The Financial Breakdown of a Wayback Burgers Franchise

Wayback Burgers, with more than 150 franchise units, is one of the leaders of the hamburgers Industry. At present, this franchisor seeks new franchisees across the whole of the United States. So this review about Wayback Burgers’ franchise cost and profit that the owner can make will be of interest to many aspiring entrepreneurs.

Wayback Burgers is a relatively low-cost franchise opportunity. This brand started with the business in 1991, and since 2006 they have begun expansion thru franchising. Starting the food outlet of this company can be a good franchising option for people who have a few hundred thousand dollars of savings and now want to invest that money in a business that can deliver secure profit every month.

How Much Does The Wayback Burgers Franchise Cost

Opening the Wayback Burgers franchise will cost between $209,000 to $525,000. The Initial Fee of $35,000 is incorporated in this financial prediction and all other necessary expenses that the owner needs to finance before opening day.

Wayback Burgers franchises usually operate on 1,200 to 2,400 Square Feet, so it will be necessary to lease and improve the restaurant real estate. All onsite constructional improvements will cost the investor $60,000 for in-line locations to a max of $220,000 for standalone facilities.

The investor must be aware that it will be necessary to invest a lot of money in different pieces of restaurant equipment, including refrigerators, freezers, grills, fryers, and stools; the point-of-sale system, etc.; the initial equipment package has cost between $75,000 to $140,000.

This franchisor, as a company, has an arrangement with Wal-Mart, which means that investors can choose to start a franchise under the roof of the Walmart building.

The Wayback Burgers franchise cost for the Walmart locations is almost identical to standard sites, except that the franchise owner will need to pay a security deposit of $12,000 under the Sublease Contract.

Wayback Burgers list of costs:

  • Leasehold Improvements: $60,000 to $220,000
  • Initial Equipment: $75,000 and $140,000
  • Initial Fee: $35,000
  • Initial Inventory: $6,000 to $8,000
  • Work Permits and Licenses: $6,000 to $12,000 
  • Outside Fixtures and Furnishings: $5,000 to $10,000 
  • Grand Opening Advertising: $5,000
  • Supplies: $5,000 to $7,500
  • Signage Package: $3,000 to $35,000 
  • Initial Rent Outlays: $2,500 to $12,000
  • Expenses during Initial Training: $1,000 to $10,000 
  • Prepaid Insurance Premiums: $500 to $5,000 
  • Utility Deposits: $0 to $5,000
  • Working Capital(first 3 months): $5,000 to $20,000
  • Estimated Total Investment: $209,000 to $525,000

This franchisor doesn’t offer in-house financing but has connections with third-party funding sources, which means that it can help the investor get better loan terms.

Wayback Burgers Franchise Fee

The Wayback Burgers restaurant owners need to pay a one-time Initial Fee of $35,000 and specific continuing fees; 5% of Royalty Fee, 2% of Ad Fund Fee, and 2% of Local Marketing Fee. 

The cost of ongoing fees the franchisor calculates according to the restaurant’s gross sales, and the franchisee is obligated to pay them every week, during the whole duration of the Franchise Agreement.

When we combine all ongoing royalties, we get 9% from the gross sales, which is the pretty standard amount for the Hamburger Industry. It means that the franchise owner of this company can expect that his business will not be in a subordinate position to franchised restaurants from other brands.

Also, the Local Marketing Fee, which is for Wayback Burgers franchise 2% of the gross restaurant sales, is a good business practice. The local marketing campaigns will target potential customers in the area which is near the franchise location. This practice usually results in higher profit; that is, in more regular customers.

Wayback Burgers list of fees:

  • Initial Fee: $35,000 – one time cost
  • Royalty Fee: 5% of the Gross Sales – an ongoing cost
  • Ad Fund Fee: 2% of the Gross Sales – an ongoing cost
  • Local Marketing Fee: 2% of the Gross Sales – an ongoing cost
  • Renewal Fee: $3,500 – after expiration of Franchise Agreement term
  • Transfer Fee: $17,500 – if franchisee decides to sell the business
  •  Maintenance Fees: $2,000 to $3,500 per year

Every applicant must be aware that this franchisor has a minimal Royalty Fee that the franchisee must start to pay immediately after opening. The owner will need to pay a minimum of $400 per week of Royalty Fee no matter how much restaurant sale levels are.

Wayback Burgers Franchise Profit

These franchised restaurants make Gross Sales between $500,000 to $1,000,000 per year with a profit margin of 10%. So, the Wayback Burgers franchise owner can expect to make $50,000 to $100,000 of a profit per year.

Although the annual salary of the Wayback Burgers franchise owner can seem small, potential investors must be aware that this is a pretty standard profit for the Franchising Industry.

Starting a franchised business isn’t a quick-rich scheme nor a passive income source, and all potential investors in this business concept must be aware of that. 

According to PRWeb, in 2020, four Wayback Burgers restaurants made more than a million dollars in gross sales, and seventeen of them almost exceeded this amount. It is an excellent result because 2020 was one of the most challenging years for all industries, and the food industry took the biggest hit of all.

The Wayback Burgers is a relatively low-cost franchise opportunity that can be even more lucrative in the future, and that is the most significant advantage of this franchising concept. But, at present, the owner can’t expect to make a huge profit by owning this franchised restaurant. 

We predict that this brand will grow even more on the national level in the next few years. Because of all said, this can be the perfect investment for the future because Wayback Burgers will have higher gross sales as the brand awareness start to grow among potential customers of these franchises. 

This franchisor doesn’t have stats in the Franchise Disclosure Document about their franchise units operating costs. So, we assumed that this restaurant could make a 10% profit margin, a standard one that similar burger franchising concepts usually deliver.

Franchisor Overview

This brand opened the first restaurant under the name ”Jake’s Hamburgers” in 1991 in Connecticut. Since 2006 they have started offering franchising opportunities for the investors who want to operate this unique fast food joint.

In 2010, they changed their business name and started operating as Jake’s Wayback Burgers. Since 2014 they have been called only ” Wayback Burgers”. 

When we see the unit number stats, this franchisor was growing at the highest pace throughout the whole United States from 2012 till 2018; at this period, they opened stunning 91 new restaurants. 

This company franchising offer is popular among entrepreneurs because the Wayback Burgers franchise cost is affordable even to those investors who don’t have millions of saving on their bank accounts.

Wayback Burgers franchise units number per year:

  • 2012. = 51
  • 2013. = 72 
  • 2014. = 87 
  • 2015. = 97 
  • 2016. = 118 
  • 2017. = 125 
  • 2018. = 142
  • 2019. = 145
  • 2020. = 148
  • 2021. = 149

In the last three years, this franchisor stagnated because of a big crisis that we are all witnessing. However, as the market recovers and grows, this brand will start with new expansion operations, so now can be the right time to become part of this company.

Currently, this franchisor is seeking new franchisees thru the whole United States. Last few years, this company has been working on expansion in International locations, which means that those investors who live outside of the U.S. can also apply to become the owner of the Wayback Burgers franchise.

Summary

When we analyze Wayback Burgers’ franchise cost and profit ratio, we can see that owner of this franchised restaurant can expect to make a decent salary per year with this relatively low-risk investment. 

Although this franchising concept can’t deliver millions of dollars of profit to its owners, this doesn’t mean that this investment isn’t worth it. This company offers an affordable franchising opportunity, so it will be an ideal choice for people who have some savings and want to become their own boss.

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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