The Cheese Steak Shop Franchise Review & Verdict (2026)

Product details

Contents

Key facts


The Verdict

Quick Verdict · who it fits

The Cheese Steak Shop fits owner-operators looking for an emerging food & beverage concept.

✓ Strengths

Key FDD Facts

The numbers a buyer needs first — straight from the filing.

Initial investment (Item 7)

$358K - $854K

Franchise fee (Item 5)

$21K

Royalty (Item 6)

5% + 2% ad

Item 19 median rev

$747k franchisee-owned units

System size (Item 20)

15 +1

Agreement term

10 yrs

Years in business

9+ yrs

Company-owned units

10

Model The Cheese Steak Shop'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.

Item 19 revenue distribution

Where units actually land — not just the headline average.

P25

$457k

Median

$747k

P75

$1.05M

▪ n = 14 units · franchisee-owned units · fiscal year 2025 · Source: 2026 FDD Item 19

What you'd pay the franchisor

Drag to your projected annual sales. Royalty 5% + ad fund 2% on gross sales.

PROJECTED ANNUAL SALES$750,000

$100k$2M

Royalty (5%)

—

Ad fund (2%)

—

Total / year

—

▪ Of-sales fees only · excludes rent, labor, COGS, and one-time costs · for illustration

Industry Benchmarks

How The Cheese Steak Shop ranks against 811 Food & Beverage peers we've analyzed.

Initial investment

50th pct · of 811 peers

Franchise fee

9th pct · of 811 peers

System size

43rd pct · of 811 peers

Food & Beverage industry averages

Avg investment

$528K - $1.3M

Avg franchise fee

$38K

Avg system size

235

Franchises analyzed

811

How The Cheese Steak Shop stacks up

Closest concepts by category and investment.

Brand Item 19 Fee Investment Royalty Units
The Cheese Steak Shop Disclosed $21K $358K - $854K 5% 15
Everything Yogurt Brands, Llc (green Leaf's Beyond Great Salads)Similar price Disclosed $25K $285K - $855K 5% 12
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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Frequently Asked Questions

How much does a The Cheese Steak Shop franchise cost?

The Cheese Steak Shop requires a $21,000 initial franchise fee and a total initial investment range of $357,500–$853,500, per the most recent FDD on file.

Who owns The Cheese Steak Shop?

The Cheese Steak Shop is franchised by One Cheese Steak Franchising, 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.

Does The Cheese Steak Shop disclose financial performance (Item 19)?

Yes. The Cheese Steak Shop discloses Item 19 financial performance representations with reported revenue around $746,810. See the financials sub-page for the full distribution.

What ongoing fees does The Cheese Steak Shop charge?

Franchisees pay a royalty of 5% of Gross Sales and an advertising fund contribution of Up to 2% on gross sales as defined in Item 6 of the FDD.

How many The Cheese Steak Shop locations are there?

As of their 2026 FDD, The Cheese Steak Shop has 15 total locations, with 1 new locations opened in the most recent reporting year. This information comes from Item 20 of the FDD.

What are the renewal and exit terms?

Per the FDD, The Cheese Steak Shop discloses an initial agreement term of 10 years, a renewal fee of $1,000, a transfer fee of $7,500. Review Items 10 and 17 for the full renewal and termination provisions.

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