The Original Hot Chicken franchise
2023 filing · November 10, 2023Shares sales figures
The Original Hot Chicken at a glance
A restaurant serving Southern-style hot chicken tenders and sandwiches and chicken and waffles. At the end of 2023 there were 1 The Original Hot Chicken locations in the US, all company-owned.
The business
- Franchisor
- TOHC Franchising LLC
- The company that sells the franchises
- Typical size
- 1,000–5,000 sq ft
What you pay
- Cost to open
- $215K–$698K
- Fee, build-out and opening working capital
- Franchise fee
- $25,000
- Paid once, when you sign
- Royalty
- 6%
- 6% of gross sales, paid weekly, plus 2% to the brand fund
- Brand fund
- 2%
- 2% of gross sales
Where it is
- US locations, 2023
- 1
- Franchised and company-owned
- Franchised
- 0
- Company-owned
- 1
- Change in 3 years
- 0
- Franchised locations, 2021–2023
From TOHC Franchising LLC’s 2023 filing; SBA status from the SBA Franchise Directory, October 28, 2026.
Where it ranks
The Original Hot Chicken among all franchises with the same figure.
| Figure | The Original Hot Chicken | Among all franchises |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, midpointHalfway between the low and high estimate | $456,584 | Costs more than 60% 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 |
| US locationsFranchised and company-owned | 1 | Fewer than 88% of franchises |
How much a The Original Hot Chicken franchise costs
Opening one The Original Hot Chicken costs an estimated $215,256 to $697,911. That covers the franchise fee and everything else needed to open, through the first months of working capital.
The biggest costs are construction/leasehold improvements ($8,388 to $153,470) and equipment & smallwares ($30,896 to $128,487). Here is every line of the estimate as filed:
| What it pays for | Range | Low | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| TO BE MADE Initial Franchise Fee | $25,000 | ||
| Construction/Leasehold Improvements | $8,388 | $153,470 | |
| Furniture, Fixtures and Décor | $9,347 | $57,078 | |
| Equipment & Smallwares | $30,896 | $128,487 | |
| POS, Computer Systems | $12,000 | $25,000 | |
| Drive Thru | $25,690 | $34,007 | |
| TO BE MADE Signage | $8,935 | $17,869 | |
| Three Months’ Rent | $20,000 | $55,000 | |
| Utilities | $2,500 | $12,500 | |
| Security Deposit | $5,000 | $25,000 | |
| Initial Inventory and Supplies | $15,000 | $20,000 | |
| Online Ordering/Delivery (Set-Up Fee) | $2,000 | ||
| Grand Opening Advertising | $15,000 | ||
| Initial Training Program Expenses | $5,000 | $10,000 | |
| Crew Training & Pre-Opening Salaries | $10,000 | $20,000 | |
| Licenses and Permits | $2,500 | $7,500 | |
| Professional Fees | $5,000 | $15,000 | |
| Insurance | $3,000 | $25,000 | |
| Additional Funds - 3 months | $10,000 | $50,000 | |
| Total | $215,256 | $697,911 | |
Source: TOHC Franchising LLC, 2023 filing, page 21
The Original Hot Chicken franchise fee
The franchise fee is $25,000. You pay it when you sign the franchise agreement.
Source: TOHC Franchising LLC, 2023 filing, page 15
Royalty and ongoing fees
| Royalty | 6% of gross sales, paid weekly, plus 2% to the brand fund. |
|---|---|
| Brand or marketing fund | 2% of gross sales. |
| Other Additional Training | Then current fee, currently $300 per person per day |
| Local Advertising Expenditure | Then current fee, currently, 1% of Gross Sales3, 4 |
The typical franchise royalty is 6% of sales, plus 2% for marketing. See franchise fees and royalties to compare.
Source: TOHC Franchising LLC, 2023 filing, page 16
Other fees as filed, from page 17. The filing lists every fee, including late fees and audit costs.
Sales and earnings
Shares figures The Original Hot Chicken publishes sales or earnings figures for its locations. The full tables, with notes on which locations are counted, are in its filing.
Source: TOHC Franchising LLC, 2023 filing, page 57
- Estimate Estimated yearly sales per location
- $710K–$1.3M
Estimated from the sales that 292 comparable franchises file, matched on industry, format, cost to open, fees and size.
How The Original Hot Chicken compares
Of the 113 chicken franchises on this site, The Original Hot Chicken is the 15th cheapest to open and the 104th largest by number of locations.
| Figure | The Original Hot Chicken | Typical chicken brand | Typical franchise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, low end | $215K | $407K | $222K |
| Cost to open, high end | $698K | $868K | $477K |
| Franchise fee | $25K | $35K | $40K |
| Royalty | 6% | 5% | 6% |
| Brand fund | 2% | 2% | 2% |
| US locations | 1 | 10 | 21 |
| Shares earnings figures | Yes | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 0 (0) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 (0) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 (0) | 1 | 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: chicken franchise costs and franchise failure rates.
Source: TOHC Franchising LLC, 2023 filing, page 59
Who owns The Original Hot Chicken?
The Original Hot Chicken franchises are sold by TOHC Franchising LLC.
From TOHC Franchising LLC’s 2023 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 executive chairman was an officer of Ruby Tuesday, Inc. when that company and its affiliates filed for Chapter 11 in October 2020; the case closed in December 2021. |
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: TOHC Franchising LLC, 2023 filing, litigation on page 15, bankruptcy on page 15
The Original Hot Chicken filings
The figures on this page come from TOHC Franchising LLC’s 2023 filing, issued November 10, 2023, on record with the NASAA Electronic Filing Depository.
| Filing | Issued | Registry | On this page |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 filing | November 10, 2023 | 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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