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NATHAN'S FAMOUS

NATHAN'S FAMOUS

Nathan's Famous Systems, Inc. franchises fast-service restaurants under the 'Nathan's Famous' brand, featuring proprietary hot dogs with a unique spice formula, crinkle-cut french fries, hamburgers, sandwiches, platters, and other quick-service menu items. Restaurants operate in various formats including traditional free-standing buildings, in-line units, food courts, kiosks, and mobile units, often with options for co-branding such as Arthur Treacher's. The business model centers on granting franchise and area development agreements to operators targeting consumers seeking affordable, quick hot dog and fast-food options in diverse locations like malls, stadiums, and urban areas.

76locations
$676K–$2123K
Since 1968
Food & BeverageJericho, NYNathan's Famous, Inc.www.NathansFamous.comDisclaimer

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Franchise Costs

Franchise Fee
$30,000
Initial Investment
$675,500 – $2,122,860
Royalty Rate
5.50%
Brand Fund
2.50%

5.5% royalty + 2.5% ad fund

Financial Performance


Item 19 Financial Performance

This franchise did not provide Item 19 financial performance data.

Be careful if you are interested in investing. The lack of financial performance representations may indicate limited data or varying results across franchises.

Extracted Item 19 Section

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How NATHAN'S FAMOUS Compares

Key Insights

  • Higher investment than 75% of Fast Food franchises
  • Lower than average SBA loan default rate in Fast Food
FranchiseInvestmentFeeRoyaltyLocations
NATHAN'S FAMOUS
Current
$676K – $2.1M$30K5.5%76
MCDONALD'S$1.5M – $2.6M$45KN/A12,772
LITTLE CAESARS$377K – $1.8M$20K6.0%3,788
AFC$45K – $151K$6K8.0%3,572
KFC (NON-TRADITIONAL)$1.2M – $4.2M$45KN/A3,404
SONIC DRIVE-IN$1.5M – $2.5M$15K5.0%3,120
Fast Food Average
134 franchises
$596K – $1.6M$35K6.3%

* Comparison based on latest FDD filings. Investment ranges from Item 7, fees from Item 5. Showing top 5 of 134 Fast Food franchises by location count.

Locations & Growth


Outlet Growth Over Time

Total outlets at end of each year

Geographic Distribution (2026)

Outlets by state across the United States

Top States
1NY
18
2NJ
16
3FL
11
4NV
7
5CT
4
6PA
4
7RI
3
8MA
2
9SC
2
10NC
2
11VA
1
12MD
1
13KY
1
14GA
1
15OH
1

+1 more states

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SBA Loan History


Historical SBA 7(a) loan data for NATHAN'S FAMOUS franchisees (20102024)

Total Loans
9
Average Loan
$261,622
Total Volume
$2.4M
Default Rate
11.1%

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.

9 SBA loans on record

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Franchisee Contacts

125 franchisee contacts on file from official FDD filings.

125 Contacts Available

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Due Diligence


Litigation (Item 3)

Franchisee Cases0
No litigation involving franchisees reported

Bankruptcy (Item 4)

Bankruptcy HistoryNo
No bankruptcy history reported

System Health (Item 20)

Franchise system changes reported in the most recent fiscal year

Terminations
5
Non-Renewals
0
Reacquired
0
Ceased Ops
0
Transfers
2
Sold to Franchisees
N/A
Projected New
5

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Frequently Asked Questions

The total initial investment to open a NATHAN'S FAMOUS franchise ranges from $675,500 to $2,122,860. This includes a franchise fee of $30,000. Ongoing royalty fees are 5.5% of gross sales.