Billy Sims Barbecue franchise: cost, fees & unit track record
Opening a Billy Sims Barbecue franchise takes $169,200 – $433,100 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 1%. To qualify, Billy Sims Barbecue asks for $170,000 in liquid cash and a $250,000 net worth. Anything the filings do not state is marked "Not disclosed" below — never estimated.
Billy Sims Barbecue 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 | $169,200 | $433,100 | $169,200 to $433,100 | |
| Net worth requiredFranchisor's stated qualification minimum | $250,000 | $250,000 | $250,000 | |
| Liquid cash requiredFranchisor's stated qualification minimum | $170,000 | $170,000 | $170,000 | |
| Cash to open (all-in range) | $169,200 | $433,100 | $169,200 to $433,100 |
| RoyaltyOngoing, % of sales | 6% |
|---|---|
| Ad fundOngoing, % of sales | Up to 1% |
| Initial termLength of the first franchise agreement | 10 years |
See the full Billy Sims Barbecue cost breakdown — what's in that number and what isn't
How Billy Sims Barbecue's cost compares
A dollar figure means more with a yardstick. Here is where Billy Sims Barbecue's disclosed cost sits against the Food & Beverage category:
- Minimum startup cost of $169,200 — about 40% below 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 Billy Sims Barbecue's units have held up
Openings and closures from FDD Item 20-style unit history, 2012–2016: began the window at 17 units; 38 units opened, 5 closed, ending at 50 units.
What about earnings?
We don't publish per-brand earnings figures — for Billy Sims Barbecue 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 Billy Sims Barbecue 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 Billy Sims Barbecue 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 Billy Sims Barbecue 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 Billy Sims Barbecue 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 Billy Sims Barbecue franchise
Billy Sims Barbecue is a food & beverage franchisor with 50 units at the end of 2016 (FDD Item 20-style unit history). Between 2012 and 2016, it began the window at 17 units; its filings record 38 unit openings and 5 closures, ending at 50 units. Its parent company is Legendary Q Brands, L.L.C..
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
The franchise offered is for a restaurant offering a menu specializing in barbecued food items, including smoked sausages, chicken, ribs, pork and beef, as well as side dishes, and soft drinks under the name “Billy Sims Barbecue”. You may also choose to offer beer at your restaurant. A Billy Sims Barbecue restaurant offers lunch and dinner menus for dine-in, take-out, and catering, and operates using the franchisor’s proprietary recipes, formulae, techniques, trade dress, trademarks and logos.
Billy Sims Barbecue franchise: quick answers
- How much does a Billy Sims Barbecue franchise cost?
- $169,200 – $433,100 all-in to open, per Billy Sims Barbecue's franchise disclosure filings (data as of 2026-05).
- How many Billy Sims Barbecue units are there?
- 50 units at the end of 2016 (FDD Item 20-style unit history).
- How have Billy Sims Barbecue's units held up?
- 90.9% of units at risk between 2014 and 2016 did not close, per our metric recomputed from FDD Item 20-style unit history (methodology published on our verification page).