The Wee Chippy franchise
2023 filing · March 31, 2023Shares sales figures
The Wee Chippy at a glance
A quick-service fish and chips restaurant, from a storefront or a food truck. At the end of 2022 there were 1 The Wee Chippy locations in the US, all company-owned.
The business
- Franchisor
- The Wee Chippy Franchise System, LLC
- The company that sells the franchises
- Franchising since
- 2021
- 2 years of selling franchises
- Franchisor based in
- Venice, California
- Typical size
- About 515 sq ft
What you pay
- Cost to open
- $160K–$284K
- A retail location
- Franchise fee
- $45,000
- $40,000 for a food truck
- Royalty
- 6%
- 6% of gross sales, paid weekly, plus 1% to the marketing fund
- Agreement length
- 10 years
- Franchisor financing
- None offered
Where it is
- US locations, 2022
- 1
- Franchised and company-owned
- Franchised
- 0
- Company-owned
- 1
- Change in 3 years
- 0
- Franchised locations, 2020–2022
From The Wee Chippy Franchise System, LLC’s 2023 filing; SBA status from the SBA Franchise Directory, October 28, 2026.
Where it ranks
The Wee Chippy among all franchises with the same figure.
| Figure | The Wee Chippy | Among all franchises |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, midpointHalfway between the low and high estimate | $222,125 | Costs less than 66% of franchises |
| Franchise feePaid once, when you sign | $45,000 | Higher than 55% 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 Wee Chippy franchise costs
Opening a retail location costs an estimated $160,050 to $284,200. That covers the franchise fee and everything else needed to open, through the first months of working capital.
The biggest costs are additional funds – 3 months ($35,000 to $70,000) and leasehold improvements ($25,000 to $50,000). Here is every line of the estimate as filed:
| What it pays for | Range | Low | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee | $45,000 | ||
| Rent and Lease Security Deposit | $12,000 | $20,000 | |
| Utilities | $1,000 | $1,500 | |
| Leasehold Improvements | $25,000 | $50,000 | |
| Market Introduction Program | $2,000 | $5,000 | |
| Furniture, Fixtures, and Equipment | $20,000 | $50,000 | |
| Computer Systems | $5,000 | $8,000 | |
| Insurance | $350 | $4,000 | |
| Signage | $1,000 | $6,000 | |
| Office Supplies | $1,000 | $2,000 | |
| Inventory | $6,500 | $10,500 | |
| Licenses and Permits | $700 | $1,200 | |
| Professional Fees | $3,500 | $5,000 | |
| Travel and living expenses while training | $2,000 | $6,000 | |
| Additional Funds – 3 months | $35,000 | $70,000 | |
| Total | $160,050 | $284,200 | |
Source: The Wee Chippy Franchise System, LLC, 2023 filing, page 16
The Wee Chippy franchise fee
The franchise fee is $45,000, $40,000 for a food truck. You pay it when you sign the franchise agreement.
Source: The Wee Chippy Franchise System, LLC, 2023 filing, page 11
Royalty and ongoing fees
| Royalty | 6% of gross sales, paid weekly, plus 1% to the marketing fund. |
|---|---|
| Transfer fee | $3,000 |
| Replacement/Additional Training fee | $10,000 |
The typical franchise royalty is 6% of sales, plus 2% for marketing. See franchise fees and royalties to compare.
Source: The Wee Chippy Franchise System, LLC, 2023 filing, page 12
Other fees as filed, from pages 12–13. The filing lists every fee, including late fees and audit costs.
Sales and earnings
Shares figures The Wee Chippy publishes sales or earnings figures for its locations. The full tables, with notes on which locations are counted, are in its filing.
Source: The Wee Chippy Franchise System, LLC, 2023 filing, page 40
- Estimate Estimated yearly sales per location
- $370K–$650K
Estimated from the sales that 292 comparable franchises file, matched on industry, format, cost to open, fees and size.
How The Wee Chippy compares
Of the 309 fast food franchises on this site, The Wee Chippy is the 27th cheapest to open and the 278th largest by number of locations.
| Figure | The Wee Chippy | Typical fast food brand | Typical franchise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, low end | $160K | $353K | $222K |
| Cost to open, high end | $284K | $786K | $477K |
| Franchise fee | $45K | $35K | $40K |
| Royalty | 6% | 6% | 6% |
| US locations | 1 | 23 | 21 |
| Shares earnings figures | Yes | 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 | Opened | Closed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 0 (0) | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 (0) | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2022 | 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: fast food franchise costs and franchise failure rates.
Source: The Wee Chippy Franchise System, LLC, 2023 filing, page 43
Who owns The Wee Chippy?
The Wee Chippy franchises are sold by The Wee Chippy Franchise System, LLC. Its filing names no parent company.
From The Wee Chippy Franchise System, LLC’s 2023 filing, page 9.
Lawsuits and bankruptcy
| Lawsuits and regulatory actions | Yes. The filing describes past or pending cases involving the franchisor, its affiliates or its executives on page 11. |
|---|---|
| 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: The Wee Chippy Franchise System, LLC, 2023 filing, litigation on page 11, bankruptcy on page 11
The Wee Chippy filings
The figures on this page come from The Wee Chippy Franchise System, LLC’s 2023 filing, issued March 31, 2023, on record with the NASAA Electronic Filing Depository.
| Filing | Issued | Registry | On this page |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 filing | March 31, 2023 | NASAA depository | Costs, fees and locations, 2020–2022 |
Each link opens the filing as a PDF. See the newest filings across all brands.
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