WeDat's franchise
2024 filing · April 18, 2024
WeDat's at a glance
A fast-casual Cajun restaurant serving wings, loaded fries and fried catfish. At the end of 2023 there were 4 WeDat's locations in the US, all company-owned.
The business
- Franchisor
- WeDats Franchise Holdings LLC
- The company that sells the franchises
- Franchisor based in
- New Orleans, Louisiana
- Typical size
- About 2,500 sq ft
What you pay
- Cost to open
- $181K–$282K
- Fee, build-out and opening working capital
- Franchise fee
- $30,000
- Paid once, when you sign
- Royalty
- 7%
- 7% of gross sales, paid weekly
- Brand fund
- None now
- Not charged at present (0%); up to 2% of gross revenue
- Renewal fee
- See terms
- 25% of the then-current franchise fee
- Territory
- Protected
- Protected territory
- Franchisor financing
- None offered
Where it is
- US locations, 2023
- 4
- Franchised and company-owned
- Franchised
- 0
- Company-owned
- 4
- Change in 3 years
- 0
- Franchised locations, 2021–2023
- States
- 1
- Most in Louisiana
From WeDats Franchise Holdings LLC’s 2024 filing; SBA status from the SBA Franchise Directory, October 28, 2026.
Where it ranks
WeDat's among all franchises with the same figure.
| Figure | WeDat's | Among all franchises |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, midpointHalfway between the low and high estimate | $231,575 | Costs less than 65% of franchises |
| Franchise feePaid once, when you sign | $30,000 | Lower than 72% of franchises |
| RoyaltyShare of sales paid to the franchisor | 7% | Higher than 70% of brands with a set rate |
| US locationsFranchised and company-owned | 4 | Fewer than 74% of franchises |
How much a WeDat's franchise costs
Opening one WeDat's costs an estimated $181,150 to $282,000. That covers the franchise fee and everything else needed to open, through the first months of working capital.
The biggest costs are equipment, TV, cameras, and other supplies ($45,000 to $60,000) and architectural/engineering ($20,000 to $40,000). Here is every line of the estimate as filed:
| What it pays for | Range | Low | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Management Fee | $250 | ||
| Initial Franchise Fee | $30,000 | ||
| Travel and Living Expenses While Training | $3,000 | $5,000 | |
| Real Estate Rent Deposits and Pre-Paid Expenses (3 months) | $6,000 | $18,000 | |
| Furniture, Fixtures, and Décor | $15,000 | $25,000 | |
| Construction of Leasehold Improvements | $10,000 | $20,000 | |
| Inventory and Supplies | $10,000 | $16,000 | |
| Business Licenses and Permits | $500 | $1,500 | |
| Grand Opening | $5,000 | $7,000 | |
| Insurance (3 months) | $750 | $2,000 | |
| Architectural/Engineering | $20,000 | $40,000 | |
| Equipment, TV, Cameras, and other Supplies | $45,000 | $60,000 | |
| POS System | $2,400 | $5,500 | |
| Signage | $6,500 | $8,000 | |
| Accountant and Attorney Fees | $2,000 | $4,000 | |
| Additional Funds (3 Months) | $25,000 | $40,000 | |
| Total | $181,150 | $282,000 | |
Source: WeDats Franchise Holdings LLC, 2024 filing, page 15
WeDat's franchise fee
The franchise fee is $30,000. You pay it when you sign the franchise agreement.
Source: WeDats Franchise Holdings LLC, 2024 filing, page 11
Royalty and ongoing fees
| Royalty | 7% of gross sales, paid weekly. |
|---|---|
| Brand or marketing fund | Not charged at present (0%); up to 2% of gross revenue. |
| Renewal Fee | 25% of the then-current franchise fee |
| Local Marketing Requirement | 0.5% of Gross Sales |
The typical franchise royalty is 6% of sales, plus 2% for marketing. See franchise fees and royalties to compare.
Source: WeDats Franchise Holdings LLC, 2024 filing, page 12
Other fees as filed, from page 13. The filing lists every fee, including late fees and audit costs.
Sales and earnings
No figures WeDat's 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: WeDats Franchise Holdings LLC, 2024 filing, page 42
- Estimate Estimated yearly sales per location
- $530K–$920K
Estimated from the sales that 292 comparable franchises file, matched on industry, format, cost to open, fees and size.
How WeDat's compares
Of the 113 chicken franchises on this site, WeDat's is the 9th cheapest to open and the 81st largest by number of locations.
| Figure | WeDat's | Typical chicken brand | Typical franchise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, low end | $181K | $407K | $222K |
| Cost to open, high end | $282K | $868K | $477K |
| Franchise fee | $30K | $35K | $40K |
| Royalty | 7% | 5% | 6% |
| US locations | 4 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 0 (0) | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 (0) | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 (0) | 4 | 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: WeDats Franchise Holdings LLC, 2024 filing, page 43
Where WeDat's locations are
At the end of 2023, WeDat's had locations in 1 state. The most are in Louisiana.
- Louisiana4
| State | Franchised | Company-owned | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Louisiana | 0 | 4 | 4 |
Source: WeDats Franchise Holdings LLC, 2024 filing, page 43
Who owns WeDat's?
WeDat's franchises are sold by WeDats Franchise Holdings LLC.
From WeDats Franchise Holdings LLC’s 2024 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: WeDats Franchise Holdings LLC, 2024 filing, litigation on page 11, bankruptcy on page 11
WeDat's filings
The figures on this page come from WeDats Franchise Holdings LLC’s 2024 filing, issued April 18, 2024, on record with the Minnesota Department of Commerce.
| Filing | Issued | Registry | On this page |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 filing | April 18, 2024 | Minnesota | 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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