"Charleys®", "Charleys Philly Steaks®", "Charley's Grilled Subs®", "Charleys Philly Steaks Wings ? Philly Steaks®," and "Charleys Cheesesteaks Wings" Franchise
Cost, fees, owner earnings, closure rate and litigation for a "Charleys®", "Charleys Philly Steaks®", "Charley's Grilled Subs®", "Charleys Philly Steaks Wings ? Philly Steaks®," and "Charleys Cheesesteaks Wings" franchise — pulled from the franchisor's own public FDD (2026), not its sales material.
Disclosure honesty
"Charleys®", "Charleys Philly Steaks®", "Charley's Grilled Subs®", "Charleys Philly Steaks Wings ? Philly Steaks®," and "Charleys Cheesesteaks Wings" discloses earnings (Item 19) — but the grade is how honestly. We graded it B.
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.
What a "Charleys®", "Charleys Philly Steaks®", "Charley's Grilled Subs®", "Charleys Philly Steaks Wings ? Philly Steaks®," and "Charleys Cheesesteaks Wings" franchise actually costs to run
| Fee | Disclosed | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $24,500 | Item 5 — paid up front, before you open |
| Royalty | 6% of gross sales | Item 6 — charged on revenue, not profit |
| Advertising fund | 3% of gross sales | Item 6 — brand marketing, spent at the franchisor's discretion |
| Total recurring fees | 9% of gross sales | Before rent, labor, food or debt service |
| Total initial investment | $202,690 – $1,004,447 | Item 7 — franchisor's own low/high estimate |
6% royalty minimum $300/week; 3-4% APO (marketing/LSM); Walmart locations higher fees including rent 10% sales.
Royalty and ad-fund percentages are charged on gross sales — an owner pays them whether or not the location is profitable.
"Charleys®", "Charleys Philly Steaks®", "Charley's Grilled Subs®", "Charleys Philly Steaks Wings ? Philly Steaks®," and "Charleys Cheesesteaks Wings" system size and owner turnover
| Total outlets | 826 |
| Ceased operations | 23 |
| Terminated by franchisor | 0 |
| Transferred to new owners | 47 |
| Closure rate | 2.8% of outlets |
24 permanent closures in 2025; 23 ceased for other reasons; 0 terminations disclosed.
From Item 20 of the FDD 2026. Terminations and ceased operations are the franchisor's own count of owners who stopped — the number the sales pitch leaves out.
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 164 similar franchises
| Ongoing fees | 9% of sales | steeper than 68% of quick service restaurants franchises |
| Startup cost | from $202,690 | cheaper than most (median $481,500) |
| Disclosure honesty | Grade B | more honest than 85% 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.
Owner take-home for a "Charleys®", "Charleys Philly Steaks®", "Charley's Grilled Subs®", "Charleys Philly Steaks Wings ? Philly Steaks®," and "Charleys Cheesesteaks Wings"
The franchisor's framing: Disclosed average gross sales for 713 franchised restaurants open entire 2025, by location… We reconstruct what an owner actually keeps, from their own FDD.
- Reconstructed owner P&L — net take-home after royalty, ad fund, rent, labor & debt
- Break-even timeline + cash-on-cash ROI
- Full fee stack + required-purchase markups
- Decoded real failure / closure rate
- How it ranks vs comparable franchises
- Validation-call playbook — the exact questions to ask
See a full sample report → · 30-day guarantee
"Charleys®", "Charleys Philly Steaks®", "Charley's Grilled Subs®", "Charleys Philly Steaks Wings ? Philly Steaks®," and "Charleys Cheesesteaks Wings" franchise — frequently asked
- 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 are the "Charleys®", "Charleys Philly Steaks®", "Charley's Grilled Subs®", "Charleys Philly Steaks Wings ? Philly Steaks®," and "Charleys Cheesesteaks Wings" franchise fees?
- "Charleys®", "Charleys Philly Steaks®", "Charley's Grilled Subs®", "Charleys Philly Steaks Wings ? Philly Steaks®," and "Charleys Cheesesteaks Wings"'s FDD discloses a $24,500 initial franchise fee, a 6% royalty on gross sales, a 3% advertising-fund contribution, for roughly 9% of gross sales in recurring fees before rent, labor, or debt service. 6% royalty minimum $300/week; 3-4% APO (marketing/LSM); Walmart locations higher fees including rent 10% sales.
- What is the "Charleys®", "Charleys Philly Steaks®", "Charley's Grilled Subs®", "Charleys Philly Steaks Wings ? Philly Steaks®," and "Charleys Cheesesteaks Wings" franchise profit margin?
- "Charleys®", "Charleys Philly Steaks®", "Charley's Grilled Subs®", "Charleys Philly Steaks Wings ? Philly Steaks®," and "Charleys Cheesesteaks Wings" does not publish a franchisee net-profit margin — almost no franchisor does. What Item 19 actually shows: 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. Recurring fees alone take about 9% of gross sales, before rent, labor, food or debt service. Margin has to be reconstructed from the disclosure, not read off it.
- 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.
- How many "Charleys®", "Charleys Philly Steaks®", "Charley's Grilled Subs®", "Charleys Philly Steaks Wings ? Philly Steaks®," and "Charleys Cheesesteaks Wings" locations are there?
- "Charleys®", "Charleys Philly Steaks®", "Charley's Grilled Subs®", "Charleys Philly Steaks Wings ? Philly Steaks®," and "Charleys Cheesesteaks Wings"'s FDD reports 826 total outlets, with 23 that ceased operations in the most recent reporting year and 47 transferred to new owners. Item 20 is where system health shows up before the marketing does.
- Does "Charleys®", "Charleys Philly Steaks®", "Charley's Grilled Subs®", "Charleys Philly Steaks Wings ? Philly Steaks®," and "Charleys Cheesesteaks Wings" have complaints or lawsuits?
- "Charleys®", "Charleys Philly Steaks®", "Charley's Grilled Subs®", "Charleys Philly Steaks Wings ? Philly Steaks®," and "Charleys Cheesesteaks Wings" discloses no material litigation in Item 3 of the filing we reviewed. That's a positive signal, though it covers only what the franchisor is required to report.
- 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.
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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
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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.