BUFFALO'S CAFE franchise: cost, fees & unit track record
Opening a BUFFALO'S CAFE franchise takes $568,020 – $2,528,500 all-in, per its franchise disclosure filings (data as of 2026-05). The initial franchise fee is $50,000. Ongoing, franchisees pay a royalty of 6% on sales plus an ad-fund contribution of up to 4%. To qualify, BUFFALO'S CAFE asks for $500,000 in liquid cash and a $1,500,000 net worth. Anything the filings do not state is marked "Not disclosed" below — never estimated.
BUFFALO'S CAFE franchise costs and fees
| Verification mark | Cost item | Low | High | Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise feeOne-time, paid to the franchisor at signing | $50,000 | $50,000 | $50,000 | |
| Initial investment (all-in)FDD Item 7-derived range: build-out, equipment, opening costs | $568,020 | $2,528,500 | $568,020 to $2,528,500 | |
| Net worth requiredFranchisor's stated qualification minimum | $1,500,000 | $1,500,000 | $1,500,000 | |
| Liquid cash requiredFranchisor's stated qualification minimum | $500,000 | $500,000 | $500,000 | |
| Cash to open (all-in range) | $568,020 | $2,528,500 | $568,020 to $2,528,500 |
| RoyaltyOngoing, % of sales | 6% |
|---|---|
| Ad fundOngoing, % of sales | Up to 4% |
| Initial termLength of the first franchise agreement | Not disclosed |
See the full BUFFALO'S CAFE cost breakdown — what's in that number and what isn't
How BUFFALO'S CAFE's cost compares
A dollar figure means more with a yardstick. Here is where BUFFALO'S CAFE's disclosed cost sits against the Professional Services category:
- Minimum startup cost of $568,020 — about 6.7× the Professional Services median of $84,700.
- Initial franchise fee of $50,000 — about 1.3× the Professional Services median of $39,700.
Category medians are computed from the Professional Services brands in our data that disclosed each figure — a benchmark for scale, not a quality judgment. See all Professional Services franchises
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How BUFFALO'S CAFE's units have held up
Openings and closures from FDD Item 20-style unit history, 2020–2022: began the window at 18 units; 2 units opened, 7 closed, ending at 13 units.
What about earnings?
We don't publish per-brand earnings figures — for BUFFALO'S CAFE or anyone else. The only primary source is Item 19 of the brand's own franchise disclosure document (FDD), and no law requires a franchisor to publish one, so the "average owner income" numbers circulating elsewhere are usually unsourced or survivorship-biased. Ask BUFFALO'S CAFE for its current FDD and read Item 19 yourself — and if there is no Item 19, that silence is information too.
What this data can't tell you
Everything on this page comes from disclosure filings — fees, ranges, and unit counts. Four questions that matter just as much are not in any filing we can source, so we say so instead of guessing:
- The hours and the labor
- No dataset field says whether BUFFALO'S CAFE is a manage-from-a-laptop business or a 60-hour week in disguise. Item 15 of the FDD states whether you're obligated to run the business personally, and Item 11 lists what the franchisor actually does for you — then ask current owners what their week looks like (validation calls), not the sales team.
- How hands-on the ownership really is
- "Semi-absentee" is a pitch, not a filing field. Treat any hands-off claim as unverified until it's consistent with Item 15 and with what multiple current franchisees tell you — what absentee ownership actually means.
- Your territory — whether it's protected, and whether it's open
- Two territory questions sit outside our data. Whether BUFFALO'S CAFE grants a protected or exclusive area is set in Item 12 of the FDD and varies brand to brand — some grant none, and the carve-outs (online sales, national accounts) matter as much as the map. And filing data can't say what's open in your market this month; only BUFFALO'S CAFE can confirm current availability. Ask both before you inquire, and get the answer in writing.
- What owners earn
- Covered honestly above: our dataset has no earnings fields, the only primary source is the brand's own Item 19, and here is how to read that evidence.
About the BUFFALO'S CAFE franchise
BUFFALO'S CAFE is a professional services franchisor with 13 units at the end of 2022 (FDD Item 20-style unit history). Between 2020 and 2022, it began the window at 18 units; its filings record 2 unit openings and 7 closures, ending at 13 units. Its parent company is Fat Brands Inc..
No franchise-related lawsuits reported in the disclosure data we hold (FDD Item 3, as of 2026-05) — an absence in our sources, not a guarantee; confirm against the brand's current FDD.
From the franchisor's materials
We also offer franchises under the name Deck The Walls (“DTW”), and franchises under the name Framing & Art Centre (“FAC”) through our subsidiary Mapleleaf, Inc. See below in this Item for more information on DTW and FAC. This Disclosure Document is only for the offer of The Great Frame Up franchises, and not for the offer of DTW or FAC franchises. FCI Holdings Company, Inc. ("FCIHC") is a Delaware corporation, incorporated in February 2004. In March 2004, FCIHC acquired 100% of the stock of FCI. FCIHC has never offered franchises under its name or any other name, and its sole assets are FCI and the affiliates in this Item. The address of FCIHC is 221 First Executive Avenue, St. Peters, Missouri 63376. The Company's agents for service of process are disclosed in Exhibit A. We have sold franchises for the operation of retail stores known as "The Great Frame Up" since January 2007. As of December 31, 2018, there were 72 franchised units and no Company- owned units operating under the name "The Great Frame Up." The Great Frame Up retail stores offer frames, framing services, and related products. The Great Frame Up franchisee operates the franchise pursuant to The Great Frame Up System, which includes the Company's standards, specifications, methods and procedures. The System also includes the use of the trademark and trade name "The Great Frame Up." The services and prod- ucts of The Great Frame Up stores are offered to all segments of the public, and the stores are generally located in strip centers. There are no regulations specific to the services and products offered by The Great Frame Up stores, except for laws or regulations which apply to retail businesses generally. The Company offers existing The Great Frame Up franchisees the opportunity to establish a showroom store. All information in this Disclosure Document is applied to the purchase of a showroom store unless specifically and otherwise stated. The Company offers a Market Unit Addendum ("MUA") to the Franchise Agreement. Under an MUA, you are required to open one full store within 12 months of signing a The Great Frame Up Franchise Agreement, and 2 stores within 30 months after you open your original The Great Frame Up Store. All information in this Disclosure Document applies to the MUA unless specifically and otherwise stated. You will compete with other stores and online businesses that offer a wide range of frames, prints, and framing services, similar to those offered by The Great Frame Up stores, including stores which may be located in the same strip center as your The Great Frame Up franchise. Existing or new competitors in the market may offer similar goods and engage in aggressive promotion which may include discounting.
BUFFALO'S CAFE franchise: quick answers
- How much does a BUFFALO'S CAFE franchise cost?
- $568,020 – $2,528,500 all-in to open, per BUFFALO'S CAFE's franchise disclosure filings (data as of 2026-05).
- How many BUFFALO'S CAFE units are there?
- 13 units at the end of 2022 (FDD Item 20-style unit history).
- How have BUFFALO'S CAFE's units held up?
- 65% of units at risk between 2020 and 2022 did not close, per our metric recomputed from FDD Item 20-style unit history (methodology published on our verification page).