How much is a Chef It Up! franchise? $36,050 – $95,725 to open, per its disclosure filings
$36,050 – $95,725
Opening a Chef It Up! franchise takes $36,050 – $95,725 all-in, per its franchise disclosure filings (data as of 2026-05). The initial franchise fee is $22,500 – $25,000. Ongoing, franchisees pay a royalty of 6% on sales plus an ad-fund contribution of up to 50%. To qualify, Chef It Up! asks for $10,000 in liquid cash. Anything the filings do not state is marked "Not disclosed" below — never estimated.
Chef It Up! cost table
| Verification mark | Cost item | Low | High | Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise feeOne-time, paid to the franchisor at signing | $22,500 | $25,000 | $22,500 to $25,000 | |
| Initial investment (all-in)FDD Item 7-derived range: build-out, equipment, opening costs | $36,050 | $95,725 | $36,050 to $95,725 | |
| Net worth requiredFranchisor's stated qualification minimum | Not disclosed1 | Not disclosed1 | ||
| Liquid cash requiredFranchisor's stated qualification minimum | $10,000 | $10,000 | $10,000 | |
| Cash to open (all-in range) | $36,050 | $95,725 | $36,050 to $95,725 | |
- 1 "Not disclosed" means Chef It Up!'s filings do not state this figure. We publish the gap instead of estimating it.
| RoyaltyOngoing, % of sales | 6% |
|---|---|
| Ad fundOngoing, % of sales | Up to 50% |
| Initial termLength of the first franchise agreement | Not disclosed |
What's in that number — and what isn't
The $36,050 – $95,725 range is derived from Chef It Up!'s filed initial-investment disclosure (FDD Item 7 class): build-out, equipment, and opening costs as the franchisor stated them. Your market's real estate, labor, and build-out prices can land you outside it.
Not in the opening number: the ongoing royalty of 6% on sales, the ad-fund contribution of up to 50%, and your operating losses while the unit ramps. Every figure marked "Not disclosed" above is a gap in the filings, not a zero.
How Chef It Up!'s cost compares
A dollar figure means more with a yardstick. Here is where Chef It Up!'s disclosed cost sits against the Lodging & Leisure category:
- Minimum startup cost of $36,050 — about 99% below the Lodging & Leisure median of $6,130,275.
- Initial franchise fee of $22,500 — about 65% below the Lodging & Leisure median of $63,600.
Category medians are computed from the Lodging & Leisure brands in our data that disclosed each figure — a benchmark for scale, not a quality judgment. See all Lodging & Leisure franchises
What about earnings?
We don't publish per-brand earnings figures — for Chef It Up! 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 Chef It Up! for its current FDD and read Item 19 yourself — and if there is no Item 19, that silence is information too.
What is the Chef It Up! franchise fee?
$22,500 – $25,000, one-time, per disclosure filings as of 2026-05.
What ongoing fees does Chef It Up! charge?
A royalty of 6% on sales plus an ad-fund contribution of up to 50%, per disclosure filings as of 2026-05.
How much money do you need to qualify for a Chef It Up! franchise?
Chef It Up!'s filings ask for $10,000 in liquid cash (as of 2026-05). Capital figures are the franchisor's stated minimums, not our advice.