Tom and Chee franchise: cost, fees & unit track record
Opening a Tom and Chee franchise takes $305,200 – $458,500 all-in, per its franchise disclosure filings (data as of 2026-05). The initial franchise fee is $30,000. Ongoing, franchisees pay a royalty of 6% on sales plus an ad-fund contribution of up to 2%. To qualify, Tom and Chee asks for $500,000 in liquid cash and a $850,000 net worth. Anything the filings do not state is marked "Not disclosed" below — never estimated.
Tom and Chee franchise costs and fees
| Verification mark | Cost item | Low | High | Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise feeOne-time, paid to the franchisor at signing | $30,000 | $30,000 | $30,000 | |
| Initial investment (all-in)FDD Item 7-derived range: build-out, equipment, opening costs | $305,200 | $458,500 | $305,200 to $458,500 | |
| Net worth requiredFranchisor's stated qualification minimum | $850,000 | $850,000 | $850,000 | |
| Liquid cash requiredFranchisor's stated qualification minimum | $500,000 | $500,000 | $500,000 | |
| Cash to open (all-in range) | $305,200 | $458,500 | $305,200 to $458,500 |
| RoyaltyOngoing, % of sales | 6% |
|---|---|
| Ad fundOngoing, % of sales | Up to 2% |
| Initial termLength of the first franchise agreement | 10 years |
See the full Tom and Chee cost breakdown — what's in that number and what isn't
How Tom and Chee's cost compares
A dollar figure means more with a yardstick. Here is where Tom and Chee's disclosed cost sits against the Food & Beverage category:
- Minimum startup cost of $305,200 — about in line with the Food & Beverage median of $282,500.
- Initial franchise fee of $30,000 — about in line with the Food & Beverage median of $35,000.
Category medians are computed from the Food & Beverage brands in our data that disclosed each figure — a benchmark for scale, not a quality judgment. See all Food & Beverage franchises
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How Tom and Chee's units have held up
Openings and closures from FDD Item 20-style unit history, 2012–2020: began the window at 0 units; 37 units opened, 12 closed, ending at 6 units. (partial records: 2016, 2017, 2018 are not in the source data — totals span the reported years only.)
Not enough history to compute a survival figure — we need at least three years of unit data, and we don't extrapolate.
What about earnings?
We don't publish per-brand earnings figures — for Tom and Chee 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 Tom and Chee 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 Tom and Chee 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 Tom and Chee 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 Tom and Chee 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 Tom and Chee franchise
Tom and Chee is a food & beverage franchisor with 6 units at the end of 2020 (FDD Item 20-style unit history). Between 2012 and 2020, it began the window at 0 units; its filings record 37 unit openings and 12 closures, ending at 6 units (partial records: 2016, 2017, 2018 are not in the source data — totals span the reported years only). Its parent company is Tom and Chee Worldwide LLC. The filings indicate financing options are available; terms come from the franchisor, not from us.
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
TCWW LLC offers franchises for the operation of a quick service restaurant selling grilled cheese sandwiches and melts, soup and other menu items under the name Tom and Chee.
Tom and Chee franchise: quick answers
- How much does a Tom and Chee franchise cost?
- $305,200 – $458,500 all-in to open, per Tom and Chee's franchise disclosure filings (data as of 2026-05).
- How many Tom and Chee units are there?
- 6 units at the end of 2020 (FDD Item 20-style unit history).