The Real Cost of Franchising (What No One Tells You Before Your First Store)

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I wanted this episode to be brutally honest.

If you’re thinking about franchising — especially food franchising — there’s a lot people don’t talk about: capital requirements, financing pressure, operating costs, and the emotional weight of ownership.

In this conversation, I break down exactly what it took to open my first store, why it cost nearly $750,000, how I financed it without SBA loans, and what monthly expenses and revenue really look like in the first year.

We talk about:

The true cost of a franchise buildout

SBA loans vs private lines of credit

Monthly operating expenses (rent, labor, food)

Revenue expectations in the first 3–6 months

Why my first store was designed to be low-margin

The hub-and-spoke model that allowed rapid expansion

The mistakes I see new franchise owners make

What owning a food business actually demands from you

This isn’t meant to scare anyone — it’s meant to prepare you.

Franchising can be an incredible opportunity if you understand the realities before you sign anything. My goal is to pull back the curtain so you can decide whether this path actually fits the life you want.

If this helps you think more clearly about ownership, growth, or risk — subscribe. I’ll keep sharing the real side of building something from scratch.

0:00 – Why I Wanted to Have This Conversation About Franchising
Setting expectations before people risk real money

2:00 – Leaving Finance to Become a Business Owner
Why a stable career wasn’t enough

5:00 – Not Being Taken Seriously (Until It Was My Money)
The breaking point that pushed ownership

8:30 – Why I Chose a Food Franchise (Even Though I Didn’t Want Food)
The unexpected opportunity

11:30 – The Real Cost of a First Store Buildout
What $750,000 actually looks like in practice

16:30 – SBA Loans vs Lines of Credit (What I Did Instead)
Why traditional financing would’ve slowed everything down

20:30 – Monthly Operating Costs (Rent, Labor, Food)
What it actually costs to stay open

24:30 – Revenue Reality: The First 3–6 Months
When it finally feels like a real business

28:30 – The Hub-and-Spoke Model That Changed Everything
Why my first store makes less on purpose

33:30 – The 3 Biggest Mistakes New Franchise Owners Make
Location, ego, and underestimating the grind

38:30 – What Most People Don’t Understand About Food Businesses
Why your phone rings at 4:30 AM

42:30 – Building a Brand Through Community Impact
Why reputation beats margins long-term