Which Wich Franchise Costs $538K (2023 Stats & Profits)

Another famous sandwich franchise with more than 400 restaurants in the US alone, Which Wich is also very popular for new franchisees as it’s an affordable franchise. Indeed, you would need to invest (only) $538,000 on average to open a new Which Wich restaurant.

But is this a profitable business? Which Wich restaurants make on average $401,000 turnover per year.

So should you invest in a Which Wich franchise? Are the profits worth the upfront investment? Let’s find out!

Ket stats

Franchise fee$30,000
Royalty fee6.00%
Marketing fee6.00%
Investment (mid-point)$538,000
Average sales$401,000
Sales to investment ratio1.0x
Minimum net worth$500,000
Minimum liquid capital$150,000
Source: Franchise Disclosure Document 2023

Find the most profitable franchises on

About Which Wich

Which Wich is an American fast-casual restaurant chain with over 400 stores in 36 US states and around the globe.

It was founded by restaurant entrepreneur Jeff Sinelli in 2003 in Downtown Dallas, Texas, where it is headquartered. Which Wich began franchising in 2005 and is owned by Sinelli Concepts Int’l. Inc.

The brand offers sandwiches, salads, cheese, chips, milkshakes, cookies, spreads, and vegetables.

Which Wich franchise pros and cons

Pros

  • Extensive training: The franchisor provides its franchisees with a comprehensive training, which is about 2 weeks of classroom training at their headquarters and 10 days of on-site training
  • Real estate support: The brand helps its franchisees with expert real estate support. It guides them on site selection, identifying a viable business location in terms of high traffic and growth potential. It also helps them with lease agreements and negotiations, as well as establishing their restaurants at the lowest cost possible
  • Flexible franchise formats: Which Wich has multiple franchise models of different sizes. Franchisees can choose to operate a franchise format that fits the available real estate opportunities in their locations. The different dining options are strategically located in high-traffic locations and offer franchisees multiple income streams. These are dine-in, catering, drive-through, and take-out options
  • Exclusive territory protection: The franchisor offers its franchisees an exclusive territory to operate their restaurants. Also, it does not grant any other franchises or operate competing channels in the designated areas

Cons

  • No financing: The franchisor does not directly or indirectly finance franchise owners. Franchisees need to approach third-party lenders not affiliated with the franchisor to finance their start-up, inventory, and ongoing costs
  • No absentee ownership: A Which Wich franchise is not a passive investment option. It requires franchisees to be fully active in the operations of their restaurants
  • Competition: Which Wich franchisees face a lot of competition from established brands such as Firehouse Subs and McAlister’s Deli
  • Not a part-time business: The brand does not present a part-time business opportunity. It requires franchisees to be fully open as per the agreement

Which Wich franchise costs

On average, you may need to invest around $538,000 to open a Which Wich restaurant.

The required investment ranges between $253,500 to $822,250. Indeed, the exact amount you would need to pay depends on various factors like location, the current market price of required equipment, etc. For example, rent costs vary in different locations, which has an important effect on the total investment (lease deposit, etc.).

The investment amount covers all types of startup costs you would need at the beginning. Namely, in addition to the initial franchise fee of $30,000, the investment covers:

  • Formation costs: furniture, fixtures, equipment, signage, initial training costs, pre-opening consultation, opening assistance costs, computer hardware & software, professional services, etc.
  • Initial marketing: opening advertising expenses
  • Operating costs: initial inventory/supplies, insurance, the first 3 month’s working capital, etc.
Type of ExpenditureLowHigh
Initial franchise fee$30,000$30,000
Formation costs$202,250$727,250
Initial Mmarketing$3,500$10,000
Operating costs$17,750$55,000
Total$253,500$822,250
Source: Franchise Disclosure Document 2023

Find the most profitable franchises on

Which Wich franchise fees

The initial franchise fee for a Which Wich franchise is $30,000. In addition to the initial franchise fee, you must pay to the franchisor a royalty fee of 6.00% of revenues.

Which Wich franchise revenue

On average, a Which Wich franchise makes about $401,000 in sales per year. That’s the average turnover for a Which Wich restaurant after Covid.

Indeed, the pandemic affected Which Wich restaurants like any others. Sales numbers took a hit: -7.39% and -34% revenue growth in 2019 and 2020 respectively. Even though Which Wich is coming back to pre pandemic levels (+42% revenue growth vs 2020).

YearRestaurantsMedian Gross Sales% change
2018383$461,203
2019355$427,123-7.4%
2020288$281,886-34.0%
2021264$388,829+37.94%
2022202$400,715+3.06%
Source: Franchise Disclosure Document 2022

Find the most profitable franchises on

Disclaimer

Disclaimer: This content has been made for informational and educational purposes only. We do not make any representation or warranties with respect to the accuracy, applicability, fitness, or completeness of the information presented in the article. You should not construe any such information or other material as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other professional advice. Nothing contained in this article constitutes a solicitation, recommendation, endorsement, advertisement, or offer to buy or sell any franchises, securities, or other financial instruments in this or in any other jurisdiction in which such solicitation or offer would be unlawful under the franchise and/or securities laws of such jurisdiction.

All content in this article is information of a general nature and does not address the detailed circumstances of any particular individual or entity. Nothing in the article constitutes professional and/or financial and/or legal advice, nor does any information in the article constitute a comprehensive or complete statement of the matters discussed or the law relating thereto. You alone assume the sole responsibility of evaluating the merits and risks associated with the use of any information or other content in this article before making any decisions based on such information or other content.

0