COUSINS MAINE LOBSTER
Cousins Maine Lobster franchises operate fast-casual storefront restaurants serving lobster, seafood, and other food items under the Cousins Maine Lobster brand. The business model involves licensing a proprietary system that includes know-how, training, operations manuals, marketing programs, and specifications to franchisees who invest between $266,600 and $965,800 to open a location. The target market is customers seeking quick-service, high-quality seafood meals in a casual dining environment.
Franchise Costs
Greater of 6% royalty or $3,500/mo + up to 2% ad fund + up to $400/mo regional advertising cooperative
Financial Performance
Item 19 Financial Performance
Data Based On: Data based on 3 franchised units operating for the period January 1, 2024 – December 31, 2024, that were open for a full 12 months.
* Average, median, min, and max gross revenues were directly extracted from 'Table 2: Cousins Maine Lobster® Restaurants U.S. Average Gross Sales'. The highest and lowest individual unit gross sales were used for revenue_top_quartile and revenue_bottom_quartile respectively, matching the '(Min - Max)' range provided in Table 2 and the 'Total Gross Sales' in Table 1.
Extracted Item 19 Section
How COUSINS MAINE LOBSTER Compares
Key Insights
- One of the lowest investment costs in Casual Dining (ranked #2 of 44)
- Lower than average SBA loan default rate in Casual Dining
| Franchise | Investment | Fee | Royalty | Locations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
COUSINS MAINE LOBSTER Current | $266K – $966K | $40K | 6.0% | 4 |
| IHOP & INTERNATIONAL HOUSE OF PANCAKES | $1.8M – $4.5M | $69K | N/A | 1,703 |
| BUFFALO WILD WINGS | $2.5M – $4.9M | $25K | 5.0% | 538 |
| GOLDEN CORRAL STEAKS, BUFFET & BAKERY | $2.1M – $8.5M | $50K | 4.0% | 352 |
| GOLDEN CORRAL | $2.2M – $8.7M | $50K | 4.0% | 348 |
| ORIGINAL PANCAKE HOUSE (THE) | $483K – $1.7M | $60K | 2.0% | 146 |
Casual Dining Average 44 franchises | $1.5M – $3.5M | $43K | 4.6% | – |
* Comparison based on latest FDD filings. Investment ranges from Item 7, fees from Item 5. Showing top 5 of 44 Casual Dining franchises by location count.
Locations & Growth
Outlet Growth Over Time
Total outlets at end of each year
Geographic Distribution (2024)
Outlets by state across the United States
SBA Loan History
Historical SBA 7(a) loan data for COUSINS MAINE LOBSTER franchisees (2016 – 2025)
Loans by Year
SBA 7(a) loan activity over time
* Data sourced from SBA 7(a) FOIA loan records. Default rate calculated from charged-off loans.
Due Diligence
Litigation (Item 3)
Breach of franchise agreement and abandonment by former franchisee, resulting in termination and settlement.
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
System Health (Item 20)
Franchise system changes reported in the most recent fiscal year
Frequently Asked Questions
The total initial investment to open a COUSINS MAINE LOBSTER franchise ranges from $266,000 to $965,800. This includes a franchise fee of $40,000. Ongoing royalty fees are 6.0% of gross sales.
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