Hickory River Smokehouse, Inc. Franchise
Cost, fees, owner earnings, closure rate and litigation for a Hickory River Smokehouse, Inc. franchise — pulled from the franchisor's own public FDD (2026), not its sales material.
Disclosure honesty
Hickory River Smokehouse, Inc. discloses earnings (Item 19) — but the grade is how honestly. We graded it C.
What their own earnings claim actually says
5 franchised locations: 2025 avg revenue $1.81M (median $1.54M), range $1.15M-$3.03M. 80% below average. Revenue only, excludes costs/expenses.
What a Hickory River Smokehouse, Inc. franchise actually costs to run
| Fee | Disclosed | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $30,000 | Item 5 — paid up front, before you open |
| Royalty | 5% of gross sales | Item 6 — charged on revenue, not profit |
| Advertising fund | 4% 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 | $315,000 – $1,084,500 | Item 7 — franchisor's own low/high estimate |
5% royalty + 3% national marketing + 1% local advertising (max 2%). Grand opening minimum $10,000.
Royalty and ad-fund percentages are charged on gross sales — an owner pays them whether or not the location is profitable.
Hickory River Smokehouse, Inc. system size and owner turnover
| Total outlets | 5 |
| Ceased operations | 0 |
| Terminated by franchisor | 0 |
| Transferred to new owners | 0 |
| Closure rate | 0.0% of outlets |
1 cessation in 2024. 5 outlets stable 2025. Small system limits failure data.
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 Hickory River Smokehouse, Inc. 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 $315,000 | cheaper than most (median $481,500) |
| Disclosure honesty | Grade C | typical for the category |
| Closure rate | 0.0% of outlets | better than most (median 1.3%) |
| 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 Hickory River Smokehouse, Inc.
The franchisor's framing: 5 franchised locations: 2025 avg revenue $1.81M (median $1.54M), range $1.15M-$3.03M. 80% … 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
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Hickory River Smokehouse, Inc. franchise — frequently asked
- How much does a Hickory River Smokehouse, Inc. franchise cost?
- The FDD lists a total initial investment of about $315,000–$1,084,500, including a $30,000 initial franchise fee.
- How much do Hickory River Smokehouse, Inc. franchise owners make?
- 5 franchised locations: 2025 avg revenue $1.81M (median $1.54M), range $1.15M-$3.03M. 80% below average. Revenue only, excludes costs/expenses. We grade this disclosure C for honesty.
- What are the Hickory River Smokehouse, Inc. franchise fees?
- Hickory River Smokehouse, Inc.'s FDD discloses a $30,000 initial franchise fee, a 5% royalty on gross sales, a 4% advertising-fund contribution, for roughly 9% of gross sales in recurring fees before rent, labor, or debt service. 5% royalty + 3% national marketing + 1% local advertising (max 2%). Grand opening minimum $10,000.
- What is the Hickory River Smokehouse, Inc. franchise profit margin?
- Hickory River Smokehouse, Inc. does not publish a franchisee net-profit margin — almost no franchisor does. What Item 19 actually shows: 5 franchised locations: 2025 avg revenue $1.81M (median $1.54M), range $1.15M-$3.03M. 80% below average. Revenue only, excludes costs/expenses. 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 Hickory River Smokehouse, Inc. franchise failure rate?
- 1 cessation in 2024. 5 outlets stable 2025. Small system limits failure data.
- How many Hickory River Smokehouse, Inc. locations are there?
- Hickory River Smokehouse, Inc.'s FDD reports 5 total outlets, with 0 that ceased operations in the most recent reporting year and 0 transferred to new owners. Item 20 is where system health shows up before the marketing does.
- Does Hickory River Smokehouse, Inc. have complaints or lawsuits?
- Hickory River Smokehouse, Inc. 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 Hickory River Smokehouse, Inc. franchise worth it?
- It depends on the numbers, not the pitch. Hickory River Smokehouse, Inc. scores C on disclosure honesty, carries about 9% of sales in ongoing fees. Get the real owner take-home before you sign.
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Source: WI DFI Franchise Registration (2026). FranchiseValidate is independent and not affiliated with Hickory River Smokehouse, Inc. or its franchisor. Figures are extracted from the franchisor's own public disclosure document; verify against the current FDD before any decision.