The real numbers on owning a "Charleys®", "Charleys Philly Steaks®", "Charley's Grilled Subs®", "Charleys Philly Steaks Wings ? Philly Steaks®," and "Charleys Cheesesteaks Wings" franchise
Charleys® / Charleys Philly Steaks® / Charley's Grilled Subs® / Charleys Philly Steaks Wings - Philly Steaks® / Charleys Cheesesteaks Wings · FDD 2026 · from public state filings
BDisclosure honesty
This franchisor discloses earnings (Item 19) — but read how.
★★★★☆FranchiseValidate transparency rating: 4/5
Investment
$202,690–$1,004,447
Total fees
9% of sales
Outlets
826
Closure signals
23 ceased, 0 terminated
Lawsuits
0
Is "Charleys®", "Charleys Philly Steaks®", "Charley's Grilled Subs®", "Charleys Philly Steaks Wings ? Philly Steaks®," and "Charleys Cheesesteaks Wings" worth it? How it compares to 117 similar franchises
Ongoing fees
9% of sales
steeper than 63% of quick service restaurants franchises
Startup cost
from $202,690
cheaper than most (median $452,050)
Disclosure honesty
Grade B
more honest than 89% of quick service restaurants franchises
Closure rate
2.8% of outlets
worse than 62% of peers
Disclosed lawsuits
0
fewer than most
Benchmarked against every quick service restaurants franchise we've graded from public FDDs — the context the franchisor's pitch never gives you.
What their own earnings claim actually says
Disclosed average gross sales for 713 franchised restaurants open entire 2025, by location type. Excludes costs, expenses. Data from POS systems and unaudited franchisee reports.
Failure & turnover reality (Item 20)
24 permanent closures in 2025; 23 ceased for other reasons; 0 terminations disclosed.
Get the full "Charleys®", "Charleys Philly Steaks®", "Charley's Grilled Subs®", "Charleys Philly Steaks Wings ? Philly Steaks®," and "Charleys Cheesesteaks Wings" validation report — $149
The franchisor won't put real owner profit in writing. We do — reconstructed from their own FDD.
Franchisor's framing: Disclosed average gross sales for 713 franchised restaurants open entire 2025, by location type…
🔒 Real estimated owner take-home (low / median / high) — unlocked in the report
Reconstructed owner P&L — net take-home after royalty, ad fund, rent, labor & debt
Break-even timeline + cash-on-cash ROI on your investment
Full fee stack + required-purchase markups
Decoded real failure / closure rate
How it ranks vs comparable franchises
Validation-call playbook — who to call + the exact questions
How much does a "Charleys®", "Charleys Philly Steaks®", "Charley's Grilled Subs®", "Charleys Philly Steaks Wings ? Philly Steaks®," and "Charleys Cheesesteaks Wings" franchise cost?
The FDD lists a total initial investment of about $202,690–$1,004,447, including a $24,500 initial franchise fee.
How much do "Charleys®", "Charleys Philly Steaks®", "Charley's Grilled Subs®", "Charleys Philly Steaks Wings ? Philly Steaks®," and "Charleys Cheesesteaks Wings" franchise owners make?
Disclosed average gross sales for 713 franchised restaurants open entire 2025, by location type. Excludes costs, expenses. Data from POS systems and unaudited franchisee reports. We grade this disclosure B for honesty.
What is the "Charleys®", "Charleys Philly Steaks®", "Charley's Grilled Subs®", "Charleys Philly Steaks Wings ? Philly Steaks®," and "Charleys Cheesesteaks Wings" franchise failure rate?
24 permanent closures in 2025; 23 ceased for other reasons; 0 terminations disclosed.
Is a "Charleys®", "Charleys Philly Steaks®", "Charley's Grilled Subs®", "Charleys Philly Steaks Wings ? Philly Steaks®," and "Charleys Cheesesteaks Wings" franchise worth it?
It depends on the numbers, not the pitch. "Charleys®", "Charleys Philly Steaks®", "Charley's Grilled Subs®", "Charleys Philly Steaks Wings ? Philly Steaks®," and "Charleys Cheesesteaks Wings" scores B on disclosure honesty, carries about 9% of sales in ongoing fees. Get the real owner take-home before you sign.
Own a "Charleys®", "Charleys Philly Steaks®", "Charley's Grilled Subs®", "Charleys Philly Steaks Wings ? Philly Steaks®," and "Charleys Cheesesteaks Wings"? Add your real numbers (anonymous)
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Compare "Charleys®", "Charleys Philly Steaks®", "Charley's Grilled Subs®", "Charleys Philly Steaks Wings ? Philly Steaks®," and "Charleys Cheesesteaks Wings" to similar franchises
Source: WI DFI Franchise Registration (2026). FranchiseValidate is independent and not affiliated with "Charleys®", "Charleys Philly Steaks®", "Charley's Grilled Subs®", "Charleys Philly Steaks Wings ? Philly Steaks®," and "Charleys Cheesesteaks Wings" or its franchisor. Figures are extracted from the franchisor's own public disclosure document; verify against the current FDD before any decision.