Quick Verdict · who it fits
Chester's fits owner-operators looking for a mature food & beverage concept.
The numbers a buyer needs first — straight from the filing.
Initial investment (Item 7)
$28K - $307K
Franchise fee (Item 5)
$2K
System size (Item 20)
918 +120
Years in business
24+ yrs
Model Chester's's costs in the investment calculator → Prefilled from this filing — startup cost, cash flow and break-even.
Data extracted from the 2026 FDD filed with state regulators. Fees and terms may have changed since filing — request the current FDD from the franchisor before deciding. Not legal, financial, or investment advice. Full disclaimer.
Free AI summary — the first read on the filing.
918
Total units open
all franchised; 0 company-owned
120
Units opened last year
151
Units closed last year
terminations, non-renewals, and other cessations combined
-76
Net unit growth
from 994 at end of 2024 to 918 at end of 2025
What our analysis flagged across the 2026 filing.
3
Risks to review
4
Strengths identified
5
Questions to ask
How Chester's ranks against 749 Food & Beverage peers we've analyzed.
Initial investment
4th pct · of 749 peers
Franchise fee
0th pct · of 749 peers
System size
93rd pct · of 749 peers
Food & Beverage industry averages
Avg investment
$589K - $1.4M
Avg franchise fee
$37K
Avg system size
261
Franchises analyzed
749
Closest concepts by category and investment.
| Brand | Item 19 | Fee | Investment | Royalty | Units |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chester's | None | $2K | $28K - $307K | — | 918 |
| Pizza HutSimilar price | Disclosed | $5K | $56K - $304K | 7–10% | 1,241 |
| Doctor's AssociatesBiggest system | None | $15K | $227K - $630K | 8% | 18,773 |
| Vintage Hospitality GroupTop-rated in category | Disclosed | $50K | $3.5M - $6.4M | 5.5% | 33 |
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Free explainers to go deeper before you sign.
Brand Analysis
Chipotle reported 4,186 company-operated restaurants and 15 international licensed restaurants as of June 30, 2026. None are franchised, there is no FDD, and there is nothing to apply for. Qdoba is the franchised version of the same order line, and its 12/25 FDD puts a traditional restaurant at $548,100 to $1,294,000.
Brand Analysis
Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc. reported 656 company-operated stores in 43 states as of January 30, 2026, and the brand has never sold a franchise. Huddle House and Another Broken Egg cover the same daypart with filed FDDs, at $555,375 to $1,715,275 and $792,500 to $1,804,000.
Brand Analysis
The Häagen-Dazs Shoppe Company franchises the ice cream shops on a $30,000 fee and a 4% royalty, with a 2026 Item 7 range of $213,329 to $591,579. The trademark belongs to a different company, and the ice cream you are required to buy comes from a third.
Chester's requires a $2,000 initial franchise fee and a total initial investment range of $27,500–$306,500, per the most recent FDD on file.
Chester's is franchised by CHESTERS INTERNATIONAL, LLC, the franchisor entity of record on its Franchise Disclosure Document. Item 1 of the FDD discloses the franchisor's corporate history, parents, and predecessors.
No. Chester's does not include a financial performance representation in its FDD. Prospective buyers should rely on validation calls with existing franchisees and benchmark against industry medians.
Franchisees pay an advertising fund contribution of $200 per quarter on gross sales as defined in Item 6 of the FDD.
As of their 2026 FDD, Chester's has 918 total locations, with 120 new locations opened in the most recent reporting year. This information comes from Item 20 of the FDD.
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