The Empanada Maker franchise
2024 filing · April 25, 2024
The Empanada Maker at a glance
A restaurant serving savory and dessert empanadas with sides, salads and soups. At the end of 2023 there were 2 The Empanada Maker locations in the US, all company-owned.
The business
- Franchisor
- The Empanada Maker Franchise Group LLC
- The company that sells the franchises
- Franchising since
- 2024
- Franchisor based in
- Mission Viejo, California
- Typical size
- 600–1,200 sq ft
What you pay
- Cost to open
- $246K–$554K
- Fee, build-out and opening working capital
- Franchise fee
- $40,000
- Paid once, when you sign
- Royalty
- 6%
- 6% of weekly gross sales, paid weekly, plus $1,000 a month on local marketing in the first year
- Brand fund
- 2%
- 2% of gross sales, paid weekly
- Renewal fee
- $5,000
- When the agreement ends and you sign again
- Agreement length
- 7 years
- Territory
- Limited
- Limited protection
- Franchisor financing
- None offered
Where it is
- US locations, 2023
- 2
- Franchised and company-owned
- Franchised
- 0
- Company-owned
- 2
- Change in 3 years
- 0
- Franchised locations, 2021–2023
- States
- 1
- Most in California
From The Empanada Maker Franchise Group LLC’s 2024 filing; SBA status from the SBA Franchise Directory, October 28, 2026.
Where it ranks
The Empanada Maker among all franchises with the same figure.
| Figure | The Empanada Maker | Among all franchises |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, midpointHalfway between the low and high estimate | $400,371 | Costs more than 54% of franchises |
| Franchise feePaid once, when you sign | $40,000 | Lower than 46% of franchises |
| RoyaltyShare of sales paid to the franchisor | 6% | Higher than 35% of brands with a set rate |
| US locationsFranchised and company-owned | 2 | Fewer than 82% of franchises |
How much a The Empanada Maker franchise costs
Opening one The Empanada Maker costs an estimated $246,274 to $554,467. 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 ($50,000 to $200,000) and additional funds – 3 months ($38,879 to $74,078). Here is every line of the estimate as filed:
| What it pays for | Range | Low | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Management Fee | $500 | ||
| Initial Franchise Fee | $40,000 | ||
| Rent | $10,000 | $30,000 | |
| Construction and Leasehold Improvements | $50,000 | $200,000 | |
| Furnishings and Fixtures | $5,000 | $20,000 | |
| Equipment | $50,000 | $70,000 | |
| Signage | $7,500 | $20,000 | |
| POS system/Computer System/Software | $2,500 | $7,500 | |
| Opening Inventory | $7,500 | $10,000 | |
| Utility and Security Deposits | $5,000 | $15,000 | |
| Business Licenses and Inspections | $500 | $2,500 | |
| Professional Fees | $10,000 | $35,000 | |
| Insurance Premiums | $1,000 | $5,000 | |
| Training living expenses | $3,395 | $5,389 | |
| Grand Opening Marketing | $15,000 | $20,000 | |
| Additional Funds – 3 months | $38,879 | $74,078 | |
| Total | $246,274 | $554,467 | |
Source: The Empanada Maker Franchise Group LLC, 2024 filing, page 17
The Empanada Maker franchise fee
The franchise fee is $40,000. You pay it when you sign the franchise agreement.
Source: The Empanada Maker Franchise Group LLC, 2024 filing, page 10
Royalty and ongoing fees
| Royalty | 6% of weekly gross sales, paid weekly, plus $1,000 a month on local marketing in the first year. |
|---|---|
| Brand or marketing fund | 2% of gross sales, paid weekly. |
| Renewal Fee | $5,000 |
The typical franchise royalty is 6% of sales, plus 2% for marketing. See franchise fees and royalties to compare.
Source: The Empanada Maker Franchise Group LLC, 2024 filing, page 11
Other fees as filed, from page 12. The filing lists every fee, including late fees and audit costs.
Sales and earnings
No figures The Empanada Maker 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: The Empanada Maker Franchise Group LLC, 2024 filing, page 45
- Estimate Estimated yearly sales per location
- $570K–$1M
Estimated from the sales that 292 comparable franchises file, matched on industry, format, cost to open, fees and size.
How The Empanada Maker compares
Of the 813 restaurant franchises on this site, The Empanada Maker is the 163rd cheapest to open and the 675th largest by number of locations.
| Figure | The Empanada Maker | Typical restaurant brand | Typical franchise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, low end | $246K | $408K | $222K |
| Cost to open, high end | $554K | $866K | $477K |
| Franchise fee | $40K | $35K | $40K |
| Royalty | 6% | 5% | 6% |
| Brand fund | 2% | 2% | 2% |
| US locations | 2 | 14 | 21 |
| Shares earnings figures | No | 474 of 813 | 2,147 of 3,352 |
Typical is the median across the 813 brands in restaurant franchises; typical franchise, across every brand here.
Locations opened and closed
| Year | Franchised | Company-owned | Opened | Closed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 0 (0) | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 (0) | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 (0) | 2 | 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: franchise failure rates.
Source: The Empanada Maker Franchise Group LLC, 2024 filing, page 45
Where The Empanada Maker locations are
At the end of 2023, The Empanada Maker had locations in 1 state. The most are in California.
- California2
| State | Franchised | Company-owned | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | 0 | 2 | 2 |
Source: The Empanada Maker Franchise Group LLC, 2024 filing, page 46
Who owns The Empanada Maker?
The Empanada Maker franchises are sold by The Empanada Maker Franchise Group LLC.
From The Empanada Maker Franchise Group LLC’s 2024 filing.
Lawsuits and bankruptcy
| Lawsuits and regulatory actions | None. The filing says no litigation has to be disclosed. |
|---|---|
| Bankruptcy | No bankruptcy of the franchisor. Its owner and manager filed a personal Chapter 13 petition in October 2016; a discharge was granted in January 2022. |
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: The Empanada Maker Franchise Group LLC, 2024 filing, litigation on page 10, bankruptcy on page 10
The Empanada Maker filings
The figures on this page come from The Empanada Maker Franchise Group LLC’s 2024 filing, issued April 25, 2024, on record with the NASAA Electronic Filing Depository.
| Filing | Issued | Registry | On this page |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 filing | April 25, 2024 | NASAA depository | Costs, fees and locations, 2021–2023 |
Each link opens the filing as a PDF. See the newest filings across all brands.
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