Surfin' Chicken franchise
2022 filing · June 7, 2022Growing
Surfin' Chicken at a glance
A quick-service chicken restaurant, also offered as a store-in-a-store, kiosk or food truck. At the end of 2021 there were 5 Surfin' Chicken locations in the US, all franchised.
The business
- Franchisor
- Surf’N’Fries USA, LLC
- The company that sells the franchises
What you pay
- Cost to open
- $187K–$522K
- A drive-thru restaurant
- Franchise fee
- $30,000
- $25,000 for each additional restaurant
- Royalty
- 5%
- 5% of monthly gross sales for a restaurant (6% for a store-in-a-store, 8% for a kiosk, 7% for a food truck)
Where it is
- US locations, 2021
- 5
- Franchised and company-owned
- Franchised
- 5
- Company-owned
- 0
- Change in 3 years
- +5
- Franchised locations, 2019–2021
- States
- 2
- Most in Texas and California
From Surf’N’Fries USA, LLC’s 2022 filing; SBA status from the SBA Franchise Directory, October 28, 2026.
Where it ranks
Surfin' Chicken among all franchises with the same figure.
| Figure | Surfin' Chicken | Among all franchises |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, midpointHalfway between the low and high estimate | $354,850 | Costs less than 51% of franchises |
| Franchise feePaid once, when you sign | $30,000 | Lower than 72% of franchises |
| RoyaltyShare of sales paid to the franchisor | 5% | Lower than 69% of brands with a set rate |
| US locationsFranchised and company-owned | 5 | Fewer than 71% of franchises |
How much a Surfin' Chicken franchise costs
Opening a drive-thru restaurant costs an estimated $187,400 to $522,300. That covers the franchise fee and everything else needed to open, through the first months of working capital.
Source: Surf’N’Fries USA, LLC, 2022 filing, page 1
Surfin' Chicken franchise fee
The franchise fee is $30,000, $25,000 for each additional restaurant. You pay it when you sign the franchise agreement.
Source: Surf’N’Fries USA, LLC, 2022 filing, page 9
Royalty and ongoing fees
| Royalty | 5% of monthly gross sales for a restaurant (6% for a store-in-a-store, 8% for a kiosk, 7% for a food truck). |
|---|---|
| Software Subscription | Up to $1000 per month. |
| Transfer Fee (Non-Controlling Interest) | $5,000 |
| Local Advertising/Required Spending | 3% of Gross Sales for all models |
The typical franchise royalty is 6% of sales, plus 2% for marketing. See franchise fees and royalties to compare.
Source: Surf’N’Fries USA, LLC, 2022 filing, page 10
Other fees as filed, from pages 10–12. The filing lists every fee, including late fees and audit costs.
Sales and earnings
No figures Surfin' Chicken 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: Surf’N’Fries USA, LLC, 2022 filing, page 46
- Estimate Estimated yearly sales per location
- $550K–$960K
Estimated from the sales that 292 comparable franchises file, matched on industry, format, cost to open, fees and size.
How Surfin' Chicken compares
Of the 113 chicken franchises on this site, Surfin' Chicken is the 10th cheapest to open and the 78th largest by number of locations.
| Figure | Surfin' Chicken | Typical chicken brand | Typical franchise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, low end | $187K | $407K | $222K |
| Cost to open, high end | $522K | $868K | $477K |
| Franchise fee | $30K | $35K | $40K |
| Royalty | 5% | 5% | 6% |
| US locations | 5 | 10 | 21 |
| Shares earnings figures | No | 61 of 113 | 2,147 of 3,352 |
Typical is the median across the 113 brands in chicken franchises; typical franchise, across every brand here.
Locations opened and closed
| Year | Franchised | Company-owned | Opened | Closed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 0 (0) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 (0) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2021 | 5 (+5) | 0 | +5 | 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: chicken franchise costs and franchise failure rates.
Source: Surf’N’Fries USA, LLC, 2022 filing, page 46
Where Surfin' Chicken locations are
At the end of 2021, Surfin' Chicken had franchised locations in 2 states. The most are in Texas and California.
- Texas4
- California1
| State | Franchised |
|---|---|
| Texas | 4 |
| California | 1 |
Source: Surf’N’Fries USA, LLC, 2022 filing, page 47
Who owns Surfin' Chicken?
Surfin' Chicken franchises are sold by Surf’N’Fries USA, LLC.
From Surf’N’Fries USA, LLC’s 2022 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: Surf’N’Fries USA, LLC, 2022 filing, litigation on page 9, bankruptcy on page 9
Surfin' Chicken filings
The figures on this page come from Surf’N’Fries USA, LLC’s 2022 filing, issued June 7, 2022, on record with the NASAA Electronic Filing Depository.
| Filing | Issued | Registry | On this page |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 filing | June 7, 2022 | NASAA depository | Costs, fees and locations, 2019–2021 |
Each link opens the filing as a PDF. See the newest filings across all brands.
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Surfin' Chicken is also on these lists: fast food franchises, restaurant franchises, food franchises.