Best Franchise to Own in New York

The New York State is home to more than 2 million small businesses, and a high percentage of them are franchised business concepts. Today, many New Yorkers want to start a franchise, so we decided to make this list of the best ones.

However, we can’t point the finger at one of the brands and say, ”this is the best franchise to own in New York”. That choice will differ from investor to investor because financial possibilities will resolve at the end what franchise the investor will choose. So, we will present the franchise offers of companies from different industries and explain to potential franchisee applicants what they can expect.

Franchises in New York

Slices Pizza – Pizza Brand

Slices Pizza’s founder is Michael Franzese, a former mob boss from New York. But it is just a fun fact because this company also offers an excellent franchising offer for the investors who want to own a pizza joint.

Investors who want to own this franchise in New York will need to invest somewhere between $200,000 to $435,000. The initial fee is $30,000, and the franchisor’s ongoing monthly royalties are 4% from the gross restaurant sales.

Pizza Slices started with business operations in 2019, so it is no wonder that they still don’t have any franchise units in New York. This business opportunity can be an ideal choice for entrepreneurs who want to own a unique franchise that is utterly different from other pizzerias.

Slices Pizza franchise cost and fees in New York:

  • Initial Fee: $30,000
  • Royalty Fee: 5% of the monthly gross sales
  • Marketing Fee: 1% of the monthly gross sales
  • Local Marketing Fee: 4% of the monthly gross sales 
  • Estimated Total Investment: $202,700 – $435,500

This company plans to open 500 franchise units across the whole United States in the next few years, and they are seeking new franchisees in New York.

Read more about this franchise opportunity


Wingstop – Fried Cicken Brand

Wingstop is a fast-food brand that has become a main competitor of KFC in the last few years. Today this company have more than 1,600 franchised restaurant, and 30 of those are on the territory of New York State.

The investors who want to start this franchise in New York will need to invest between $347,600 to $759,100. The Initial Fee is $20,000, and the franchisor’s ongoing royalties are 6% of the gross restaurant sales.

To have a chance to become a Wingstop franchise owner, every franchisee applicant must meet this franchisor’s capital requirements; a net worth of $1,200,000 and liquid assets of a minimum of $600,000.

This company is one of the fastest-growing franchising brands, and they open approximately 100 new franchise units across the whole U.S every year. This franchisor is in good business momentum, so we must put this brand on this list of best franchises to own in New York.

Wingstop franchise cost and fees in New York:

  • Initial Fee: $20,000 
  • Development Fee: $10,000 
  • Royalty Fee: 6% of the gross sales 
  • Ad Fund Fee: 5% of the gross sales
  • Estimated Total Investment: $347,600 – $759,100

Wingstop franchised restaurants are decorated in the aviation style, so customers feel like they are in a time capsule from the 1930s. This company has a growth of 40% by the number of units in the last three years, and they are one of the most successful franchisors in recent time.

Read more about this franchise opportunity


Pita Pit – Sandwich Brand

Pita Pit is a restaurant chain whose main selling products are Lebanese-style pita sandwiches. There are not too many similar food concepts today on the market, which means if the investor can find a site location where is a high fluctuation of people, this can be a very lucrative franchise to own in New York.

To starting cost of the Pita Pit franchise is between $330,000 to $505,000. The initial fee is $30,000, and ongoing franchisor royalties are 5 % of the gross restaurant sales.

This company initially came from Canada, and they have opened more than 500 franchise units in locations in the territories of ten countries. Today this brand has more than 100 U.S-based franchise locations; only three are in New York State.

There is a high demand for this type of food in New York. So, an investor can take advantage of the fact that these restaurants are entirely different from copy-paste franchises that customers can find a dozen of those on every corner.

Pita Pit franchise cost and fees in New York:

  • Initial Fee: $30,000
  • Royalty Fee: 5% of gross sales 
  • Ad Fund Fee: 1% of gross sales
  • Estimated total investment: $330,000 to $505,000

This franchisor has relations with third-party funding sources, so it can assist with getting loans for all starting costs until the opening day. 

Read more about this franchise opportunity


Rusty Taco – Mexican Food Brand

Rusty Taco was founded in 2010, and since then, they have had slow but steady growth. Today, this company has only 35 franchised restaurants in the U.S territory. This franchisor offers an ideal business opportunity for investors interested in a fast food outlet with unique decor and a very interesting trade name. 

In New York, there are still not any of this company’s franchises, but that doesn’t mean that this can’t be a good investment. The flavors of Mexico and Texas inspire this restaurant menu, and there is a lot of Mexican food lovers in this state.

The starting cost of this franchise is between 531,000 to $897,000, the initial fee is $25,000, and ongoing franchisor royalties are 5% of the gross restaurant sales. These franchises can be an ideal lower-cost replacement for investors that want to buy a Taco Bell in New York.

To open a restaurant under the Rusty Taco trade name, the franchisee applicant must have a net worth of $1,000,000 and possess a liquid asset of a minimum of $500,000. 

Rusty Taco franchise cost in New York:

  • Initial Fee: $25,000
  • Royalty Fee: 5% of the gross sales
  • Marketing fee: 2% of the gross sales
  • Estimated total investment: $531,000 – $897,000

This company is part of the VetFran program, which means that they offer a 50% discount on the Initial Fee cost to the honorably discharged military persons. So for this group of investors, the franchisor will reduce the initial fee’s price to $12,500.


Wahlburgers – Hamburger Brand

This restaurant chain was founded by famous brothers Wahlberg (Paul, Donnie, and Mark) in 2011 in Massachusetts. Since then, this company has grown to more than 50 franchise units mostly in the United States locations, but they can be found also in Canada, Germany, and Australia.

This company has been expanding at an excellent pace in the last three years, and they are searching for new franchisees in most states, including New York. This is a high-cost franchise, so it will not be available for investors with limited start-up funds.

To start the Wahlburgers franchise in New York, it is a necessary investment in the range between $1,575,000 and $2,790,000. The Initial Fee is $40,000 to $50,000, and ongoing franchisor royalties are 6% of the gross restaurant sales.

These franchised restaurants are decored so that they emphasize the connection to the celebrity Wahlberg family on every corner. And except for the food and beverages, they also sell branded merchandise, souvenirs, and novelty items. So, the franchisee can expect to profit from multiple directions, not only from the food on the menu.

Although this is a high-cost franchise, this can be an excellent investment for the future. At present, there are none of Wahlburgers restaurants in New York, so this can be one of the options for those investors who want to own a one-of-a-kind burger franchise that is entirely different than the competition.

Wahlburgers franchise cost and fees in New York:

  • Initial Fee: $40,000 – $50,000
  • Royalty Fee: 6% of the gross sales
  • Ad/Marketing Fee: 1 – 3% of gross sales
  • Estimated Total Investment:  $1,575,000 to $2,790,000

This franchisor doesn’t offer in-house financing, so investors will need to use the services of third-party funding sources.


Baskin-Robbins – Ice Cream Brand

Baskin-Robbins was founded in 1945 in California; they are one of the oldest ice cream companies in the United States. This brand has franchise units in more than 8,000 locations in 50 countries, and they are one of the better-known ice cream brands in the world.

In the U.S, there are approximately 2,500 franchise units of this company, and only 10 of those are in New York. 

The starting cost of the Baskin-Robbins franchise in New York is between $91,000 to $625,000. The initial fee is $25,000, and ongoing royalties are 5.9% of the monthly/yearly gross sales. The Veterans don’t need to pay the initial fee, and because of that, this franchise can be an ideal choice for military persons.

These franchised stores offer 31 flavors of ice cream, but on the menu are also frozen yogurt, sherbet, cakes, and drinks. These are all food products that can deliver high-profit margins, so the owner of this franchise can expect a good salary at the end of the year.

Baskin-Robbins franchise cost and fees in the New York:

  • Initial fee: $25,000 – Veterans don’t pay this fee
  • Royalty Fee: 5.9% of the gross sales
  • Ad Royalty Fee: 5% of the gross sales
  • Estimated total investment: $91,000 – $625,000

If they want to become an owner of this franchise, applicants must have a net worth of $250,000 and liquid capital of a minimum of $125,000. 


N-Hance – Wood Refinishing Brand

N-Hance is a wood refinishing company that offers a wide range of wood care services. This company has been in business since 2013; with today’s more than 400 franchise units in the United States, this brand is one of the leaders of this high-growing industry.

At present, there are approximately 20 N-Hance franchises on the territory of New York State, so there is still plenty of space for potential investors to get involved in this type of business.

Starting the N-Hance franchise in New York will require an investment between $57,823 – $168,545. The Initial Fee is between $14,000 to $81,000; the precise cost will depend on the type of franchise.

Today in New York, there is a lot of demand for wood cleaning, coating, protection of wood flooring, and other wood furnishings services. The owner of this franchise can expect secure cash flow and a lot of customers, and because of that, we must include this franchise in our list of best ones.

N-Hance franchise cost, and fees in New York:

  • Initial Fee: $14,000 to $81,000 – Veterans have right to $2,5000 discount
  • Royalty Fee: 2% of gross sales
  • Marketing fee: 8% of gross sales
  • Estimated total investment: $57,823 – $168,545

Investors who want to own this franchise will need to have liquid assets of a minimum of $50,000. This company offers in-house financing, which means the franchisor will support franchisees regarding all starting costs.


Postal Annex – Postal Service Brand

Postal Annex started its business operations in 1985, and since then, this company has supervised the opening of more than 300 franchise units in the U.S. Although they are not in the group of the better-known postal brands, their business package has excellent profit potential.

By owning this business, the owner will be dealing with package receiving, postal, printing, copying, packaging, shipping, office supply, passport photo, notary, fingerprinting, this list goes on and on.

Postal Annex can be the best lower-cost replacement for investors who want to own a business concept similar to The Ups Store!

Entrepreneurs who want to start the Postal Annex franchise in New York will need to invest between $168,000 and $248,000. The Initial Fee is $29,950, ongoing franchisor royalties are 5%, and the marketing contribution fee is 2% of the gross sales.

These franchised postal offices provide services primarily to small business owners. Today in New York are more than 2,000,000 small businesses, and because of that, these franchises, with suitable local marketing campaigns, can bring an excellent profit to its owner.

Postal Annex franchise cost and fees in New York:

  • Initial Fee: $29,950
  • Royalty Fee: 5% of the gross sales
  • Ad Fund Fee: 2% of the gross sales
  • Estimated Total Investment: $168,000 – $248,000

To be approved by the franchisor, every franchisee applicant will need to have a net worth of $200,000 and own liquid assets of a minimum of $50,000.


Stratus Building Solutions – Cleaning Brand

Stratus Building Solutions was founded in 2004, and with today’s more than 2,400 franchise units, they are one of the leading brands in the cleaning and maintenance industry. This company offers a low-cost franchise opportunity, and because of that, they are very popular among investors.

The owner of this franchise will offer commercial cleaning and maintenance services to business and residential locations. Cleaning services are in high demand on the market, and when we analyze the ratio of cost and potential profit that owners can expect, we see that this is one of the better franchising offers in New York.

Stratus Building Solutions’ franchise starting cost is between $4,500 and $80,000, and the franchisor charge royalties that are 5% of the gross sales. The initial fee is between $3,600 and $69,000; the precise cost will depend on the type of franchise that the investor picks.

This company offers a 10% discount to the Veterans for the Initial fee cost, and because of that, this will be the best franchise to own in New York for honorably discharged military persons.

Stratus Building Solutions franchise cost and fees in the New York:

  • Initial Fee: $3,600 – $69,000
  • Royalty Fee: 5% of the gross sales
  • Ad Fund Fee: 1% of the gross sales
  • Estimated Total Investment: $4,500 – $80,000

This company offers in-house financing for all starting costs. They also provide the possibility of making a customized financing plan, so investors can choose the plan that will suit the best their business wishes and financial possibilities.


The Maids – Cleaning Brand

The Maids started its business operations in 1979 in Nebraska. At present, this company’s offer is more popular than ever among investors. With more than 1,600 franchise units in U.S and Canada locations, this company has become one of the leaders of the residential cleaning industry.

Approximately 40 of The Maids cleaning franchises operate in the territory of New York State, so there is still a lot of market room for new investors to get involved. Starting this franchise is a relatively low-cost business opportunity, so it can be a good option even for those investors with limited startup fund sources.

The Maids franchise cost is between $57,000 and $156,000. The franchisor for its services charges monthly royalties that can go from 6.9 to 3.9% of the gross revenues. The peculiarity of this business opportunity is that more revenue means less ongoing royalties.

The high-earning franchises pay only 3.9% of the Royalty Fee, which is one of the lowest charges for royalty fees in the cleaning industry when we analyze other companies’ franchising offers.

Every franchisee applicant will need to satisfy the franchisor capital requirement of owning liquid assets of $30,000; there is no requirement regarding past business experience. So, this can be a good choice even for rookie entrepreneurs who are starting their first business venture.

The Maids franchise cost and fees in the New York:

  • Initial Fee: $12,500
  • Royalty Fee: 6.9 – 3.9% of the gross sales
  • Advertising Fund Fee: 2% of gross sales
  • Estimated Total Investment: $57,000 to $156,000

This company offers in-house financing, and also, they can assist investors with getting business loans from third-party funding sources. 

Summary

As a big state with an excellent economic situation, New York offers many more franchising opportunities than this our list of the best ones revealed. Starting a franchise can be ideal for people with an entrepreneurial spirit who have saved some money and now want to invest it but are too afraid to start an independent business from scratch.

Although the franchised business has less business failure rate than an independent, that doesn’t mean that franchising doesn’t have its risks. Because of that, we advise that investors, before the final choice, hire a trustworthy franchise consultant who can help to find an ideal franchisor.

Written by:

Stuart MacPherson

Hi, I'm Stuart. I've been running my own small business since 2019 after leaving a successful career in finance. I created FranchiseTheory to share my enthusiasm for franchising and the franchise business model.

Connect with me: Linkedin | Reddit | Twitter