Today, in 5 minutes or less:

✔ Resale with $2.9M in sales and recurring revenue (HOT)**

✔ How Popeyes Went from a Flop to a Fried Chicken Empire

✔ From Managing Stores to Owning One: Mike’s Franchise Leap

✔ Is a Taco Bell Franchise Worth It? (Costs, Sales, & Fees)

✔ Is WingStop Still A Good Investment in 2025? (Costs, Sales, & Fees)

**Sales are non-verified information provided by the franchise Owner. The data provided has NOT been
verified by the franchisor. You should treat the values as approximated values. Buyer is encouraged to
independently verify the financial information and the asking price supplied by the Seller.

Big Update for Franchise Buyers!

For those of you who are struggling to find the right franchise, or maybe you’ve worked with a broker or consultant and haven’t had success…

We now offer complimentary access to our proprietary Zero to Profitable Franchise™ system to help you get access to the most proven franchises and reduce your risk, so that you can buy a money-making franchise with confidence and PROTECT YOUR ASSETS. 

This is exclusively available for franchise buyers that want to work with our team in a brokerage capacity to find, vet, and launch a money-making franchise.

You can schedule a free consultation with our team to see if you qualify and if we are the right fit to work with each other.

You can do that here https://www.franchiseempire.com/ztpf

Franchise resales possess many benefits for aspiring business owners – established cash flow, experienced employees, systems in place, and brand awareness, to name a few. 

• Senior Care Industry
• Started in 2015 – Owner is retiring
• 70 Employees
• Prime Territory
• Asking price of $749,000
• $107,090 of FF&E included in sales price
• 3 offices and 7 vehicles included in the sales price
• 2024 Revenue of $2,904,779 (Recurring revenue)

*Sales are non-verified information provided by the franchise Owner. The data provided has NOT been verified by the franchisor. You should treat the values as approximated values. Buyer is encouraged to independently verify the financial information and the asking price supplied by the Seller.

• This is in the Senior Care industry, which is a high-demand business with a rising tide. 

• This is a great opportunity for a full-time owner to come in who’s got strong management and leadership experience, and robust financials to hit the ground running and take over an already well-performing business that has a lot of room for growth.

Mike came to us with a clear vision. With years of experience as a grocery store and restaurant general manager, he was looking for a business that aligned with his background and one his wife could operate full time, drawing on her experience in the pet industry.

They were exploring ideas that could grow alongside their local community in Painesville, Ohio, which is seeing some exciting development.

After digging into a few different industries, they found the perfect fit with Southern Steer Butcher.

It checked all the boxes: strong brand, community focus, and a model that let them tap into the relationships they had already built locally.

Now, they’re officially franchise owners and getting ready to open their first location.

Congrats, Mike! This is just the beginning.

Popeyes wasn’t always a hit.

Back in 1972, a man named Al Copeland opened a small chicken shop in a town just outside New Orleans. He called it Chicken on the Run. His goal? Compete with KFC by serving Southern-style fried chicken. But it didn’t work.

People thought the chicken was too bland. Sales were low. And within a few months, the shop had to shut down. But Al didn’t wait long to try again.

Just four days later, he reopened the restaurant, this time with a new name and a bold new plan. He called it Popeyes, named after the movie character Popeye Doyle from The French Connection. He also changed the recipe, adding spicy Cajun flavors inspired by the food he grew up with in Louisiana.

That twist changed everything.

By 1976, just four years later, Popeyes started franchising. The first franchise location opened in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and the growth didn’t stop there. They hit 500 restaurants by 1985, went international in the ‘80s, and eventually grew to over 4,000 locations around the world.

But here’s something most people don’t know…

For 23 years, Popeyes didn’t even own the recipe for their famous spice mix. They had to license it from another company until they finally bought it back in 2014, for $43 million.

Today, Popeyes is part of the same family as Burger King and Tim Hortons under Restaurant Brands International. And they’re still focused on what made them special: bold flavors, a unique Southern menu, and a franchise model built to scale.

From flop to fan favorite, Popeyes is now one of the biggest names in fried chicken. Now let’s look at what it takes to open a location of your own.👇

*You should treat the values as approximated values. These values were found online through research.

• Franchise Units: 2,854 franchised free-standing and in-line Popeyes Restaurants in operation

• Franchise Fee: $50,000

• Marketing Fee: 4% of Gross Sales

• Royalty Fee: 5% of Gross Sales

• Initial Investment:

  • In-Line: $504,545-$1,968,245

  • Free-standing: $1,222,045-$3,923,345

• Minimum Net Worth Requirement: $1,000,000

• Minimum Liquid Capital Required: $500,000

• Term: 20 years 

  *Numbers according to their FDD released on March 21, 2025

• Operational Experience- Popeyes looks for franchisees with prior restaurant or business leadership experience. You don’t need to be a chef, but you do need to know how to run a team and a business. 
• Growth-Focused- Ideal candidates aren’t just looking to open one location. Popeyes is built for scale, and they want franchisees who are ready to grow into multi-unit operators. 
• Community-minded and customer-first attitude- Franchisees should value hospitality, local engagement, and consistent execution of brand standards in their restaurants. 
• Financially Equipped to Open Quickly- Candidates should have access to the capital needed to open promptly and meet development schedules. That means strong liquidity, clean credit, and the ability to fund initial costs without delays.

*Information below taken from the Popeyes 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document – Item 19 

Benefits for the Franchisee:

Backed by a Global Powerhouse
Popeyes is part of Restaurant Brands International (RBI), the same parent company as Burger King and Tim Hortons. That means access to industry-leading support, systems, and resources from day one.

Massive Brand Recognition
With over 50 years of history and more than 3,700 restaurants worldwide, Popeyes gives franchisees instant credibility and a customer base that already craves the product.

Distinct, Differentiated Menu
Popeyes stands out with its bold Louisiana-style flavors, spicy chicken, and signature items like biscuits and red beans & rice, not your average fast food options, and a real competitive edge in the chicken wars.

Efficient Restaurant Design Options
Whether it’s a freestanding building, in-line location, or non-traditional format, Popeyes offers multiple design models to match your market, budget, and growth strategy. 

Proven Systems & Ongoing Support
From site selection and training to marketing and operations, Popeyes provides comprehensive support to help franchisees stay focused on running a profitable business, not figuring it out alone.

Taco Bell dominates the Mexican fast-food market, but is it actually a smart investment? In this episode, Tariq Johnson breaks down what it really costs to own a Taco Bell in 2025, the hidden restrictions, and what the FDD doesn’t tell you about making money with this brand.

Watch on YouTube

Listen on Podcast Platforms

Is WingStop a cash cow or just hype? In this episode, I reveal the real costs and average earnings from WingStop’s 2023 Franchise Disclosure Document. With startup costs up to $1M and average sales over $2.1M, we’ll unpack what it takes to turn chicken wings into serious profit or whether it’s a hustle best left to celebrities like Rick Ross. Stick around to see if owning just one location even makes sense.

Watch on YouTube

Listen on Podcast Platforms

That’s a wrap for this week’s Franchise Empire newsletter. 

Feel free to reply with any questions, or feedback. I appreciate and value your time and attention.

I’ll see you at the same time next week!

-Tariq and The Franchise Empire Team

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