Start a Golden Krust Caribbean Restaurant Franchise in 2024

Franchise 500 Rank: N/R Not ranked last year

Initial investment: $213K - $776K

Units as of 2024: 104 3% over 3 years

Golden Krust is a chain of restaurants that has been sharing the taste of the Caribbean since 1989. It strives to be known as the home of the world’s best-tasting patties, jerk chicken, and fresh, homemade soup. Founded by the Hawthorne family, it has gained popularity across the country.

In 1996, the Hawthornes began franchising the Golden Krust Carribean Restaurant. Today, more than 100 restaurants are operating in the United States. There are restaurants in California, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Virginia.

Why You May Want to Start a Golden Krust Caribbean Restaurant Franchise

Golden Krust is the largest authentic maker of Caribbean cuisines. They've been in operation for over three decades and have a heritage of unmatched recipes.

The Golden Krust team does its best to support its franchisees. They provide support through training, site selection, and assistance in selecting and purchasing or leasing equipment. The Golden Krust team will provide you with the recipe for the tasty food that has captured their customers over the years.

They also have partnered with third-party services to help franchisees cover expenses including the franchise fee and startup costs, among others.

What Might Make Golden Krust Caribbean Restaurant a Good Choice?

If you want to open up a Golden Krust Caribbean Restaurant, you should make sure you're financially ready for an initial investment including a franchise fee and potential startup costs. You should have enough capital available to cover potential costs. The initial investment will also include advertising fund contributions, training expenses, rent, signage, furniture and equipment, leasehold improvements, and the opening supplies. Franchisees may also need to meet the company's set net worth and liquid capital requirements.

Additionally, as you decide whether you wish to open a Golden Krust Caribbean Restaurant franchise, make sure you take time to explore the opportunity. Research the brand and your local area to see if a franchise would do well in your community. While competition is healthy, too much of it may not allow for the most possible growth.

How to Open a Golden Krust Caribbean Restaurant Franchise

The process of owning a Golden Krust franchise is simple and direct. The first step is to express your interest in the opportunity by submitting your general inquiry. You will get the Golden Krust Franchise Disclosure Document for you to review and make an informed decision.

After this, you may have an opportunity to meet the Golden Krust leadership team. They will address any questions you may have about the franchise and the details surrounding the Franchise Disclosure Document. If the brand chooses to move forward with you, you may be invited to attend the Golden Krust discovery day.

The discovery day may include a tour of the facility. You may then proceed with signing a franchise agreement if they extend the offer to you. The commitment you make will be for ten years, and renewing the contract is optional. As common with other restaurants, you will open a Golden Krust Caribbean Restaurant that provides a unique, fun-filled, and Caribbean-themed experience to your patrons.

Company Overview

About Golden Krust Caribbean Restaurant

Industry	Food
Related Categories	Miscellaneous Quick-Service Restaurants, Baked Goods
Founded	1989
Parent Company	Golden Krust Franchising Inc.
Leadership	Daren Hawthorne, President, Restaurants
Corporate Address	399 Knollwood Rd., #117 White Plains, NY 10603
Social	Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube

Business Overview

Franchising Since	1996 (28 years)
# of employees at HQ	232
Where seeking	This company is offering new franchises in the following US states: Connecticut, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Massachusetts, Maryland, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Texas
# of Units	104 (as of 2024)

Information for Franchisees

Here's what you need to know if you're interested in opening a Golden Krust Caribbean Restaurant 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.	$40,000
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.	$212,600 - $775,900
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.	$500,000
Cash Requirement Definition: The minimum liquid capital you must have available in order to qualify to become a franchisee of this company.	$200,000
Veteran Incentives Definition: A discount or other incentive offered to military veterans who buy a franchise with this company.	$10,000 off royalty and ad fees
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.	5%
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.	2.5%
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	Golden Krust Caribbean Restaurant 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	120 hours
Classroom Training	40 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?	No
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	8-8
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.	No