Western Sizzlin franchise
2022 filing · November 18, 2022Shares sales figures
Western Sizzlin at a glance
A family steakhouse serving steak, chicken and seafood from a cafeteria-style line, or a Wood Grill buffet restaurant. At the end of 2021 there were 35 Western Sizzlin locations in the US, 34 franchised and 1 company-owned.
The business
- Franchisor
- Western Sizzlin Franchise Corporation
- The company that sells the franchises
What you pay
- Cost to open
- $1.06M–$4.5M
- A Western Sizzlin or Wood Grill restaurant
- Franchise fee
- $30,000
- Paid once, when you sign
- Royalty
- 2%
- 2% of gross sales, paid monthly, plus $250 a month to the advertising development and research fund and 1% on local advertising
- Agreement length
- 20 years
Where it is
- US locations, 2021
- 35
- Franchised and company-owned
- Franchised
- 34
- Company-owned
- 1
- States
- 13
- Most in Arkansas, Alabama and North Carolina
From Western Sizzlin Franchise Corporation’s 2022 filing; SBA status from the SBA Franchise Directory, October 28, 2026.
Where it ranks
Western Sizzlin among all franchises with the same figure.
| Figure | Western Sizzlin | Among all franchises |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, midpointHalfway between the low and high estimate | $2,780,500 | Costs more than 95% of franchises |
| Franchise feePaid once, when you sign | $30,000 | Lower than 72% of franchises |
| RoyaltyShare of sales paid to the franchisor | 2% | Lower than 99% of brands with a set rate |
| US locationsFranchised and company-owned | 35 | More than 59% of franchises |
How much a Western Sizzlin franchise costs
Opening a Western Sizzlin or Wood Grill restaurant costs an estimated $1,061,000 to $4,500,000. That covers the franchise fee and everything else needed to open, through the first months of working capital.
Source: Western Sizzlin Franchise Corporation, 2022 filing, page 20
Western Sizzlin franchise fee
The franchise fee is $30,000. You pay it when you sign the franchise agreement.
Source: Western Sizzlin Franchise Corporation, 2022 filing, page 12
Royalty and ongoing fees
| Royalty | 2% of gross sales, paid monthly, plus $250 a month to the advertising development and research fund and 1% on local advertising. |
|---|---|
| Additional Training | Current per diem costs not to exceed $100 per day plus expenses |
| Local Advertising | 1% of Gross Sales |
The typical franchise royalty is 6% of sales, plus 2% for marketing. See franchise fees and royalties to compare.
Source: Western Sizzlin Franchise Corporation, 2022 filing, page 13
Other fees as filed, from pages 13–14. The filing lists every fee, including late fees and audit costs.
Sales and earnings
Shares figures Western Sizzlin publishes sales or earnings figures for its locations. The full tables, with notes on which locations are counted, are in its filing.
Source: Western Sizzlin Franchise Corporation, 2022 filing, page 60
- Estimate Estimated yearly sales per location
- $2.5M–$4.5M
Estimated from the sales that 292 comparable franchises file, matched on industry, format, cost to open, fees and size.
SBA loans to Western Sizzlin franchisees
Lenders approved 44 SBA-backed loans for Western Sizzlin franchisees from 1990 to 2024, $29.5M in all: 34 7(a) loans and 10 504 loans. Of the 40 that have ended, 32 were paid in full and 8 were charged off (20%). The other 4 haven’t ended yet.
A charged-off loan is one written off as uncollectible. See SBA franchise loans for how 7(a) and 504 loans work.
Source: SBA 7(a) and 504 loan data, as of September 30, 2026
How Western Sizzlin compares
Of the 813 restaurant franchises on this site, Western Sizzlin is the 683rd cheapest to open and the 256th largest by number of locations.
| Figure | Western Sizzlin | Typical restaurant brand | Typical franchise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, low end | $1.06M | $408K | $222K |
| Cost to open, high end | $4.5M | $866K | $477K |
| Franchise fee | $30K | $35K | $40K |
| Royalty | 2% | 5% | 6% |
| US locations | 35 | 14 | 21 |
| Change in franchised locations, 0 yrs | −34.6% | +1.8% | – |
| Shares earnings figures | Yes | 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 43 (−9) | 1 |
| 2020 | 35 (−8) | 1 |
| 2021 | 34 (−1) | 1 |
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: Western Sizzlin Franchise Corporation, 2022 filing, page 65
Where Western Sizzlin locations are
At the end of 2021, Western Sizzlin had locations in 13 states. The most are in Arkansas, Alabama and North Carolina.
- Arkansas7
- Alabama6
- North Carolina6
- Georgia4
- Virginia3
- Oklahoma2
| State | Franchised | Company-owned | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arkansas | 7 | 0 | 7 |
| Alabama | 6 | 0 | 6 |
| North Carolina | 6 | 0 | 6 |
| Georgia | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| Virginia | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Oklahoma | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| South Carolina | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Tennessee | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Maryland | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Mississippi | 1 | 0 | 1 |
All 13 states
| Ohio | 1 |
|---|---|
| Texas | 1 |
| West Virginia | 1 |
Source: Western Sizzlin Franchise Corporation, 2022 filing, page 67
Who owns Western Sizzlin?
Western Sizzlin franchises are sold by Western Sizzlin Franchise Corporation.
From Western Sizzlin Franchise Corporation’s 2022 filing.
Lawsuits and bankruptcy
| Lawsuits and regulatory actions | Yes. The filing describes past or pending cases involving the franchisor, its affiliates or its executives on pages 11–12. |
|---|---|
| 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: Western Sizzlin Franchise Corporation, 2022 filing, litigation on pages 11–12, bankruptcy on page 12
Western Sizzlin filings
The figures on this page come from Western Sizzlin Franchise Corporation’s 2022 filing, issued November 18, 2022, on record with the NASAA Electronic Filing Depository.
| Filing | Issued | Registry | On this page |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 filing | November 18, 2022 | NASAA depository | Costs, fees and locations, 2019–2021 |
Each link opens the filing as a PDF. See the newest filings across all brands.
Other restaurant franchises
All restaurant franchises
Western Sizzlin is also on these lists: food franchises.