Start a Cousins Subs Franchise in 2025

Franchise 500 Rank: N/R Not ranked last year

Initial investment: $465K - $1.2M

Units as of 2024: 92 3% over 3 years

Cousins Subs is one of the few brands in the restaurant industry that focuses on the art of delivering fresh and high-quality subs. Since its formation in 1972, Cousins Subs has worked to build a great reputation as a robust brand that matches and surpasses customer expectations for diverse and dependable food options.

Cousins Subs wishes to offer its customers better bread, meats, cheeses, toppings, and unmatched made-to-order subs that are made to tantalize and satisfy customers. With sandwiches currently a favorite staple for American customers, Cousins Subs continues to work to satisfy consumers' cravings.

Why You May Want to Start a Cousins Subs Franchise

Cousins Subs started as a family-owned business, hence the name of the company. For nearly 50 years, the brand has worked to treat its crew and franchisees like family. As a Cousins Subs franchisee, you can be part of a community that upholds family values and partnerships.

Starting a Cousins Subs franchise will provide you with the opportunity to serve customers seeking high-quality, locally sourced food, perfected to meet expectations with each serving. The brand has distinguished itself by delivering well-made sandwiches to followers across its Cousins Subs locations.

What Might Make a Cousins Subs Franchise a Good Choice?

As a company, Cousins Subs has been franchising since 1985, offering significant advantages to potential franchisees seeking to transform themselves personally and professionally. There is an investment range depending on your desired location of business. Franchisees will also need to meet the company's set net worth and liquid capital requirements. To be part of the Cousins Subs team, you should make sure you’re financially ready for an initial investment made up of a franchise fee and other startup costs. You should also be prepared for ongoing fees that will include advertising fees, royalty fees, and potential renewal fees.

As a brand, Cousins Subs believes that preparation is key to progress, and for each franchisee, they provide adequate training. Cousins Subs offers thorough on-the-job training for all new franchisees that lasts for multiple days. They also offer extensive classroom training to best prepare you for your new role as a Cousins Subs franchisee.

An added advantage is the provision of ongoing support covering purchasing co-ops, security, & safety procedures. Additionally, Cousins Subs extends support for marketing efforts to establish your social media, SEO, website development, and loyalty programs to ensure that your progress continues.

How Do You Open a Cousins Subs Franchise?

If you are a potential franchisee in Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, or Wisconsin, you can take advantage of the brand’s vision to expand.

Before deciding to open a Cousins Subs franchise, you may want to contact an attorney or money manager to ensure that you are financially stable enough to begin a business.

As you decide whether to open a Cousins Subs franchise, the first move is to join the founder's program tailored to help you get a foothold in new markets. With a franchise representative's help, you will get comprehensive guidance each step of the way to take full advantage of Cousins Subs' innovative products and growth incentives.

Company Overview

About Cousins Subs

Industry	Food
Related Categories	Submarine Sandwiches, Sandwiches
Founded	1972
Parent Company	Cousins Subs Systems Inc.
Leadership	Christine Specht, CEO
Corporate Address	N83 W13400 Leon Rd. Menomonee Falls, WI 53051
Social	Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube, Pinterest, TikTok

Business Overview

Franchising Since	1985 (40 years)
# of employees at HQ	44
Where seeking	This company is offering new franchises in the following US states: Alaska, Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, Colorado, District of Columbia, Delaware, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, North Carolina, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, Nevada, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Wisconsin, West Virginia, Wyoming
# of Units	92 (as of 2024)

Information for Franchisees

Here's what you need to know if you're interested in opening a Cousins Subs franchise.

Financial Requirements & Ongoing Fees

Here's what you can expect to spend to start the business and what ongoing fees the franchisor charges throughout the life of the business.

Initial Franchise Fee Definition: The initial fee paid to a franchisor to join their system What you need to know: Found in Item 5 of the FDD, this may be a flat fee, or may vary based on territory size, experience, or other factors.The franchise fee is an up-front (one-time) cost that a new franchisee pays to the franchisor. This fee is usually due at the signing of the franchise agreement and covers the right to use the franchisor's trademarks, name, and related business systems.	$25,000
Initial Investment Definition: The total amount necessary to begin operation of the franchise What you need to know: The initial investment includes the franchise fee, along with other startup expenses such as real estate, equipment, supplies, business licenses, and working capital. This is outlined in a chart in Item 7 of the FDD, showing a range of possible costs from low to high.	$464,700 - $1,164,500
Net Worth Requirement Definition: The minimum net worth you must have in order to qualify to become a franchisee of this company What you need to know: Net worth is the value of a person's assets minus liabilities. Assets include cash, stocks, retirement accounts, and real estate. Liabilities include items like mortgages, car payments, and credit card debt.	$300,000 - $1,500,000
Cash Requirement Definition: The minimum liquid capital you must have available in order to qualify to become a franchisee of this company.	$100,000 - $500,000
Veteran Incentives Definition: A discount or other incentive offered to military veterans who buy a franchise with this company.	$5,000 off franchise fee
Royalty Fee Definition: A ongoing fee paid to the franchisor on a regular basis. What you need to know: Most franchisors require franchisees to pay an ongoing royalty fee, which is detailed in Item 6 of the FDD. This fee is typically a percentage of weekly or monthly gross sales, but may also be a flat weekly, monthly, or annual fee.	6%
Ad Royalty Fee Definition: An going fee paid to the franchisor on a regular basis to support advertising or marketing efforts. What you need to know: This may also be called advertising fee, marketing fee, brand fund fee, and more, but the basic purpose is the same-- to support promotion of the brand systemwide. As with the royalty fee, it is detailed in Item 6 of the FDD, and can be a percentage of weekly or monthly gross sales or a weekly, monthly, or annual fee.	2%
Term of Agreement Definition: The length of time your franchise agreement will last. What you need to know: Franchise terms are typically anywhere from 5 to 20 years in length, but are sometimes instead dependent on factors such as the term of your lease. Once your term is up, you may have the option to renew your agreement, typically for a smaller fee than the original franchise fee.	10 years
Is franchise term renewable?	Yes

Financing Options

Some franchisors offer in-house financing, while others have relationships with third-party financing sources to which they refer qualified franchisees.

Third Party Financing	Cousins Subs has relationships with third-party sources which offer financing to cover the following: franchise fee, startup costs, equipment, inventory, accounts receivable, payroll

Training & Support Offered

Franchisors offer initial training programs and a variety of ongoing support options to help franchisees run their businesses.

On-The-Job Training	185 hours
Classroom Training	61 hours
Ongoing Support	Purchasing Co-ops Newsletter Meetings & Conventions Toll-Free Line Grand Opening Online Support Security & Safety Procedures Lease Negotiation Field Operations Site Selection Proprietary Software Franchisee Intranet Platform
Marketing Support	Co-op Advertising Ad Templates National Media Regional Advertising Social Media SEO Website Development Email Marketing Loyalty Program/App

Operations

Additional details about running this franchise.

Is absentee ownership allowed?	Yes
Can this franchise be run from home/mobile unit? Definition: The business can be run from your home and/or a vehicle, and it is not necessary to have a retail facility, office space, or warehouse.	No
Can this franchise be run part time? Definition: This business can be run by the owner on a part-time basis (less than 40 hours per week) and/or as a side business; it is not necessary for the business to be open/run full-time.	No
# of employees required to run	10-25
Are exclusive territories available? Definition: An exclusive territory is a fixed area in which you are given the right to operate and in which no other units of the same franchise may be opened. What you need to know: Territory size may be based on factors such as radius, population size, zip codes, and more. Details can be found in Item 12 of the FDD.	Yes