Best Franchise Opportunities in Florida

What is the best franchise for own in Florida will depend on what the entrepreneur wants to achieve with his business venture. So this all depends from person to person and their preferences.

The List of Best Florida Franchises

ServiceMaster Clean Franchise

Marion E. Wade founded this company in 1929, and since then, they have made a great expansion. They are currently one of the best franchises in the cleaning services industry; they provide services to commercial and private facilities.

In Florida is a great demand for cleaning services, and that is why this is a good opportunity for all those who want to try their luck in this business niche. This company currently maintains more than 75,000 facilities, so they are definitely among the leaders in this type of business.

The cost of ServiceMaster Clean franchise in Florida:

  • Initial franchise fee: $ 31,500 – $ 63,500
  • Estimated total initial investment: $ 92,985 – $ 108,750
  • Royalty fee: 7% – 10% (depends on the type of work)
  • Marketing fee: 1% of gross revenue

CleanNet USA Franchise

Mark Salek founded this company in 1988, and since then, they have had significant expansion. Today, they maintain more than 1,700 franchise units across the whole of the U.S.

The geographical position of CleanNet USA franchises can tell us that they are most widespread in areas close to the sea with a large influx of tourists. This fact shows that this franchise can be a good opportunity for all entrepreneurs from Florida.

There are already franchises from this provider in the Florida area, so there should be no problems acquiring and starting this business.

The cost of CleanNet USA Franchise in Florida:

  • Initial franchise fee: $ 16,000- $ 69,500
  • Estimated total initial investment: $ 20,877- $ 85,410
  • Royalty fee: 10% of gross revenue
  • Marketing fee: 1% of gross revenue

Anago Cleaning Systems Franchise

David Povlitz founded Anago Cleaning Systems in South Florida in 1989, so when it comes to the best franchises for own in Florida, this company should not be left out. In 1991 the company began expansion and currently has more than 1,700 franchise units across the whole U.S. Except in the U.S., the company also has several franchises in Canada, so it can be expected that it will grow even more in the future.

As we have already said, this company was founded in the Florida area, which means that they are well acquainted with this geographical area, and this gives them an advantage over competitors.

The cost for Anago Unit Franchise in Florida:

  • Initial franchise fee: $ 4,590 to $ 32,348
  • Estimated total initial investment: $ 10,518 to $ 65,576
  • Royalty fee: 10% of the gross revenues

McDonald’s Franchise

This is the most famous franchise in the world, and it is very popular among customers. The cost of opening the McDonald’s franchise is high, but it will pay off because everyone has heard about this company, no matter from what part of the world they come to spend a vacation in Florida.

We all know how big the fluctuation of tourists in Florida is, so if you have an attractive selling place, you can expect that the investment in such a facility will pay off many times. You will have to meet a liquid cash requirement of $ 500,000 if you want to open this company facility.

The cost of opening McDonald’s in Florida:

Initial franchise fee: $ 45,000
Estimated total initial investment: $ 464,500 – $ 2,306,500
Royalty fee: 4% of gross revenue
Marketing fee: 4% of gross revenue

Subway Franchise

The founder of Subway is Fred DeLuca; a fascinating fact is that he was only 17 years old in 1965 when he started the first restaurant. Since 1974, when the company began franchising operations, it has grown to today’s more than 37,000 facilities in more than 100 countries; more than 700 hundred facilities of this famous brand are located in Florida.

This option is much more affordable than McDonald’s, and you will not need so much initial investment. To open a Subway in Florida, you will need to meet a net worth requirement that ranges from $ 80,000+; also, you will need to possess 30,000 to $ 90,000 in liquid assets/cash.

The cost of Subway franchise in Florida:

  • Initial franchise fee: $ 15,000
  • Estimated total initial investment: $ 100,000 – $ 350,000
  • Royalty fee: 8% of gross revenue
  • Marketing fee: 4.5% of gross revenue

PitaPit Franchise

This Canadian franchise founded by Nelson Lang has been active on the market since 1995. The expansion of this franchise in the U.S. market started in 1999; today, they have a few hundred locations across the U.S., and only a dozen are located in Florida. PitaPit will be the best choice for people who want to grow their own business under the ”umbrella” of a franchise with a lot of potential for growth.

Also, this option is great because its royalty fee is only 5%, and the marketing fee is 1% of the gross revenue. These are very good terms because usually, these fees range from 10% and above, depending on who the franchisor is.

The cost of the PitaPit franchise in Florida:

  • Initial franchise fee: $ 30,000
  • Estimated total initial investment: $ 210,000 – $ 440,000
  • Royalty fee: 5% of gross revenue
  • Marketing fee: 1% of gross revenue

Domino’s Pizza Franchise

Domino’s is a massively successful enterprise. They ranked as the fifth-most valuable quick-service restaurant brand in the world in 2020, behind behemoths like McDonald’s, Starbucks, and KFC. They were the highest-ranking pizza company on the list, just edging out competitor Pizza Hut. Furthermore, in 2019, their U.S. sales topped $7 billion, making them the most successful pizza chain in the United States.

If you want a start Domino’s franchise in Florida, here’s what you need to know: Domino’s strongly prefers their franchise owners to have previous experience operating or managing an existing Domino’s location. If you already have this experience, you’re in a good position to become a franchise owner. If not, your best path forward is to work as a manager at a Domino’s restaurant first and then apply to open your own franchise.

The costs of starting Domino’s franchise in Florida:

  • Initial franchise fee: $10,000
  • Estimated total initial investment: $144,450 to $582,500
  • Royalty fee: 5.5% of weekly sales

Pizza Hut Franchise

Pizza Hut has the most locations of any pizza chain in the United States, so if you’re considering opening a Pizza Hut franchise in Florida, you’re in good company. The corporation mentions on their website that they’re looking for franchisees who have previous experience owning or managing a retail or restaurant business, so if that’s you, you’re in good shape.

Note that you’ll need to have a net worth of at least $700,000—half of which must be liquid—in order for your application to become a Pizza Hut franchisee to be considered. If you don’t meet those requirements, keep reading for some more options on this list.

The costs of starting a Pizza Hut franchise in Florida:

  • Initial franchise fee: $25,000
  • Estimated total initial investment: $367,000 to $2,063,500
  • Net worth requirement: $700,000
  • Royalty fee: 6% of gross sales

Papa John’s Franchise

Another pizza franchise powerhouse player is Papa John’s. Papa John’s has the lowest initial franchise fee of any restaurant on this Florida best franchises list at just $5,000 per unit. So if the high barrier to entry for some of their competitors is a turnoff for you, Papa John’s may be a good fit for starting your own franchise in Florida.

The costs of Papa John’s franchise in Florida:

  • Initial franchise fee: $5,000 per unit
  • Estimated total initial investment: $300,000
  • Net worth requirement: $250,000
  • Royalty fee: 5% of net sales

Little Caesars Franchise

This Detroit-headquartered corporation, famous for their marketing slogans “Pizza! Pizza!” and “Hot-n-Ready,” has more than 5,000 locations across all 50 states, plus locations in over 25 countries. In 2019, Little Caesars had the third-highest nationwide sales of pizza chains.

If you’re interested in pursuing a Little Caesars franchise opportunity in Florida, you need to know that the initial franchise fee is $20,000 and the estimated total investment starts at $355,000, making Little Caesars one of the more affordable pizza franchise options on this list.

The cost of the Little Caesars franchise in Florida:

  • Initial franchise fee: $20,000
  • Estimated total investment: $355,000+
  • Net worth requirement: $250,000
  • Royalty fee: 6% of gross sales

Godfather’s Pizza Franchise

Godfather’s Pizza has franchise locations in 40 states. If you’re interested in starting this franchise in Florida, here’s what you need to know: Godfather’s requires their franchise applicants to have a minimum net worth of $200,000 (half of which needs to be liquid), and at least one year of experience managing or operating a restaurant.

If you don’t have restaurant management experience, you can hire someone who will operate your franchise for you. There are a few different Godfather’s Pizza restaurant models available for franchising, including a “traditional” restaurant, an “express” restaurant, and a “delivery/carryout” model.

The cost of the Godfather’s Pizza franchise in Florida:

  • Initial franchise fee: $25,000
  • Estimated total initial investment: $457,200 to $835,500
  • Net worth requirement: $200,000
  • Royalty fee: 3%

Cicis Pizza Franchise

Buffet pizza chain Cicis isn’t as widespread as some of the other pizza franchise options on this list, with just 430 restaurants across 30 states. While this means that Cicis doesn’t have the level of name-brand recognition as Pizza Hut or Domino’s, the flip side of that is, as a franchisee, you have the opportunity to enter into a less-saturated market.

The corporation is specifically targeting current expansion in the South and Midwest, so this franchise is ideal for starting it in Florida.

The costs of Cicis Franchise in Florida:

  • Initial franchise fee: $22,500
  • Estimated total investment: $686,445 to $1,033,180
  • Net worth requirement: $750,000
  • Royalty fee: 4% to 6%

Uno Pizzeria & Grill Franchise

If you’re all about deep-dish pizza, then an Uno Pizzeria & Grill franchise restaurant may be what you’re looking for. Currently, there are Uno Pizzeria locations in 21 states. The brand is also presented in countries like Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and South Korea.

In order to own an Uno Pizzeria restaurant in Florida, you’ll need to have a minimum net worth of $1 million and at least three-quarters of that must be liquid. Their initial franchise fee is $40,000, giving Uno Pizzeria the highest financial barrier to entry of any pizza chain on this list.

The costs of Uno Pizzeria & Grill franchise in Florida:

  • Initial franchise fee: $40,000
  • Net worth requirement: $1 million
  • Royalty fee: 5% of gross sales

Papa Murphy’s Franchise

Founded in 1995, Papa Murphy’s, the Washington-based pizza chain, is one of the newer pizza corporations on this list of the best franchise to own in Florida. Papa Murphy’s food model also sets them apart from the other pizza chains on this list. For one, there are no ovens, freezers, or dining on-site. Instead, Papa Murphy’s sells dough topped with ingredients, and customers bake their pizzas at home themselves—something the company refers to as “take ‘n’ bake.”

You’ll need a minimum net worth of $350,000, a liquid cash requirement of $125,000, and a credit score of 670+ in order to be considered as a new Papa Murphy’s franchise owner in Florida.

The cost of Papa Murphy’s franchise in Florida:

  • Initial franchise fee: $25,000
  • Estimated total investment: $286,919 to $524,205
  • Net worth requirement: $350,000
  • Royalty fee: 5% of sales

Sbarro Pizza Franchise

Started as a salumeria in Brooklyn, New York, in 1956, Sbarro is now an international presented in 28 countries. You can expect to pay between $282,500 to $585,300 to open a standalone Sbarro or $288,200 to $489,000 to open a location in a food court. Those figures include estimated costs for the initial franchise fee, a lease, equipment, a POS system, insurance, initial supplies, legal and accounting fees, and training expenses.

Sbarro is currently looking to expand across several states, including Florida.

The cost of Sbarro franchise in Florida:

  • Initial franchise fee: $20,000 to $35,000
  • Estimated total investment: $282,500 to $585,300
  • Royalty fee: 5% to 7% of sales

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.

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