Many people who seek a low-cost franchise opportunity consider the possibility of opening a quick-service restaurant (QSR) business. Not surprisingly, chicken is a leading menu item under consideration—70% of consumers eat chicken dishes weekly, and more than 40% get their weekly chicken fix from food service!
Additionally, in recent years, as the popularity of fried chicken and spicy wings enjoyed ongoing growth, QSR chicken restaurants have continued to emerge as a central piece of group dining and social events. Perhaps all this poultry popularity can point out a path to finding a low-cost franchise you love.
Recognizing that the market is full of many lifelong chicken fans who are ready for something more, the search for the best low-cost franchise in this space seems like a promising step toward rewarding entrepreneurship. Plus, there are other potential bonuses to low-cost franchise opportunities, such as a chance to hit the ground running as business owner and the joy of cultivating a family-friendly vibe as a QSR restaurant operator.
Looking for Balance in Low-Cost Franchises
Franchise researchers who are looking for an established opportunity can explore numerous large corporate brands in the chicken arena. However, this may not result in finding many inexpensive franchises—in fact, some chicken and wing franchises come with significant costs that can be associated with getting started as a licensee with those vastly familiar brand giants.
On the other hand, building a stand-alone food and beverage business from the ground up as a solo individual can also be a real challenge—both in effort and in affordability. At The Buffalo Spot, we believe in offering a nice balance (much like the plating of our world famous Buffalo Fries!) in the low-cost franchise space.
As a franchising company, we aim to support and work with owner-operators who have an interest in pursuing their dreams and growing with an experienced team. We enjoy working closely with our franchise owners to reinforce our focus on friendly fun, simplicity in service, and the quality of our food and preparations.
The Quest for Quality in Inexpensive Franchises
Generally speaking, low-cost franchise opportunities are defined as those that offer relatively low startup costs compared to other options. Other criteria to consider would be the expected royalty or marketing fees that might be required. Some brands also operate with higher or lower ongoing costs than other industry competitors. So how does a relatively low-cost franchise like The Buffalo Spot deliver on high quality and still keep franchise funding within reason?
It includes finding the right vendors and suppliers, emphasizing simplicity from start to finish, and paying attention to the efficiencies that can help start-ups through the planning process. Understanding the underlying economics of owning a QSR franchise is a vital step in making your dream a reality.
While initial costs will vary significantly depending on a restaurant’s location, size, and equipment needs, it’s not uncommon to find chicken franchises with start-up costs of several hundreds of thousands of dollars. In some cases, this pricing structure might not be all about the product or even the real estate — sometimes costs are associated with the legacy name that comes with them. On the other hand, it’s possible to discover opportunities to own a quality chicken and wings QSR without paying such a steep price for a brand.
A Bright Spot for New Franchise Owners
One important research point for the potential franchise owner is the growth history of a low-cost franchise opportunity. For example, The Buffalo Spot brings with it the benefits of repeated recent wins in opening new locations over the past several years. That kind of momentum has highlighted the well-developed business model that we’ve put into action, which can be a real asset to new franchise owners.
Our approach to franchising highlights a few key aspects at the core of our offering:
- The signature nature of our World Famous Buffalo Fries is a source of pride—we cook each batch of golden fries and boneless wing bites to order, delivering the taste explosion that is a part of so many of our guests’ experiences
- The easy adaptability of our other products, such as our proprietary sauce flavors and menu items like wraps and salads featuring our chicken—this variety encourages regular visits and suits a range of tastes among groups of diners
- The speed and quality of our service is a priority—and our franchise location operators back that up, helping us to make the most of our simply delicious recipes that are reliably prepared, and served with a smile
Getting Started with a Low-Cost Franchise
The Buffalo Spot is able to support its new franchise owners with learnings acquired since launching our first location in 2013. We attribute much of our positive track record (with dozens of stores having opened over the last several years!), to the restaurant environment we have intentionally created—where tight operating systems combined with a “family first” feeling can actually make it fun to go to work each day.
Another part of our positioning as one of the best low-cost franchises includes our focus on keeping it simple. We have leveraged the benefits that smart streamlining can bring to a business. We’ve seen firsthand how simplicity in store layouts, menu size, equipment needs and technology systems can certainly make a difference as far as costs are concerned. That’s important to us, as we continually strive to help owner-operators make their dreams of owning and growing a business come true.
Our years of experience developing The Buffalo Spot has resulted in a low-cost franchise opportunity that can satisfy the search for simplicity, affordability and differentiation in the restaurant business! If you love the idea of being an owner-operator of a friendly QSR concept with family values and a fresh take on flavors, we’d love to hear from you.
The Buffalo Spot was founded in California in 2013 and now counts 35+ stores in California, Arizona, Nevada and Texas. We’re looking to join forces with the right fast food franchise owners to bring our exclusive recipes and fresh concept to new territories now.
