Great Steak

Great Steak Franchise FDD, Costs & Fees (2025)

Great Steak is a cheesesteak sandwich franchise that serves classic Philly cheesesteaks and other grilled sandwich options, offering a satisfying and flavorful dining experience with quality ingredients and authentic flavors.

Great Steak, celebrated as America's leading cheesesteak franchise, has been delighting customers with classic American cheesesteaks since 1985. The franchise has effectively tapped into the increasing demand for authentic comfort food, especially the cheesesteak, which has experienced a rise in popularity nationwide.

The simplicity of Great Steak's business model is one of its distinguishing features, focusing on cheesesteaks that attract a wide range of customers, including millennials.

These customers value the brand's dedication to quality ingredients and the option to customize their meals. Since its establishment and the start of its franchising in 1986, Great Steak has been based in Scottsdale, Arizona, under the umbrella of Kahala Brands.

Great Steak is particularly appealing to aspiring entrepreneurs interested in the competitive sandwich market because of its efficient operations and reasonable startup costs.

Initial investment

Here's what you would need to invest if you were to start this franchise. These costs are provided by the franchisor in the Franchise Disclosure Document.

Great Steak offers 2 types of franchises:

Type of Restaurant Initial Investment
Non-Traditional Great Steak Restaurant $153,500 – $443,800
Traditional Great Steak Restaurant $172,900 – $662,850

We are summarizing below the main costs associated with opening a a traditional Great Steak franchise.

For more information on the various types of franchises and its costs, refer to the Franchise Disclosure Document (Item 7).

Traditional Great Steak franchise

Type of Expenditure Amount
Initial Franchise Fee$14,000 – $30,000
Lease Review Fee$0 – $2,500
Rent/Security Deposit (for 3 months)$12,000 – $20,000
Travel and Living Expenses (2 persons) while training$2,500 – $5,000
Architectural Fees$15,000 – $25,000
Leasehold Improvements$45,000 – $294,000
Restaurant Equipment, Furniture, Small Wares, Interior Signage and Menu Panels$45,000 – $200,550
Exterior Signage$10,000 – $17,000
Computer Hardware, Software (POS System)$3,000 – $10,000
PCI Compliance Costs$150 – $1,300
Opening Inventory (food and paper)$2,500 – $7,000
Business Insurance$1,000 – $5,000
Miscellaneous Opening Costs$4,750 – $17,500
Grand Opening Marketing$10,000
Depository Account$3,000
Additional Funds – 3 month initial period$5,000 – $15,000
TOTAL$172,900 – $662,850

Franchise Disclosure Document

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Competitors

Below are some of

Great Steak

key competitors in the

Sandwich

sector.

Started franchising
Franchisees

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Franchise fee

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Royalty fee

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Investment

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Revenue (AUV)

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Gross Profit

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EBITDA

?

Home-based

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Passive investment

?

FDD
Great Steak
1986
24
+
-8%
-8%
$30,000
6.00%

$154,000

-

$663,000

n.a.

$465,000

Upgrade

n.a.

n.a.

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n.a.

n.a.

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No
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No
Yes
Upgrade
Yes
1970
97
+
-15%
-15%
$18,000
6.00%

$90,000

-

$589,000

Upgrade

n.a.

$0

n.a.

n.a.

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n.a.

n.a.

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No
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No
Yes
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Yes
2009
95
+
111%
111%
$40,000
6.00%

$654,000

-

$1,274,000

Upgrade

n.a.

$1,299,000

n.a.

n.a.

Upgrade

n.a.

n.a.

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Upgrade
Upgrade
78
+
2500%
2500%
$49,500
5.00%

$286,000

-

$569,000

Upgrade

n.a.

$719,000

n.a.

n.a.

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n.a.

n.a.

Upgrade
Upgrade
Upgrade
2017
33
+
267%
267%
$35,000
5.00%

$330,000

-

$809,000

Upgrade

n.a.

$0

n.a.

n.a.

Upgrade

n.a.

n.a.

Upgrade
No
Upgrade
No
Yes
Upgrade
Yes
2003
1
+
0%
0%
$25,000
5.00%

$321,000

-

$607,000

Upgrade

n.a.

$1,183,000

71.0%

n.a.

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n.a.

n.a.

Upgrade
No
Upgrade
No
No
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No
1997
25
+
-22%
-22%
$22,500
5.00%

$107,000

-

$227,000

Upgrade

n.a.

$0

n.a.

n.a.

Upgrade

n.a.

n.a.

Upgrade
Upgrade
Upgrade

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Total investment

?

Revenue (AUV)

?

Revenue growth (last 3 years)

?

Profit margin

?

Franchise Disclosure Documents
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Priority support

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Training 

Great Steak offers a thorough training program for its franchisees, ensuring they are fully prepared to efficiently manage and operate their franchise. This training is meticulously designed to cover every fundamental aspect of running a Great Steak restaurant, from food preparation to exceptional customer service.

Training Program Components

The training program is divided into two primary components: In-Store Training and New Owner Training. Each component is approximately 40 hours, making for a comprehensive 80-hour training experience. The In-Store Training focuses on the practical, everyday operations within a Great Steak restaurant, while the New Owner Training addresses the broader aspects of business management and franchise operations.

In-Store Training

In-Store Training takes place at a designated training store, offering hands-on experience in restaurant operations. Trainees gain practical knowledge in food preparation, customer service, cleanliness standards, and other essential daily tasks. This segment ensures franchisees understand the operational standards and procedures necessary to maintain Great Steak's high quality and service levels.

New Owner Training

New Owner Training may be conducted either online or in person, at the franchisor's discretion. When held in person, this training occurs at the Great Steak training and education center in Scottsdale, Arizona, or another location specified by the franchisor. This segment covers managerial aspects, including leadership, financial management, marketing strategies, and employee training techniques.

Territory Protection

Great Steak does not offer franchisees exclusive or protected territories for their restaurants. The Franchise Agreement and related documents make it clear that franchisees should not anticipate any territorial rights preventing the franchisor from opening franchised or corporate-owned locations of food concepts similar to Great Steak in the vicinity of their restaurant.

Furthermore, there may already be existing locations of similar food concepts, owned by the franchisor’s affiliates, operating near the franchisee's restaurant. This arrangement means franchisees may encounter direct competition from other franchisees or the franchisor itself within or near their operational area, without any territorial protection against such competition.

Number of units

2025
Franchised units

26

25

24

Company-owned units

1

0

0

Total units

27

25

24

Competitors

Blimpie

Franchisees

?

97
+
-15%
-15%
Investment

?

$90,000 - $589,000

Potbelly Sandwich

Franchisees

?

95
+
111%
111%
Investment

?

$654,000 - $1,274,000

Sourdough & Co

Franchisees

?

78
+
2500%
2500%
Investment

?

$286,000 - $569,000

I Heart Mac and Cheese

Franchisees

?

33
+
267%
267%
Investment

?

$330,000 - $809,000

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