WOW American Eats franchise
2023 filing · May 5, 2023
WOW American Eats at a glance
A fast-casual restaurant serving wings, burgers, sandwiches, salads and wraps, in traditional and non-traditional locations such as campuses.
The business
- Franchisor
- WOW Café & Wingery Franchising Account, LLC
- The company that sells the franchises
- First location
- 2001
- Typical size
- 2,200–3,400 sq ft
What you pay
- Cost to open
- $244K–$795K
- A traditional fast-casual restaurant
- Franchise fee
- $15K–$35K
- Depending on the model
- Royalty
- 5%
- 5% of net sales, paid weekly
- Brand fund
- 2%
- 2% of net sales
- Renewal fee
- $0
- When the agreement ends and you sign again
- Agreement length
- 10 years
- Territory
- None
- No exclusive territory
- Franchisor financing
- None offered
Where it is
- Franchised, 2022
- 38
- As printed in the filing
Support and records
From WOW Café & Wingery Franchising Account, LLC’s 2023 filing; SBA status from the SBA Franchise Directory, October 28, 2026.
Where it ranks
WOW American Eats among all franchises with the same figure.
| Figure | WOW American Eats | Among all franchises |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, midpointHalfway between the low and high estimate | $519,350 | Costs more than 66% of franchises |
| Franchise feePaid once, when you sign | $15,000 | Lower than 93% of franchises |
| RoyaltyShare of sales paid to the franchisor | 5% | Lower than 69% of brands with a set rate |
How much a WOW American Eats franchise costs
Opening a traditional fast-casual restaurant costs an estimated $243,600 to $795,100. That covers the franchise fee and everything else needed to open, through the first months of working capital.
The biggest costs are leasehold improvementsFN ($60,000 to $325,000) and fixtures and equipmentFN ($45,000 to $220,000). Here is every line of the estimate as filed:
| What it pays for | Range | Low | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee | $35,000 | ||
| Real Estate Lease for PremisesFN | $6,000 | $18,000 | |
| Fixtures and EquipmentFN | $45,000 | $220,000 | |
| Opening advertisingFN | $10,000 | ||
| Travel and living expenses while training FN | $3,500 | $8,500 | |
| InsuranceFN | $2,400 | $5,000 | |
| Furniture | $6,000 | $25,000 | |
| Other prepaid expenses, such as deposits, licenses and various permitsFN | $1,000 | $3,500 | |
| Opening inventoryFN | $10,000 | $20,000 | |
| Signage | $6,000 | $18,000 | |
| Leasehold improvementsFN | $60,000 | $325,000 | |
| Small wares | $6,000 | $18,000 | |
| POS System & Back office Computer System | $21,200 | $21,600 | |
| Legal, accounting & organizational costs | $2,500 | $5,000 | |
| Additional funds-3 monthsFN | $27,500 | ||
| Construction Drawings FN | $1,500 | $35,000 | |
| Total | $243,600 | $795,100 | |
Source: WOW Café & Wingery Franchising Account, LLC, 2023 filing, page 20
WOW American Eats franchise fee
The franchise fee is $15,000 to $35,000, depending on the model. You pay it when you sign the franchise agreement.
Source: WOW Café & Wingery Franchising Account, LLC, 2023 filing, page 13
Royalty and ongoing fees
| Royalty | 5% of net sales, paid weekly. |
|---|---|
| Brand or marketing fund | 2% of net sales. |
| Transfer FeesFN | $17,500 |
| Renewal Fee | $0 |
The typical franchise royalty is 6% of sales, plus 2% for marketing. See franchise fees and royalties to compare.
Source: WOW Café & Wingery Franchising Account, LLC, 2023 filing, pages 14 and 15
Other fees as filed, from page 17. The filing lists every fee, including late fees and audit costs.
Sales and earnings
No figures WOW American Eats 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: WOW Café & Wingery Franchising Account, LLC, 2023 filing, page 48
How WOW American Eats compares
Of the 113 chicken franchises on this site, WOW American Eats is the 19th cheapest to open.
| Figure | WOW American Eats | Typical chicken brand | Typical franchise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, low end | $244K | $407K | $222K |
| Cost to open, high end | $795K | $868K | $477K |
| Franchise fee | $15K | $35K | $40K |
| Royalty | 5% | 5% | 6% |
| Brand fund | 2% | 2% | 2% |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 53 (−1) | 1 |
| 2019 | 48 (−5) | 2 |
| 2020 | 47 (−1) | 1 |
| 2021 | 46 (−1) | 1 |
| 2022 | 38 (−8) | 1 |
Closed or left counts terminations, non-renewals, locations bought back by the franchisor and locations that stopped operating.
These figures don't add up as printed: the 2020 counts come to 48, but the filing shows 47. Worth asking the franchisor.
See which brands grew most in the fastest-growing franchises rankings.
More in the guides: chicken franchise costs and franchise failure rates.
Over 5 years, from the start of 2018 to the end of 2022, franchised locations went from 54 to 38 (−16, −30%). The earlier years come from the brand's 2021 and 2022 filings.
Source: WOW Café & Wingery Franchising Account, LLC, 2023 filing, page 49
2018: WOW Café & Wingery Franchising Account, LLC, 2021 filing, page 48
2019: WOW Café & Wingery Franchising Account, LLC, 2022 filing, page 49
Where WOW American Eats locations are
At the end of 2022, WOW American Eats had franchised locations in 24 states and territories. The most are in Louisiana, South Carolina and Alabama.
- Louisiana8
- South Carolina3
- Alabama2
- California2
- Kentucky2
- Maryland2
| State | Franchised |
|---|---|
| Louisiana | 8 |
| South Carolina | 3 |
| Alabama | 2 |
| California | 2 |
| Kentucky | 2 |
| Maryland | 2 |
| Missouri | 2 |
| Ohio | 2 |
| Arizona | 1 |
| Arkansas | 1 |
All 24 states
| Colorado | 1 |
|---|---|
| Connecticut | 1 |
| District of Columbia | 1 |
| Georgia | 1 |
| Michigan | 1 |
| Minnesota | 1 |
| Mississippi | 1 |
| New Mexico | 1 |
| New York | 1 |
| North Carolina | 1 |
| South Dakota | 1 |
| Texas | 1 |
| Virginia | 1 |
| West Virginia | 1 |
Source: WOW Café & Wingery Franchising Account, LLC, 2023 filing, page 49
Who owns WOW American Eats?
WOW American Eats franchises are sold by WOW Café & Wingery Franchising Account, LLC. Its filing names no parent company.
From WOW Café & Wingery Franchising Account, LLC’s 2023 filing, page 7.
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 12–13. |
|---|---|
| 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: WOW Café & Wingery Franchising Account, LLC, 2023 filing, litigation on pages 12–13, bankruptcy on page 13
WOW American Eats filings
A franchisor files a new disclosure each year it sells franchises. The figures on this page come from WOW Café & Wingery Franchising Account, LLC’s 2023 filing, issued May 5, 2023; the earlier ones below are on record with the NASAA Electronic Filing Depository and fill in older location counts.
| Filing | Issued | Registry | On this page |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 filing | May 5, 2023 | NASAA depository | Costs, fees and locations, 2020–2022 |
| 2022 filing | May 5, 2022 | NASAA depository | Locations, 2019 |
| 2021 filing | May 14, 2021 | NASAA depository | Locations, 2018 |
Each link opens the filing as a PDF. See the newest filings across all brands.
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