Sam's Hot Dogs franchise
2025 filing · November 12, 2025
Sam's Hot Dogs at a glance
A hot dog shop selling hot dogs, other fast-food sandwiches and sides.
The business
- Franchisor
- Sam's Hot Dogs, Inc
- The company that sells the franchises
- Current franchisor selling since
- 1990
- 35 years of selling franchises
- Franchisor based in
- Waynesboro, Virginia
- Typical size
- 300–700 sq ft
What you pay
- Cost to open
- $41K–$59K
- Fee, build-out and opening working capital
- Franchise fee
- $15,000
- Paid once, when you sign
- Royalty
- 4%
- 4% of gross sales, paid monthly, plus 3% for advertising
- Brand fund
- 3%
- 3% of the prior month's gross sales, paid monthly
- Agreement length
- 20 years
- Territory
- None
- No exclusive territory
Where it is
- Franchised, 2024
- 40
- As printed in the filing
From Sam's Hot Dogs, Inc’s 2025 filing; SBA status from the SBA Franchise Directory, October 28, 2026.
Where it ranks
Sam's Hot Dogs among all franchises with the same figure.
| Figure | Sam's Hot Dogs | Among all franchises |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, midpointHalfway between the low and high estimate | $49,975 | Costs less than 97% of franchises |
| Franchise feePaid once, when you sign | $15,000 | Lower than 93% of franchises |
| RoyaltyShare of sales paid to the franchisor | 4% | Lower than 93% of brands with a set rate |
How much a Sam's Hot Dogs franchise costs
Opening one Sam's Hot Dogs costs an estimated $41,350 to $58,600. That covers the franchise fee and everything else needed to open, through the first months of working capital. It is one of the franchises under $50K.
The biggest costs are leasehold ($4,000 to $16,000) and initial franchise ($15,000). Here is every line of the estimate as filed:
| What it pays for | Range | Low | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise | $15,000 | ||
| Fee Working Capital | $1,500 | $2,000 | |
| Opening Inventory | $1,500 | $2,000 | |
| Rent | $6,600 | $8,000 | |
| Leasehold | $4,000 | $16,000 | |
| Improvements Equipment and Signage | $12,000 | $14,000 | |
| Insurance | $300 | $600 | |
| Additional Funds | $450 | $1,000 | |
| Total | $41,350 | $58,600 | |
Source: Sam's Hot Dogs, Inc, 2025 filing, page 8
Sam's Hot Dogs franchise fee
The franchise fee is $15,000. You pay it when you sign the franchise agreement.
Source: Sam's Hot Dogs, Inc, 2025 filing, page 7
Royalty and ongoing fees
| Royalty | 4% of gross sales, paid monthly, plus 3% for advertising. |
|---|---|
| Brand or marketing fund | 3% of the prior month's gross sales, paid monthly. |
| Transfer | $8,250 |
The typical franchise royalty is 6% of sales, plus 2% for marketing. See franchise fees and royalties to compare.
Source: Sam's Hot Dogs, Inc, 2025 filing, page 7
Other fees as filed, from page 7. The filing lists every fee, including late fees and audit costs.
Sales and earnings
No figures Sam's Hot Dogs 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: Sam's Hot Dogs, Inc, 2025 filing, page 18
How Sam's Hot Dogs compares
Of the 309 fast food franchises on this site, Sam's Hot Dogs is the 7th cheapest to open.
| Figure | Sam's Hot Dogs | Typical fast food brand | Typical franchise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, low end | $41K | $353K | $222K |
| Cost to open, high end | $59K | $786K | $477K |
| Franchise fee | $15K | $35K | $40K |
| Royalty | 4% | 6% | 6% |
| Brand fund | 3% | 2% | 2% |
| Shares earnings figures | No | 189 of 309 | 2,147 of 3,352 |
Typical is the median across the 309 brands in fast food franchises; typical franchise, across every brand here.
Locations opened and closed
| Year | Franchised | Company-owned |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 43 (0) | 0 |
| 2023 | 43 (0) | 0 |
| 2024 | 40 (−2) | 0 |
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 2024 counts come to 43, but the filing shows 42. Worth asking the franchisor.
See which brands grew most in the fastest-growing franchises rankings.
More in the guides: fast food franchise costs, hot dog franchises and franchise failure rates.
Source: Sam's Hot Dogs, Inc, 2025 filing, page 19
Where Sam's Hot Dogs locations are
At the end of 2024, Sam's Hot Dogs had franchised locations in 4 states. The most are in West Virginia, Virginia and Kentucky.
- West Virginia25
- Virginia9
- Kentucky5
- North Carolina1
| State | Franchised |
|---|---|
| West Virginia | 25 |
| Virginia | 9 |
| Kentucky | 5 |
| North Carolina | 1 |
Source: Sam's Hot Dogs, Inc, 2025 filing, page 20
Who owns Sam's Hot Dogs?
Sam's Hot Dogs franchises are sold by Sam's Hot Dogs, Inc.
From Sam's Hot Dogs, Inc’s 2025 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: Sam's Hot Dogs, Inc, 2025 filing, litigation on page 6, bankruptcy on page 6
Sam's Hot Dogs filings
The figures on this page come from Sam's Hot Dogs, Inc’s 2025 filing, issued November 12, 2025, on record with the NASAA Electronic Filing Depository.
| Filing | Issued | Registry | On this page |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 filing | November 12, 2025 | NASAA depository | Costs, fees and locations, 2022–2024 |
Each link opens the filing as a PDF. See the newest filings across all brands.
Other fast food franchises
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Sam's Hot Dogs is also on these lists: restaurant franchises, food franchises.