Start a Farmer Boys Franchise in 2025

2025 Franchise 500 Rank: #333 Ranked #268 last year

Initial investment: $1.1M - $2.6M

Units as of 2024: 102 3.0% over 3 years

Farmer Boys is an established franchise chain specializing in farm-fresh meals with a variety of American cuisine to choose from. Farmer Boys is known for its stacked sandwiches, award-winning burgers, and hearty breakfasts. They strive to allow their customers to taste the difference between farm-fresh food and fast food, and their franchisees know it.

Founded in 1981, Farmer Boys started their journey precisely as it sounds: with five brothers on a farm. They were raised working the fields and tilling the earth, knowing what it takes to make good food and what good food should taste like after a long day's work. The brothers sold their first franchise back in 1997. Since then, Farmer Boys has grown to over 60 U.S. franchises, as well as more than 25 company-owned restaurants. They are actively looking to expand their reach even further.

Why You May Want to Start a Farmer Boys Franchise

Farmer Boys is looking for a franchisee dedicated to outstanding service. Franchisees should also be family-friendly and hungry for brand growth. The ideal candidate is resourceful, timely, dedicated, and persistent. If this tenacious spirit of ingenuity sounds like you, opening a Farmer Boys franchise may be the right move for you.

Breakfast, burgers, and more isn't just a slogan for Farmer Boys but a specialty. Franchisees will be given every tool to grow their store location, including marketing, management systems, and local resources. Franchisees receive expert training and ongoing consultant beyond just starting up their franchise.

What Might Make a Farmer Boys Franchise a Good Choice?

Opening a Farmer Boys franchise may offer a more predictable outcome than investing in a completely new brand that could struggle to thrive in an already crowded and competitive industry.

Farmer Boys has been ranked in BIZ Experiences’s Franchise 500 several times in recent decades. This ranking is based on an evaluation of more than 150 data points in the areas of costs and fees, size and growth, franchisee support, brand strength, and financial strength and stability.

How To Open a Farmer Boys Franchise

To be part of the Farmer Boys team, you should make sure you're financially ready for an initial investment made up of a franchise fee and other startup costs. In addition, you should prepare yourself for ongoing fees that will include advertising, royalty, and potential renewal fees. Franchisees will also need to meet the company's set net worth and liquid capital requirements.

A typical franchise agreement runs for 20 years. Franchisees may be allowed to renew their agreement at the conclusion of the 20 years if they meet the Farmer Boys requirements.

Before making any financial commitment or signing an agreement with Farmer Boys restaurants, you must perform your due diligence and establish if this is the right opportunity for you. Ensure that you take time to explore the opportunity. Research the brand and your local area to see if a Farmer Boys franchise would do well in your community. You may want to speak to existing franchisees and ask the Farmer Boys team any questions.

Company Overview

About Farmer Boys

Industry	Food
Related Categories	Hamburgers
Founded	1981
Parent Company	Farmer Boys Franchising Co.
Leadership	Joseph Ortiz, President & COO
Corporate Address	3452 University Ave. Riverside, CA 92501
Social	Facebook, Twitter, Instagram

Business Overview

Franchising Since	1997 (28 years)
# of employees at HQ	29
Where seeking	This company is offering new franchises in the following US states: Arizona, California, Nevada, Utah
# of Units	102 (as of 2024)

Information for Franchisees

Here's what you need to know if you're interested in opening a Farmer Boys franchise.

Financial Requirements & Ongoing Fees

Here's what you can expect to spend to start the business and what ongoing fees the franchisor charges throughout the life of the business.

Initial Franchise Fee Definition: The initial fee paid to a franchisor to join their system What you need to know: Found in Item 5 of the FDD, this may be a flat fee, or may vary based on territory size, experience, or other factors.The franchise fee is an up-front (one-time) cost that a new franchisee pays to the franchisor. This fee is usually due at the signing of the franchise agreement and covers the right to use the franchisor's trademarks, name, and related business systems.	$45,000
Initial Investment Definition: The total amount necessary to begin operation of the franchise What you need to know: The initial investment includes the franchise fee, along with other startup expenses such as real estate, equipment, supplies, business licenses, and working capital. This is outlined in a chart in Item 7 of the FDD, showing a range of possible costs from low to high.	$1,056,000 - $2,610,500
Net Worth Requirement Definition: The minimum net worth you must have in order to qualify to become a franchisee of this company What you need to know: Net worth is the value of a person's assets minus liabilities. Assets include cash, stocks, retirement accounts, and real estate. Liabilities include items like mortgages, car payments, and credit card debt.	$1,000,000
Cash Requirement Definition: The minimum liquid capital you must have available in order to qualify to become a franchisee of this company.	$300,000 - $400,000
Veteran Incentives Definition: A discount or other incentive offered to military veterans who buy a franchise with this company.	25% off franchise fee
Royalty Fee Definition: A ongoing fee paid to the franchisor on a regular basis. What you need to know: Most franchisors require franchisees to pay an ongoing royalty fee, which is detailed in Item 6 of the FDD. This fee is typically a percentage of weekly or monthly gross sales, but may also be a flat weekly, monthly, or annual fee.	5%
Ad Royalty Fee Definition: An going fee paid to the franchisor on a regular basis to support advertising or marketing efforts. What you need to know: This may also be called advertising fee, marketing fee, brand fund fee, and more, but the basic purpose is the same-- to support promotion of the brand systemwide. As with the royalty fee, it is detailed in Item 6 of the FDD, and can be a percentage of weekly or monthly gross sales or a weekly, monthly, or annual fee.	3%
Term of Agreement Definition: The length of time your franchise agreement will last. What you need to know: Franchise terms are typically anywhere from 5 to 20 years in length, but are sometimes instead dependent on factors such as the term of your lease. Once your term is up, you may have the option to renew your agreement, typically for a smaller fee than the original franchise fee.	20 years
Is franchise term renewable?	Yes

Financing Options

Some franchisors offer in-house financing, while others have relationships with third-party financing sources to which they refer qualified franchisees.

In-House Financing	Farmer Boys offers in-house financing to cover the following: franchise fee, startup costs, equipment, inventory, accounts receivable, payroll

Training & Support Offered

Franchisors offer initial training programs and a variety of ongoing support options to help franchisees run their businesses.

On-The-Job Training	400 hours
Classroom Training	80 hours
Ongoing Support	Newsletter Meetings & Conventions Toll-Free Line Grand Opening Online Support Security & Safety Procedures Lease Negotiation Field Operations Site Selection Proprietary Software Franchisee Intranet Platform
Marketing Support	Ad Templates Regional Advertising Social Media SEO Website Development Email Marketing Loyalty Program/App

Operations

Additional details about running this franchise.

Is absentee ownership allowed?	Yes
Can this franchise be run from home/mobile unit? Definition: The business can be run from your home and/or a vehicle, and it is not necessary to have a retail facility, office space, or warehouse.	No
Can this franchise be run part time? Definition: This business can be run by the owner on a part-time basis (less than 40 hours per week) and/or as a side business; it is not necessary for the business to be open/run full-time.	No
# of employees required to run	30
Are exclusive territories available? Definition: An exclusive territory is a fixed area in which you are given the right to operate and in which no other units of the same franchise may be opened. What you need to know: Territory size may be based on factors such as radius, population size, zip codes, and more. Details can be found in Item 12 of the FDD.	Yes