Chester’s Store-in-Store/Non-Trad Restaurant
Franchise research report · reviewed 2026 disclosure data
Researching Chester’s Store-in-Store/Non-Trad Restaurant franchise opportunities? Every figure below is cited to the FDD.
Chester’s Store-in-Store/Non-Trad Restaurants are quick-service restaurants selling bone-in chicken, chicken sandwiches, tenders, and side dishes. They operate within convenience stores or other retail businesses, or in locations such as strip malls, food courts, and sports venues, using Chester’s equipment, menu, and operating system.
Headline figures
Chester’s Store-in-Store/Non-Trad Restaurant quick facts
- Is Chester’s Store-in-Store/Non-Trad Restaurant a franchise?
- Yes. Chester’s Store-in-Store/Non-Trad Restaurant offers franchises through a Franchise Disclosure Document. At the end of 2025, it reported 918 franchised and 0 company-owned outlets (2026 FDD, Item 20, PDF p. 47).
- How much does it cost to open a Chester’s Store-in-Store/Non-Trad Restaurant franchise?
- The Chester’s Store-in-Store/Non-Trad Restaurant Franchise Disclosure Document reports separate estimated initial investments by format: $27,500–$306,500 for store-in-store/non-trad — total, excluding real estate lease and purchase costs: $27,500–$306,500 (2026 FDD, Item 7, PDF p. 18); $15,500–$306,500 for supermarket — total, excluding real estate lease and purchase costs: $15,500–$306,500 (2026 FDD, Item 7, PDF p. 20). These formats are not combined. Each is the franchisor's disclosed estimate, not a quote. Details
- What is the Chester’s Store-in-Store/Non-Trad Restaurant initial franchise fee?
- The disclosed initial franchise fee for a standard single unit is $1,000 (2026 FDD, Item 5, PDF p. 15). Other fee options (for example multi-unit or conversion) are listed separately in the report. Details
- How many Chester’s Store-in-Store/Non-Trad Restaurant locations are there?
- The FDD reports 918 outlets at the end of 2025 (2026 FDD, Item 20, PDF p. 47). Existing locations do not indicate territory availability. Details
- Is Chester’s Store-in-Store/Non-Trad Restaurant a good franchise to buy?
- Franopolis does not rate or recommend franchises. From the reviewed FDD: no reviewed Item 19 figures are on file here, so check the FDD's Item 19 directly; Item 20 lists outlet openings, closures and transfers; Item 6 includes a brand or advertising fund contribution on top of royalty; Item 20 also lists current and former franchisees you can contact. Review the full FDD with a franchise attorney and accountant before deciding.
From reviewed FDD figures only. Not a recommendation or projection.
What the disclosures show
- 1The 2026 FDD (Item 7) estimates opening costs separately by format: $27,500 – $306,500 (Store-in-Store/Non-Trad — Total, excluding real estate lease and purchase costs: $27,500–$306,500); $15,500 – $306,500 (Supermarket — Total, excluding real estate lease and purchase costs: $15,500–$306,500); several initial fee options apply.
- 2Item 19 has not been reviewed yet.
- 3Outlets declined by 76 in 2025, to 918 (Systemwide, as labeled in the FDD, Item 20).
From reviewed FDD figures only. Not a recommendation or projection.
Costs · Items 5–7
What does it cost to open?
Estimated opening costs and the fees payable to the franchisor.
Startup Investment — Item 7
Range across 2 single-unit formats
2026 FDD · Item 7
Formats disclosed in Item 7 (2)
Each format has its own total. The total depends on the format you choose.
- Supermarket — Total, excluding real estate lease and purchase costs: $15,500–$306,500PDF p. 20$15,500 – $306,500
- Store-in-Store/Non-Trad — Total, excluding real estate lease and purchase costs: $27,500–$306,500PDF p. 18$27,500 – $306,500
Standard single-unit franchise fee
2026 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 15
Discounted and multi-unit options are separate; see all fees.
Ongoing Fees — Item 6
Selected recurring charges; payment bases and conditions remain attached to each fee.
15 reported fees, each with its payment basis, are listed below; they haven't been sorted into recurring, initial and occasional groups yet.
Financial Performance — Item 19
What results are disclosed—and for which locations?
No financial performance representation in Item 19
The reviewed 2026 FDD for Chester’s Store-in-Store/Non-Trad Restaurant has no Item 19 figures on record. Franopolis does not estimate revenue or earnings in their place; ask the franchisor and current owners what unit-level information they can share.
Outlet Changes — Item 20
How has the outlet count changed?
Systemwide, as labeled in the FDD · counts as of 2025 year-end of each year.
2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 47
Net −84 outlets, 2023–2025
Year-end counts reported in Item 20. The scale starts at zero, so the line looks nearly flat; the labels between the dots show each year's change. Openings and closures for 2025 haven't been pulled from the Item 20 tables yet, so no turnover or churn is shown.
Questions to investigate
Prompts based on what this brand's reviewed disclosures do and don't show — not conclusions. Join free as a member to save questions to your research.
For the franchisor
Which line items in the 2026 Item 7 estimate ($15,500 – $306,500) vary most by market, and why?
Which initial fee option would apply to my situation, and what conditions or discounts affect it?
Does the current FDD include an Item 19 financial performance representation?
Reported units decreased from 994 to 918 in 2025. What drove the change?
Is a territory available in my area, and how is it defined in my agreement?
For current and former owners
How did your actual startup costs and timeline compare with the Item 7 estimate?
How many hours a week do you work in the business, and in what role?
What support from the franchisor has been most and least useful?
For your advisors
Ask a franchise attorney to review the territory, renewal, transfer and termination terms.
Ask an accountant to build a cash-flow plan using your own assumptions, not the franchisor's.
Sources & vintage history
Every displayed fact is retained with its disclosure vintage, item, page, and reviewed status. Prior vintages remain on file rather than being overwritten.
Citations (2026 FDD)
- [1]Standard initial franchise fee — Item 5 · PDF p. 15
- [2]Outlet counts — Item 20, Table 1 · PDF p. 47
"PDF p." is the page in the PDF file; "printed p." is the number printed on the FDD page.
Territory & operations
These are contract disclosures, not confirmation that any territory is currently available.
Legal & agreement
Franchisor financial statements
| Fiscal year | Measure | Reported value |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | audited balance sheets as of december 31, 2025, 2024, 2023 and audited statements of income, member equity, and cash flows for fiscal years ended those dates. | $2,025 |
These figures describe the franchisor company, not individual franchise locations.
SBA-backed loans to franchisees
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Source: U.S. Small Business Administration 7(a) & 504 FOIA data. Loan volume is not a measure of franchisee success.
Related research
Brands in the same subcategory first, then the wider industry, ordered by shared business format and overlapping investment range. This is not a ranking or recommendation.
Head-to-head comparisons
At a glance
Business history
Not reviewed
Owner participation
Not reviewed
Territory language
Litigation disclosure
Not reviewed
Bankruptcy disclosure
Not reviewed
Agreement term
Not reviewed
Independent analysis of franchisor-provided data. Not investment advice. Franopolis does not distribute FDDs.