Sub Station II franchise
2026 filing · January 15, 2026Fewer locationsShares sales figures
Sub Station II at a glance
A quick-service restaurant serving submarine and deli sandwiches and salads. At the end of 2025 there were 35 Sub Station II locations in the US, 32 franchised and 3 company-owned.
The business
- Franchisor
- Sub Station II, Inc
- The company that sells the franchises
- Franchising since
- 1976
- 50 years of selling franchises
- First location
- 1976
- Franchisor based in
- Columbia, South Carolina
- Typical size
- 1,500–2,500 sq ft
What you pay
- Cost to open
- $318K–$926K
- Fee, build-out and opening working capital
- Franchise fee
- $20,000
- Paid in two installments
- Royalty
- 5%
- 5% of net sales, paid weekly, plus 4% for advertising
- Agreement length
- 10 years
- Franchisor financing
- None offered
Where it is
- US locations, 2025
- 35
- Franchised and company-owned
- Franchised
- 32
- Company-owned
- 3
- Change in 3 years
- −4
- Franchised locations, 2023–2025
- States
- 4
- Most in South Carolina, North Carolina and Kentucky
Support and records
From Sub Station II, Inc’s 2026 filing; SBA status from the SBA Franchise Directory, October 28, 2026.
Where it ranks
Sub Station II among all franchises with the same figure.
| Figure | Sub Station II | Among all franchises |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, midpointHalfway between the low and high estimate | $622,000 | Costs more than 72% of franchises |
| Franchise feePaid once, when you sign | $20,000 | Lower than 89% of franchises |
| RoyaltyShare of sales paid to the franchisor | 5% | Lower than 69% of brands with a set rate |
| US locationsFranchised and company-owned | 35 | More than 59% of franchises |
How much a Sub Station II franchise costs
Opening one Sub Station II costs an estimated $318,000 to $926,000. 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 ($112,500 to $562,500) and furniture, fixtures, equipment and smallwares ($90,000 to $150,000). Here is every line of the estimate as filed:
| What it pays for | Range | Low | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| To Be Made Deposit and Initial Franchise Fee | $20,000 | ||
| Lease Security Deposit | $8,000 | $15,000 | |
| Construction and Leasehold Improvements | $112,500 | $562,500 | |
| Furniture, Fixtures, Equipment and Smallwares | $90,000 | $150,000 | |
| Office Equipment and Supplies | $1,500 | $2,500 | |
| Signage – Exterior and Interior & Catering | $12,000 | $25,000 | |
| Computer, Electronics, Point of Sale System | $6,000 | $15,000 | |
| Opening Inventory | $7,000 | $10,000 | |
| Insurance | $3,000 | $6,000 | |
| Utilities and Deposits | $2,000 | $4,000 | |
| Licenses and Permits | $2,500 | $5,000 | |
| Architect and Engineering Fees | $10,000 | $25,000 | |
| Pre-opening training, labor and travel expense | $5,000 | $10,000 | |
| Grand Opening Advertising | $3,500 | $6,000 | |
| Working Capital – 3 months | $35,000 | $70,000 | |
| Total | $318,000 | $926,000 | |
Source: Sub Station II, Inc, 2026 filing, page 13
Sub Station II franchise fee
The franchise fee is $20,000, paid in two installments. You pay it when you sign the franchise agreement.
Source: Sub Station II, Inc, 2026 filing, page 9
Royalty and ongoing fees
| Royalty | 5% of net sales, paid weekly, plus 4% for advertising. |
|---|---|
| Computer, Electronics, Point of Sale System | $6,000 |
| Transfer | $5,000 or greater amount to reimburse us for our costs |
| Local Store Marketing | 2% of Net Sales |
The typical franchise royalty is 6% of sales, plus 2% for marketing. See franchise fees and royalties to compare.
Source: Sub Station II, Inc, 2026 filing, page 9
Other fees as filed, from pages 10–13. The filing lists every fee, including late fees and audit costs.
Sales and earnings
Shares figures Sub Station II publishes sales or earnings figures for its locations. The full tables, with notes on which locations are counted, are in its filing.
Source: Sub Station II, Inc, 2026 filing, page 37
- Estimate Estimated yearly sales per location
- $780K–$1.4M
Estimated from the sales that 292 comparable franchises file, matched on industry, format, cost to open, fees and size.
SBA loans to Sub Station II franchisees
Lenders approved 14 SBA 7(a) loans for Sub Station II franchisees from 1991 to 2022, $1.88M in all. Of the 11 that have ended, 8 were paid in full and 3 were charged off. The other 3 haven’t ended yet.
A charged-off loan is one written off as uncollectible. See SBA franchise loans for how 7(a) and 504 loans work.
Source: SBA 7(a) and 504 loan data, as of September 30, 2026
Growth and closures
Share of franchised locations, 2025 / 2023–2025. Typical means the median: half of brands are above it, half below.
| Measure | Sub Station II | Typical sandwich brand | Typical franchise |
|---|---|---|---|
| GrowthNet change in franchised locations | +3.2% / −11% | 0% / 0% | +1.2% / +10% |
| ClosuresTerminated, not renewed or stopped operating | 0% / 25% | 2% / 13% | 3.9% / 16% |
| Bought backLocations the franchisor took back | 0% / 0% | 0% / 0% | 0% / 0% |
Typical sandwich brand is the median of the 35 brands in sandwich franchises with three years of counts.
How Sub Station II compares
Of the 80 sandwich franchises on this site, Sub Station II is the 39th cheapest to open and the 34th largest by number of locations.
| Figure | Sub Station II | Typical sandwich brand | Typical franchise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, low end | $318K | $321K | $222K |
| Cost to open, high end | $926K | $683K | $477K |
| Franchise fee | $20K | $32K | $40K |
| Royalty | 5% | 6% | 6% |
| US locations | 35 | 31 | 21 |
| 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 | Opened | Closed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 34 (−2) | 3 | +1 | −3 |
| 2024 | 31 (−3) | 3 | +3 | −6 |
| 2025 | 32 (+1) | 3 | +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: sandwich and sub franchise costs and franchise failure rates.
Source: Sub Station II, Inc, 2026 filing, page 38
Where Sub Station II locations are
At the end of 2025, Sub Station II had locations in 4 states. The most are in South Carolina, North Carolina and Kentucky.
- South Carolina26
- North Carolina6
- Kentucky2
- Tennessee1
| State | Franchised | Company-owned | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Carolina | 23 | 3 | 26 |
| North Carolina | 6 | 0 | 6 |
| Kentucky | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Tennessee | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Source: Sub Station II, Inc, 2026 filing, page 39
Who owns Sub Station II?
Sub Station II franchises are sold by Sub Station II, Inc.
From Sub Station II, Inc’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: Sub Station II, Inc, 2026 filing, litigation on page 8, bankruptcy on page 8
Sub Station II filings
The figures on this page come from Sub Station II, Inc’s 2026 filing, issued January 15, 2026, on record with the NASAA Electronic Filing Depository.
| Filing | Issued | Registry | On this page |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 filing | January 15, 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
Sub Station II is also on these lists: restaurant franchises, food franchises.