Overall costs for Firehouse Subs run anywhere from $57,502 to $790,391. See how the costs break down and what funding options might be right for your new venture into the franchise foray.
How COVID-19 affects franchising costs
Strict sanitation and employee protection measures during the coronavirus outbreak add to the typical costs you face when opening a new franchise. Paired with the unusually heavy amount of promotions that may be required by the franchise, you may not see as much in the way of profits starting out. For more information on what support is out there, read our guide to
loans for businesses affected by the coronavirus.
Estimated initial costs
Our cost estimates are accurate as of 2019 from
https://www.franchisedirect.com and include opening fees and expenses only. Your location may result in higher or lower fees.
Franchise fees
Firehouse Subs franchise fees total around $17,500, which beats out the $37,000 average for the 200 largest franchises nationwide.
| Balance of initial franchise fee, less any deposit |
$17,500 to $17,500 |
| Royalty |
6% of gross sales per accounting period (reduced to 3% of gross sales during the first 2 years of operation for each incentive restaurant opened). |
| Estimated total |
$17,500 to $17,500 |
Equipment fees
Equipment fees total $88,688 for Firehouse Subs. This is less than the $180,023 average for the top 200 franchises.
| Signs |
$0 to $31,529 |
| Equipment and fixtures |
$14,502 to $131,344 |
| Estimated total |
$14,502 to $162,873 |
Real estate fees
Real estate will set you back $226,300 for Firehouse Subs, thought it's less than the average of $788,376 for the top 200 franchises.
| Deposit |
$2,500 to $2,500 |
| First three months' rent |
$10,000 to $19,500 |
| Real property improvements |
$0 to $27,500 |
| Leasehold improvements |
$0 to $360,000 |
| Deposits and prepaid expenses |
$0 to $30,600 |
| Estimated total |
$12,500 to $440,100 |
Inventory costs
Initial inventory for Firehouse Subs shakes out to $12,369. This is less than the nationwide average of $53,119.
| Opening inventory |
$5,000 to $19,738 |
| Estimated total |
$5,000 to $19,738 |
Marketing costs
Advertisement and marketing costs total up to $14,000 for Firehouse Subs, which is more than the nationwide average of $9,938.
| Mural |
$3,000 to $5,000 |
| Opening advertising |
$5,000 to $15,000 |
| Local advertising |
4% of gross sales. |
| Estimated total |
$8,000 to $20,000 |
Licenses and permits costs
Firehouse Subs initial licenses and permits will set you back $6,390. This comes out to less than $18,770 — the overall nationwide average.
| Business licenses |
$0 to $12,780 |
| Estimated total |
$0 to $12,780 |
Insurance costs
Initial insurance costs for Firehouse Subs run $4,000. This means you'll be paying less than the overall nationwide average of $6,311.
| Insurance |
$0 to $8,000 |
| Estimated total |
$0 to $8,000 |
Administrative fees
Firehouse Subs administrative fees total up to $11,600 — which comes in over the overall nationwide average of $6,761.
| MIS system fee |
$0 to $1,200 |
| Accounting system fee |
$0 to $22,000 |
| Audit |
Cost of inspection or audit plus travel. |
| Estimated total |
$0 to $23,200 |
Other expenses
Miscellaneous expenses for Firehouse Subs total $43,100 — less than the nationwide average of $69,970.
| Three months' miscellaneous expenses |
$0 to $86,200 |
| Estimated total |
$0 to $86,200 |
All costs were found using the 200 largest franchises nationwide using Franchise Direct's list of more than 300 franchises, and are accurate as of 2019.
How to finance
The best way to finance Firehouse Subs comes down to your personal financial situation. What assets you have available will largely determine how much you need to borrow, and which option suits you best. Potential solutions include:
- Bank loan. Your personal credit plays a large role in getting a business term loan from a bank. Typically this type of funding is for larger amounts.
- Online loan. Credit requirements may be more flexible for an online loan than a bank loan, but amounts may max out at a lower amount — typically around $1 million.
- SBA loan. The good part about SBA loans is that they top out at $5 million, but your business has to meet a number of requirements.
- Credit card. Small costs that aren't fixed, such as stray inventory and supply purchases, may be better off on a business credit card. Just make sure you can pay it off quickly to avoid high APRs.
Also check if Firehouse Subs franchise financing is available. You may be able to get some of the costs covered for less than you would with other traditional funding options.
Compare small business lenders
How Firehouse Subs stacks up
Compare how Firehouse Subs holds up against two similarly sized franchises.
| Average Franchise fees |
$15,000 |
$17,500 |
$45,000 |
| Average Equipment fees |
$120,450 |
$88,688 |
$129,800 |
| Average Real estate fees |
$600 |
$226,300 |
$406,000 |
| Average Training fees |
$850 |
NA |
$3,500 |
| Average Inventory fees |
$5,750 |
$12,369 |
NA |
| Average Marketing fees |
NA |
$14,000 |
$15,000 |
| Average Licenses and permits fees |
$4,875 |
$6,390 |
$2,625 |
| Average Insurance fees |
$825 |
$4,000 |
NA |
| Average Admin fees |
$1,750 |
$11,600 |
NA |
| Average Personnel fees |
NA |
NA |
NA |
| Average Other fees |
$4,750 |
$43,100 |
$18,500 |
Bottom line
Firehouse Subs franchise costs run a total of $423,947. Before you decide to become a franchisee, compare the total costs against industry averages. And to learn more about financing
read our guide to franchise financing.
