The Simple Greek franchise: cost, fees & unit track record
Opening The Simple Greek franchise takes $318,700 – $651,250 all-in, per its franchise disclosure filings (data as of 2026-05). The initial franchise fee is $25,000 – $43,750. Ongoing, franchisees pay a royalty of 5% on sales plus an ad-fund contribution of up to 2%. To qualify, The Simple Greek asks for $100,000 in liquid cash and a $300,000 net worth. Anything the filings do not state is marked "Not disclosed" below — never estimated.
The Simple Greek franchise costs and fees
| Verification mark | Cost item | Low | High | Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise feeOne-time, paid to the franchisor at signing | $25,000 | $43,750 | $25,000 to $43,750 | |
| Initial investment (all-in)FDD Item 7-derived range: build-out, equipment, opening costs | $318,700 | $651,250 | $318,700 to $651,250 | |
| Net worth requiredFranchisor's stated qualification minimum | $300,000 | $300,000 | $300,000 | |
| Liquid cash requiredFranchisor's stated qualification minimum | $100,000 | $100,000 | $100,000 | |
| Cash to open (all-in range) | $318,700 | $651,250 | $318,700 to $651,250 |
| RoyaltyOngoing, % of sales | 5% |
|---|---|
| Ad fundOngoing, % of sales | Up to 2% |
| Initial termLength of the first franchise agreement | 10 years |
See the full The Simple Greek cost breakdown — what's in that number and what isn't
How The Simple Greek's cost compares
A dollar figure means more with a yardstick. Here is where The Simple Greek's disclosed cost sits against the Food & Beverage category:
- Minimum startup cost of $318,700 — about in line with the Food & Beverage median of $282,500.
- Initial franchise fee of $25,000 — about 29% below 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 The Simple Greek's units have held up
Openings and closures from FDD Item 20-style unit history, 2015–2017: began the window at 0 units; 15 units opened, 1 closed, ending at 11 units.
What about earnings?
We don't publish per-brand earnings figures — for The Simple Greek 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 The Simple Greek 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 The Simple Greek 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 The Simple Greek 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 The Simple Greek 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 Simple Greek franchise
The Simple Greek is a food & beverage franchisor with 11 units at the end of 2017 (FDD Item 20-style unit history). Between 2015 and 2017, it began the window at 0 units; its filings record 15 unit openings and 1 closures, ending at 11 units. Its parent company is The Simple Greek, LLC. The filings indicate financing options are available; terms come from the franchisor, not from us.
Disclosure filings report 4 franchise-related lawsuits. Review Item 3 of the FDD. (as of 2026-05)
From the franchisor's materials
The Simple Greek, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, offers you the opportunity to operate one or more The Simple Greek restaurant(s) serving Greek and American food and related items, including soft drinks, beer and other products, to the general public in a casual restaurant environment. The Simple Greek franchises may only be operated from fixed-location restaurants.
The Simple Greek franchise: quick answers
- How much does The Simple Greek franchise cost?
- $318,700 – $651,250 all-in to open, per The Simple Greek's franchise disclosure filings (data as of 2026-05).
- How many The Simple Greek units are there?
- 11 units at the end of 2017 (FDD Item 20-style unit history).
- How have The Simple Greek's units held up?
- 93.3% of units at risk between 2015 and 2017 did not close, per our metric recomputed from FDD Item 20-style unit history (methodology published on our verification page).