Wing Snob Franchise Cost 2026: $338K-$616K, $30K Fee

Wing Snob’s FDD issued April 30, 2026 estimates $338,200 to $615,500 to open one restaurant, including a $30,000 initial franchise fee. Item 7 separately lists $363,200 to $640,500 for one restaurant plus development rights for two additional restaurants. The latter includes the additional development fees, not the cost of building all three locations.

The two ranges

Here is what Wing Snob’s website says, with all three pages checked October 14, 2026:

Website page	Published initial investment range
Franchising home page	$195K-$352K
The Numbers	$365,200-$640,500
FAQ	$365,200-$640,500

Neither website figure matches the FDD’s single-restaurant range. The April 30, 2026 FDD governs this cost comparison: $338,200 to $615,500 for one restaurant, or $363,200 to $640,500 with development rights for two more.

What is consistent, and useful

Item 5 fees and discounts. The $30,000 initial franchise fee is due in full when signing the franchise agreement and is nonrefundable. The FDD reduces it by $5,000 for a United States military veteran with an honorable discharge. This is the FDD’s eligibility wording; the website describes the benefit more broadly as a military/veteran discount.

For a development agreement covering at least three restaurants, the first restaurant’s fee remains $30,000. Each additional restaurant’s discounted fee is $25,000: $12,500 is due when signing the development agreement, with the remaining $12,500 due when signing that restaurant’s franchise agreement. For three restaurants, the initial payment is $55,000. Development fees are nonrefundable.

Item 6 royalty and its base. The royalty is 6% of Gross Sales, payable every Tuesday for the prior Monday through Sunday. Gross Sales covers all revenue generated from or with respect to the restaurant, including gift card redemptions, third-party delivery orders, catering, merchandise and other covered activities. Exclusions include coupon discounts, good-faith customer refunds, sales of used restaurant equipment, and qualifying sales-related taxes collected from customers and paid to the government. Use this defined base when modeling fees.

Advertising obligations. The advertising fund contribution is 1% of Gross Sales, paid on the same weekly schedule as the royalty; the franchisor may increase it to 3%. Local advertising requires an additional 1% of Gross Sales per month. Advertising cooperative contributions count toward that local obligation.

Liquidity. The FAQ, checked October 14, 2026, states a $100,000 minimum liquid investment from the buyer without bank financing. That qualification threshold is separate from Item 7’s total opening budget.

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What the opening budget covers

Item 7’s single-restaurant estimate includes $150,000 to $300,000 in leasehold improvements and $110,000 to $200,000 in furniture, fixtures and equipment. The low end assumes a landlord allowance toward leasehold improvements. The estimate describes a space of approximately 1,200 to 2,200 square feet; actual site conditions can change costs.

The budget also includes $12,000 to $20,000 for grand-opening marketing and $10,000 to $15,000 in additional funds for three months. That additional-funds allowance excludes the owner’s draw, the manager’s salary if applicable, royalty payments and advertising fund contributions. It is an estimate, not a cap on cash needed. See how to read FDD Item 7.

Territory, term and renewal

Item 12 territory: There is no minimum territory; a typical protected area has a four-mile radius, but it may be smaller, and the franchisor retains specified sales-channel and other rights.

Item 17 term: The initial franchise term is five years. A franchisee has the right to be considered for two additional successive five-year terms, subject to a timely request, renewal application, compliance, required remodeling, signing the renewal agreement, paying the renewal fee and providing a general release. The renewal agreement may have materially different terms. Item 6 lists the renewal fee as 25% of the then-current initial franchise fee.

Open outlets versus the website’s pipeline count

Item 20 reports 61 franchised and 4 company-owned outlets at December 31, 2025, for 65 total. The franchised outlets were in Arizona (1), Florida (1), Illinois (19), Kentucky (1), Michigan (29), Missouri (1), Ohio (2), Texas (6) and Wisconsin (1). All four company-owned outlets were in Michigan.

The FAQ checked October 14, 2026 describes 100 locations open or under construction, with well over 100 more committed, and separately says the brand has locations in 17 states plus Canada. Those website statements do not provide a count of open outlets at the FDD’s fiscal year end. Use Item 20’s dated operating-outlet totals for that comparison, rather than treating construction or commitments as open restaurants.

For another chicken-focused opening budget, Zaxby’s franchise cost breakdown lists $1,460,000 to $3,810,500 to open per its April 24, 2026 FDD.

For other wings franchise profiles, see Wingstop, Wings Etc. and Buffalo Wild Wings.

SBA Franchise Directory: Wing Snob appears in the SBA’s Franchise Directory file effective October 9, 2026 (SBA Franchise Identifier Code S3682; franchisor certification marked received). A listing is what a lender checks for brand eligibility; it is not an endorsement, and your own eligibility as a borrower is assessed separately. See how to check the SBA Franchise Directory. The file notes a rider condition when real estate secures the loan.

Questions to ask Wing Snob before you sign

• How do the proposed site’s lease, landlord allowance and construction quotes compare with Item 7’s assumptions?
• What cash reserve does an accountant recommend beyond the additional-funds allowance and its exclusions?
• What exact territory and retained rights would apply to the proposed location?
• Will a franchise attorney and an accountant review the full FDD and proposed agreements before I commit?