About Cousins Subs Franchise
Cousins Subs is a Midwest based submarine sandwich franchise offering opportunities since 1979.
The brand is known for its fresh baked bread, premium deli meats, and Wisconsin cheese curds, with a menu that reflects its proud Wisconsin roots.
Each location serves a variety of hot and cold subs, wraps, soups, and sides in a fast casual environment.
Cousins Subs Franchise Cost & Fees
Minimum Investment
$465K
Average Investment
$815K
Maximum Investment
$1.2M
| Fee Type | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee | $25,000 | One-time payment upon signing |
| Royalty Fee | 6% of Gross Receipts of gross sales | Ongoing; paid monthly |
| Marketing/Ad Fund | 2% of Gross Receipts (Advertising and Development Fund, subject to increase to 3%) | National brand fund |
| Total Investment Range | $464,700 – $1,164,500 | Includes build-out, inventory, working capital |
The investment range of $465K–$1.2M reflects variability in build-out costs, store size, lease terms, and market. The combined royalty (6% of Gross Receipts) and marketing fee (2% of Gross Receipts (Advertising and Development Fund, subject to increase to 3%)) are ongoing costs paid as a percentage of gross sales.
Investment Breakdown (Item 7)
| Item | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee | $25,000 | $25,000 |
| Leasehold Improvements | $205,000 | $600,000 |
| Equipment and Small Wares | $135,000 | $190,000 |
| Seating Package / Millwork | $30,000 | $75,000 |
| Initial Inventory and Supplies | $6,000 | $18,000 |
| Point of Sale System / Technology | $10,000 | $30,000 |
| Architectural Fees | $9,000 | $52,000 |
| Rent (1 month) | $3,000 | $15,000 |
| Lease and Utility Security Deposits | $0 | $15,000 |
| Insurance | $700 | $1,500 |
| Training | $2,500 | $15,000 |
| Store Marketing Fee | $10,000 | $10,000 |
| Lease Addendum Review Fee | $0 | $5,000 |
| Signage | $8,500 | $63,000 |
| Additional Funds (3 months) | $20,000 | $50,000 |
Additional Fees (Item 6)
| Fee Type | Amount |
|---|---|
| Transfer Fee | Greater of 20% of then-current standard initial franchise fee or $5,000 (Franchise Agreement); $5,000 (Multi-Unit Development Agreement) |
| Renewal Fee | 50% of then-current standard initial franchise fee |
| Technology Fee | $300-$800/month (Technology Fund Contribution, includes 8% hardware maintenance fee) |
| Audit Fee | Cost of audit and inspection plus travel, accounting and legal expenses if 2%+ discrepancy |
| Local Advertising | 3% of Gross Receipts (quarterly) |
| Cooperative Advertising Program | Up to 3% of Gross Receipts (credited to local ad requirement) |
| Renovation and Maintenance Fund | $200/month (starting month 12, capped at $25,000) |
| Late Payment Interest | 1.5%/month (highest applicable legal rate) |
| Annual Meeting Fee | $1,000 |
| Product/Supplier Testing | $2,500-$5,000 |
| Shop Service Fee | $400/day (if Cousins assumes operation in event of default) |
| Training Fee | $2,500 (for 5th+ attendee at initial training) |
| Management Fee | 2% of Gross Receipts (Management Agreement shops only) |
| Liquidated Damages | NPV of Continuing Service Fees, Fund contributions, cooperative and local advertising fees for remaining term |
Training Program (Item 11)
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Total Duration | Minimum 25 days (approximately 55 hours classroom + 181 hours on-the-job) |
| Classroom Training | 55 hours (Position Task Training 4, Food Safety/ServSafe 8, Management of Daily Operations 10, Guest Service 10, Financial Management 3, Baking 4, Local Store Marketing 6, Building/Leading Quality Team 6, Review/Testing 4) |
| On-the-Job Training | 181 hours (Position Task Training 50, Food Safety 6, Management of Daily Operations 64, Guest Service 10, Financial Management 10, Baking 24, Local Store Marketing 4, Building/Leading Quality Team 12, Review/Testing 5) |
| Training Location | Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin corporate office and/or designated training facility in Wisconsin, or virtually |
| Additional Training | Must pass certification testing. If training completed and Shop does not open within 90 days, must complete 3-day minimum training review. Food Safety Certification course required. Annual meeting attendance mandatory (up to 3 days, $1,000 fee). Training/marketing/operations meetings 3-4x/year. First 4 trainees free, $2,500/additional. Cousins sends trainer 4 days pre-opening + 10 days within first 30 days (at Cousins expense). John Krahn (38 years experience) oversees all training. |
Territory Rights (Item 12)
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Territory Type | Protected (1-mile radius, limited exclusions) |
| Exclusive Territory | No |
| Territory Size | 1-mile radius from Shop premises |
| Description | Not fully exclusive. Cousins and affiliates will not operate or grant a franchise within 1 mile of your Shop, except for Non-Traditional Venues (shopping malls, concessionaires, or captive-market locations like airports, sports facilities, hospitals, theme parks, colleges, convention centers). The 1-mile protection does not apply in central business districts. Neither Cousins nor affiliates are prohibited from establishing franchises/outlets or other distribution channels selling similar products under a different trademark. Franchisees are not prohibited from soliciting customers outside their market area. |
Renewal, Termination & Transfer (Item 17)
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Initial Term | 10 years |
| Renewal Term | 10 years (one 10-year renewal term) |
| Renewal Fee | 50% of then-current standard initial franchise fee |
| Renewal Conditions | Substantial compliance during term, maintain possession of premises, bring Shop into compliance with then-current standards and specifications, provide written notice of election to renew, execute then-current form of franchise agreement (may have materially different terms including different fee requirements), satisfy all monetary obligations, pay renewal fee |
| Transfer Fee | Greater of 20% of then-current standard initial franchise fee or $5,000 |
| Transfer Conditions | Shop must be open for business, transferee must qualify and complete initial training, all information provided to Cousins, all obligations assigned and assumed, transferee signs then-current franchise agreement, transfer fee paid, transferee pays store marketing fee, lease confirmed, transferee satisfies remodeling requirements, you and owners agree not to compete for 2 years. Cousins has 30-day right of first refusal to match any offer. |
| Termination for Cause | Curable: 10 days for monies owed, 72 hours for health/safety violations, 30 days for other defaults not specified as non-curable. Non-curable: failure to timely develop/equip/open/remodel Shop, failure to complete training, material misrepresentation, felony conviction, unauthorized disclosure/duplication of confidential/proprietary materials, abandonment/failure to actively operate, unauthorized transfer, understating Continuing Service Fee by 3%+, insolvency/inability to pay debts, assignment for benefit of creditors, unauthorized use/misuse of Marks, engaging in conduct impairing Marks, repeated violations, health/safety/sanitation violations, anti-terrorism violations, failure to pay third parties, 3%+ revenue understatement (unless inadvertent) |
| Non-Compete Period | 2 years |
| Non-Compete Details | 2 years post-termination/expiration. No interest in or diversion of business to any competitive business in your market area or within 10 miles of any other Cousins Subs Shop. During term: no involvement in or diverting business to any competitive business. Wisconsin law governs. Litigation in state or federal court in or nearest Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin. |
Operations & Supply (Items 8 & 15)
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Owner-Operator Required | No |
| Participation Details | Not required to personally supervise. Business must be supervised by you or one or two full-time Designated Managers who have completed Cousins initial training and passed certification testing. Cousins may require Designated Managers to have equity interest. For Multi-Unit Development (5+ shops), Cousins will provide a regional manager under a Management Agreement (2% of gross receipts management fee). May assign rights to corporation/LLC/partnership - all owners bound by Franchise Agreement. |
| Required Suppliers | Must purchase Trade Secret Food Products (proprietary Italian bread, cappacolla, cotoghino, and other Italian meat products) from Cousins, affiliates, or limited authorized suppliers. Must lease computer hardware and POS from Cousins. Must use designated accounting vendor for first 12 months. Must purchase interior signage artwork from designated vendor. Virtually all (100%) products and services are subject to specifications or must be from designated/approved suppliers. |
| Supply Restrictions | Virtually 100% of products and services used in establishing and operating must be subject to Cousins specifications or purchased from designated/approved suppliers |
| Franchisor Revenue from Suppliers | Fiscal year ending Dec 29, 2024: Cousins Ad Fund received $5,751 from franchisee purchases of advertising materials (0.1% of $5,454,957 total revenue). Legacy Subs Real Estate, LLC received $142,292 in franchisee leases. Cousins received $1,163,453 in rebates from approved suppliers, of which $78,900 contributed to Ad Fund. Trade Secret Food Products cost to franchisees estimated at <1% of establishment cost and ~10% of operating expenses. |
Cousins Subs Franchise Earnings — Item 19
Average Revenue
$849K
Median Revenue
$786K
Revenue Range
$321K – $2.0M
Sample Size
31 units
Past financial performance does not guarantee future results. Individual results will vary.
Cousins Subs Litigation & Risk Flags
Clean Litigation RecordCousins Subs has no pending litigation actions listed in their FDD. There is also no bankruptcy history disclosed.
Litigation and bankruptcy data is sourced from Items 3 and 4 of the FDD. Always verify current status directly from the most recent FDD.
Cousins Subs System Growth
Total Units
94
Franchised
36
Company-Owned
58
Cousins Subs currently operates 36 franchised locations and 58 company-owned units. Unit count data is sourced from Item 20 of the FDD.
Unit History (Item 20)
| Year | Opened | Closed | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 0 | 2 | 92 |
| 2023 | 0 | 0 | 91 |
| 2024 | 0 | 4 | 94 |
Transfers: 4 | Closures: 4
Public Figures (Item 18)
The following public figures are associated with this franchise: Donald Driver - former Green Bay Packers wide receiver. Athlete Endorsement Agreement since September 2022. Cousins contributes $150,000/year toward charitable sponsorships and 50% of franchise fees from referrals. No ownership interest or management involvement.
State Registrations
Registered in 5 states: IL, IN, MI, MN, WI
Franchisor Financials (Item 21)
Revenue
$5.5M
Cousins Subs Franchise — FAQ
The total investment to open a Cousins Subs franchise ranges from $464,700 to $1,164,500, per their Franchise Disclosure Document. This includes the initial franchise fee of $25,000. The investment covers build-out, inventory, equipment, signage, working capital, and other startup costs.
Cousins Subs charges a royalty fee of 6% of Gross Receipts of gross sales, plus a 2% of Gross Receipts (Advertising and Development Fund, subject to increase to 3%) contribution to the marketing/advertising fund. These fees are paid on an ongoing basis.
You can download the Cousins Subs Franchise Disclosure Document free on this page. The FDD is a public document filed with state franchise registries. Always also request the current FDD directly from Cousins Subs to ensure you have the most up-to-date version.
According to the Item 19 financial performance representation in their FDD, Cousins Subs franchise owners report average revenue of $849K and median revenue of $786K. This is based on a sample of 31 units. Past performance does not guarantee future results.
Cousins Subs has been franchising since 1979. The FDD shows an investment range of $464,700-$1,164,500, a 6% of Gross Receipts royalty, and includes an Item 19 earnings disclosure. There is no pending litigation. Review the full FDD and contact current franchisees listed in Item 20 before making any investment decision.
The franchise fee is $25,000 and the total investment ranges from $464,700 to $1,164,500 depending on location size and market. Contact the franchisor directly for current net worth and liquid capital requirements, territory availability, and application details.
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Data Source & Disclaimer: This website is for informational purposes only. It is not an offer to sell or buy a franchise. This profile is based on publicly available FDD data sourced from state franchise registry filings. All information is for research purposes only and does not constitute legal, financial, or investment advice. Data may be outdated or contain errors. Always obtain the current FDD directly from Cousins Subs and consult a qualified franchise attorney before making any investment decision. FranchiseOverview.com is operated by Franchising Compliance, LLC and is not affiliated with Cousins Subs or any of its subsidiaries. To report an inaccuracy: info@franchiseoverview.com