How to Start a Burger Business

Are you interested in learning how to start a burger business? Owning a burger franchise is a great way to tap into the $177B Burger Restaurant Industry.

At Jack in the Box, we’re looking for new franchisees who are excited to bring our craveable 24/7 menu to available markets across the United States.

Whether you’re a seasoned entrepreneur or first-time business owner, our franchise recruitment team is here to help you every step of the way.

In this article, we’ll show you how to start a burger business with Jack in the Box in nine easy steps.

1) Submit Contact Form

To get started, you’ll need to submit any contact form on the Jack in the Box Franchising website.

This form requires you to submit the following information:

• First & Last Name
• Email Address
• Phone Number
• Location
• Cash Available
• Net Worth
• # of Locations

With the costs of opening a restaurant with Jack in the Box in mind, we have three minimum financial requirements all our potential franchisees must meet.

• Minimum Liquidity: $500,000
• Minimum Net Worth: $1.5MM
• Franchise Fee: $50,000 per Location

If you currently don’t meet these financial requirements, there are many potential sources of liquidity that may be overlooked. For example:

• Business Partners
• Stocks & Bonds
• Home Equity
• 401k Rollovers

After you submit your contact form, one of our franchise recruitment directors will be in-touch with more information.

2) Connect with our Team

Next, we will schedule an introduction call to answer questions and walk you through everything you need to know as you begin your franchising journey.

This is a great time for you to learn more about how our new franchise recruitment process works along with what we will need in terms of documents on your end.

Plus, it allows our team to receive a better understanding of your overall franchising goals and how we can make them a reality.

3) Submit Required Documents

After our conversation, we'll send you our required documents to move forward in the process: our Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA), Initial Inquiry Form, and Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).

These documents will give us more insight into your franchising goals and determine the next steps we need to take.

4) FDD & Market Points Review

During your due diligence period, you’ll review our Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD) and be able to speak with other franchisees in our system.

The FDD is a legal document that is part of the pre-sale due diligence process. You’ll find the FDD is full of information that will help answer your questions about franchising with Jack in the Box.

This document includes information on our company background, profiles of our brand leadership, fees, investment ranges, and store level performance.

We will also review market points located in your desired territory during this call.

5) Financial Review

This is the most paperwork intensive process you’ll go through during our steps to become a Jack in the Box Franchisee.

In this stage, you’ll submit requisite documents to allow us to complete a full financial review including:

• Jack in the Box Franchise Application
• Credit & Background Check Authorization
• Payments & Tax Returns
• Personal Tax Returns
• Other Required Documents

During this time, you’ll have the ability to speak to current franchisees and ask questions about their experience with our brand.

6) Meet Operations Leadership

After gathering all required documents, we will schedule a time for you to meet with the Jack in the Box Senior Operations Team.

This is an opportunity for you to ask questions and build a personal relationship with the Corporate Leaders of our brand. We typically host these meetings on a video call.

7) Finalize Development Agreement

During this stage, we will finalize your market points and opening schedule. At that time, we will send franchise agreements for you to sign.

8) Burger Business Awarded

After receiving your franchise development agreement and payment for initial franchise fees, you will be an official Jack in the Box Franchisee. Congratulations!

9) Orientation & Training

Your orientation will begin by meeting with your regional real estate development manager (REDM). They will assist you with navigating the real estate and site selection process.

Once you have your site, you will be assigned a regionally based construction manager who will provide you with CAD drawings of our prototype layout.

Prior to opening, your organization will designate two people to complete our comprehensive training program at a certified training restaurant.

How Long Does This Process Take?

At Jack in the Box, we can go as fast as you are willing to go depending on your personal timeline.

We’ve found the entire process to become a franchisee with Jack in the Box typically ranges from 60 to 120 days.

This includes the required 14-day franchise disclosure period and 7-day disclosure period after you receive the franchise agreement.

Check Out These Additional Resources

We hope this article gave you a better understanding of how to start a burger business.

At Jack in the Box, we work with our franchisees every step of the way to make the onboarding process as seamless as possible.

Here are some additional online resources you may like to check out:

• 5 Reasons to Buy a Burger Franchise
• Which Burger Franchise Makes the Most Money?
• How Much Does a Burger Franchise Cost?

If you have any questions, please contact our franchise sales and support team.