If you are looking for a new business plan or investment, you can explore starting a franchise of an existing burger chain. A franchise is a great way to start a business, especially if it’s a well-established and well-known brand. Of course, it still requires a lot of capital, dedication, and skills. So, here’s a short guide on starting a burger franchise and an estimate of the initial investment needed for such a business plan.

Do your primary research
One of the aspects of primary research involves which burger brand franchise you want to start, what the competition is like, the probable locations, the initial investment needed, and so on. You will also have to understand each brand’s value and what kind of experience they sell to customers. Is it a fine dining establishment, a diner, or something extraordinary with a unique ingredient or a recipe? These are some of the questions that you need to ask yourself and understand your bandwidth.

Opening the business
While a brand can give you the footfall for customers, but a solid business plan and a dedicated staff will ensure that these customers come back and the sales multiply over time. Once you have settled in on the brand for which you want the franchise, think about the initial investment needed and chart out a business plan to ensure that your business is profitable in the long term. Getting a lawyer on board and hiring a financial expert for consultation might be a good starting point to help you understand the nitty-gritty of the business.

Initial investment examples
The initial investment varies depending on your chosen burger franchise – it could be a small cart business or a top burger franchise with a dining area and drive-through. The investment involves all the legal paperwork, the upfront cost of a space (buying or renting), maintenance, employees, marketing, and so on.

Some examples include:

MOOYAH Burgers requires an initial investment of around $552,000 – $715,00. This is a type of establishment that can be categorized under fine dining and family-friendly restaurants.
Freddy’s Frozen Custard and Steakburgers asks for a franchise fee of $25,000 and a net worth requirement of $850,000. The investment cost for this franchise can be anywhere between $332,000 to $788,000.
Burger King franchise fee costs up to $40,000.

These costs can vary depending on what franchise you choose. It is not an easy investment for everyone; however, if you have the capital and are passionate enough to put in the hours required to run a business from the ground up, then this business idea can be considered.

Tips to keep the business sustainable

Prioritize employee experience
This may not be mentioned everywhere, but if your employees are happy, your business is likely to run much more smoothly. Your staff is just as important as the customer; they run the business on a daily basis and they are the primary point of interaction with the customers.

Play with the franchise’s USP
Make sure to understand the brand thoroughly and apply those principles to the franchise. This will create trust amongst the customers, build credibility, and multiply your sales.

Elevate customer experience and never compromise on the food quality, pay attention to any trends in the burger sector that can be marketed and played with, and note any new popular ingredients or food choices in demand, like plant-based options, gluten-free options and so on.