Topsail Steamer franchise
2026 filing · April 30, 2026GrowingShares sales figures
Topsail Steamer at a glance
A seafood shop selling ready-to-steam pots of seafood, sausage and vegetables to cook at home. At the end of 2025 there were 11 Topsail Steamer locations in the US, 8 franchised and 3 company-owned.
The business
- Industry
- Food
- Franchisor
- Topsail Steamer Franchise, LLC
- The company that sells the franchises
- Franchisor based in
- Surf City, North Carolina
What you pay
- Cost to open
- $242K–$438K
- Fee, build-out and opening working capital
- Franchise fee
- $45,000
- Paid once, when you sign
- Royalty
- 7%
- 7% of weekly gross revenue, paid weekly, plus 1% to the brand fund
- Brand fund
- 1%
- 1% of weekly gross revenue, paid weekly; it can rise to 3%
- Agreement length
- 10 years
- Territory
- Limited
- Limited protection
- Franchisor financing
- None offered
Where it is
- US locations, 2025
- 11
- Franchised and company-owned
- Franchised
- 8
- Company-owned
- 3
- Change in 3 years
- +8
- Franchised locations, 2023–2025
- States
- 5
- Most in New Jersey, North Carolina and Florida
Support and records
From Topsail Steamer Franchise, LLC’s 2026 filing; revenue and net loss from its audited financial statements, page 161; SBA status from the SBA Franchise Directory, October 28, 2026.
Franchisor revenue is the company that sells the franchises (royalties, fees and anything else it earns), not what a location makes.
Where it ranks
Topsail Steamer among all franchises with the same figure.
| Figure | Topsail Steamer | Among all franchises |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, midpointHalfway between the low and high estimate | $340,120 | Costs less than 52% of franchises |
| Franchise feePaid once, when you sign | $45,000 | Higher than 55% of franchises |
| RoyaltyShare of sales paid to the franchisor | 7% | Higher than 70% of brands with a set rate |
| US locationsFranchised and company-owned | 11 | Fewer than 60% of franchises |
How much a Topsail Steamer franchise costs
Opening one Topsail Steamer costs an estimated $242,013 to $438,227. That covers the franchise fee and everything else needed to open, through the first months of working capital.
The biggest costs are construction, leasehold improvement, furniture and fixtures ($97,013 to $217,000) and equipment and smallwares ($24,800 to $55,927). Here is every line of the estimate as filed:
| What it pays for | Range | Low | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee | $45,000 | ||
| Construction, Leasehold Improvement, Furniture and Fixtures | $97,013 | $217,000 | |
| Design and Architectural Fees | $0 | $8,500 | |
| Equipment and Smallwares | $24,800 | $55,927 | |
| Signage, Window Decals, Menu Board | $2,000 | $11,000 | |
| POS/Back Office System | $1,800 | $2,000 | |
| Initial Inventory | $28,000 | $43,000 | |
| Rent/Utility | $3,500 | $6,500 | |
| Insurance (G/L, Property) | $550 | $1,800 | |
| Training Expenses | $1,500 | $3,000 | |
| Grand Opening Marketing | $10,000 | ||
| Professional Fees | $1,000 | $2,500 | |
| Business Permits and Licenses | $350 | $2,500 | |
| Office Supplies and Equipment | $1,500 | $4,500 | |
| Additional Funds/Working Capital | $25,000 | ||
| Total | $242,013 | $438,227 | |
Source: Topsail Steamer Franchise, LLC, 2026 filing, page 15
Topsail Steamer franchise fee
The franchise fee is $45,000. You pay it when you sign the franchise agreement.
Source: Topsail Steamer Franchise, LLC, 2026 filing, page 9
Royalty and ongoing fees
| Royalty | 7% of weekly gross revenue, paid weekly, plus 1% to the brand fund. |
|---|---|
| Brand or marketing fund | 1% of weekly gross revenue, paid weekly; it can rise to 3%. |
| Transfer Fee | $5,000 |
The typical franchise royalty is 6% of sales, plus 2% for marketing. See franchise fees and royalties to compare.
Source: Topsail Steamer Franchise, LLC, 2026 filing, page 10
Other fees as filed, from page 12. The filing lists every fee, including late fees and audit costs.
Sales and earnings
Shares figures Topsail Steamer publishes sales or earnings figures for its locations. The full tables, with notes on which locations are counted, are in its filing.
Source: Topsail Steamer Franchise, LLC, 2026 filing, page 42
- Estimate Estimated yearly sales per location
- $410K–$720K
Estimated from the sales that 292 comparable franchises file, matched on industry, format, cost to open, fees and size.
How Topsail Steamer compares
Of the 1144 food franchises on this site, Topsail Steamer is the 321st cheapest to open and the 599th largest by number of locations.
| Figure | Topsail Steamer | Typical food brand | Typical franchise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, low end | $242K | $348K | $222K |
| Cost to open, high end | $438K | $735K | $477K |
| Franchise fee | $45K | $35K | $40K |
| Royalty | 7% | 5.5% | 6% |
| Brand fund | 1% | 2% | 2% |
| US locations | 11 | 14 | 21 |
| Closed or left per year | 0% | 4.3% | – |
| Shares earnings figures | Yes | 672 of 1144 | 2,147 of 3,352 |
Typical is the median across the 1144 brands in food franchises; typical franchise, across every brand here.
Locations opened and closed
| Year | Franchised | Company-owned | Opened | Closed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 1 (+1) | 7 | +1 | 0 |
| 2024 | 6 (+5) | 4 | +5 | 0 |
| 2025 | 8 (+2) | 3 | +2 | 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.
Topsail Steamer passes four of the five tests on our list of the best franchises to own; it had fewer than 100 US locations three years ago.
More in the guides: franchise failure rates.
Source: Topsail Steamer Franchise, LLC, 2026 filing, page 51
Where Topsail Steamer locations are
At the end of 2025, Topsail Steamer had locations in 5 states. The most are in New Jersey, North Carolina and Florida.
- New Jersey4
- North Carolina3
- Florida2
- Alabama1
- Delaware1
| State | Franchised | Company-owned | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Jersey | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| North Carolina | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Florida | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Alabama | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Delaware | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Source: Topsail Steamer Franchise, LLC, 2026 filing, page 52
Who owns Topsail Steamer?
Topsail Steamer franchises are sold by Topsail Steamer Franchise, LLC. Its filing names no parent company.
From Topsail Steamer Franchise, LLC’s 2026 filing, page 7.
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: Topsail Steamer Franchise, LLC, 2026 filing, litigation on page 9, bankruptcy on page 9
Topsail Steamer filings
The figures on this page come from Topsail Steamer Franchise, LLC’s 2026 filing, issued April 30, 2026, on record with the NASAA Electronic Filing Depository.
| Filing | Issued | Registry | On this page |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 filing | April 30, 2026 | NASAA depository | Costs, fees and locations, 2023–2025 |
Each link opens the filing as a PDF. See the newest filings across all brands.
