold Improvements | $244,000 | $610,000 | |
| Lease Deposits and Rent – Three Months | $8,600 | $29,000 | |
| Furniture, Fixtures and Equipment | $58,000 | $64,000 | |
| Signage | $4,000 | $6,000 | |
| Computer, Software, and Point of Sale System | $2,800 | $5,000 | |
| Grand Opening Marketing | $12,500 | ||
| Initial Inventory | $15,000 | $25,000 | |
| Utility Deposits | $500 | $2,000 | |
| Insurance Deposits – Three Months | $1,000 | $15,000 | |
| Travel for Initial Training | $15,000 | $20,000 | |
| Professional Fees | $5,500 | $12,500 | |
| General Licenses and Permits | $2,500 | $5,000 | |
| Additional Funds – Three Months | $10,000 | $30,000 | |
| Total | $404,400 | $861,000 | |
Source: Panini Bistro Franchising LLC, 2026 filing, page 17
Panini Bistro franchise fee
The franchise fee is $25,000. You pay it when you sign the franchise agreement.
Source: Panini Bistro Franchising LLC, 2026 filing, page 12
Royalty and ongoing fees
| Royalty | 6% of weekly gross sales, plus 2% franchisee-directed marketing; a brand development fund of up to 2% is not currently charged. |
|---|---|
| Brand or marketing fund | Up to 2% of gross sales, not charged at present. |
| Technology | Up to $500 per month |
| Renewal | 25% of the then-current Initial Franchise Fee |
| Franchisee Directed Local Marketing | 2% of Gross Sales |
The typical franchise royalty is 6% of sales, plus 2% for marketing. See franchise fees and royalties to compare.
Source: Panini Bistro Franchising LLC, 2026 filing, page 13
Other fees as filed, from pages 13–15. The filing lists every fee, including late fees and audit costs.
Sales and earnings
Shares figures Panini Bistro publishes sales or earnings figures for its locations. The full tables, with notes on which locations are counted, are in its filing.
Source: Panini Bistro Franchising LLC, 2026 filing, page 51
How Panini Bistro compares
Of the 80 sandwich franchises on this site, Panini Bistro is the 48th cheapest to open.
| Figure | Panini Bistro | Typical sandwich brand | Typical franchise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, low end | $404K | $321K | $222K |
| Cost to open, high end | $861K | $683K | $477K |
| Franchise fee | $25K | $32K | $40K |
| Royalty | 6% | 6% | 6% |
| Shares earnings figures | Yes | 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 0 (0) | 2 |
| 2024 | 0 (0) | 3 |
| 2025 | 1 (+1) | 3 |
Closed or left counts terminations, non-renewals, locations bought back by the franchisor and locations that stopped operating.
These figures don't add up as printed: the 2023 counts come to 2, but the filing shows 0. Worth asking the franchisor.
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: Panini Bistro Franchising LLC, 2026 filing, page 61
Where Panini Bistro locations are
At the end of 2025, Panini Bistro had locations in 1 state. The most are in New Jersey.
- New Jersey4
| State | Franchised | Company-owned | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Jersey | 1 | 3 | 4 |
Source: Panini Bistro Franchising LLC, 2026 filing, page 62
Who owns Panini Bistro?
Panini Bistro franchises are sold by Panini Bistro Franchising LLC.
From Panini Bistro Franchising LLC’s 2026 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: Panini Bistro Franchising LLC, 2026 filing, litigation on page 11, bankruptcy on page 12
Panini Bistro filings
The figures on this page come from Panini Bistro Franchising LLC’s 2026 filing, issued April 2, 2026, on record with the NASAA Electronic Filing Depository.
| Filing | Issued | Registry | On this page |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 filing | April 2, 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 sandwich franchises
All sandwich franchises
Panini Bistro is also on these lists: restaurant franchises, food franchises.