Duff’s Famous Wings Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
Duff's Famous Wings is a casual-dining franchise serving Buffalo-style chicken wings and bar fare. Franchisees run the restaurants, managing the kitchen, bar, and dining service.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Duff’s Famous Wings franchise requires a total initial investment of $535K – $1.2M, including a $30K franchise fee and an ongoing 5.0% royalty[2]. Per the 2025 FDD, average unit revenue was $2.8M[2]. FranchiseVerdict grade: A (Strongest tier), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified · figures per the 2025 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $535K – $1.2M
- 25th pct Service Resta…
- Avg gross sales
- $2.8M
- Incl. company outletsn=212th pct Service Resta…
- Royalty
- 5.0%
- 7th pct Service Resta…
- Units
- 5
- 8th pct Service Resta…
- SBA charge-off
- N/A
Quick verdict · Full-Service Restaurants · color = vs category peers
Green = favorable by >10% vs Full-Service Restaurants avg · No shading = within ±10% · Red = unfavorable by >10% · Source: FDD filings + SBA 7(a)
Data from public FDD filings and SBA records. Not financial advice. Methodology
Bottom line
- COSTTotal investment $535K – $1.2M including a $30K franchise fee, 5.0% ongoing royalty.
- RETURNSAverage unit revenue of $2.8M/year (median $2.8M) (includes company-owned outlets).
- RISKVerdict A (Strongest tier), verdict score 68/100 (higher is better).
- FLAGRevenue data based on only 2 reporting units. Treat as directional, not definitive. Ask franchisees directly for current unit economics.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- Duff's Franchise Group, Inc.
- Predecessor
- or parent
- Prior franchisor entity
- CEO title
- President and Marketing Director
- Joseph D. Duff
- Incorporated in
- NY
- HQ
- 3651 Sheridan Drive, Amherst, New York 14226
- Auditor
- The ZLC Group CPAs LLC
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $417K
- vs $417K prior year
Affiliated brands
- WNY Restaurant Systems
Other brands the franchisor or its parent operates (Item 1).
Overview
About
- CEO
- Joseph D. Duff
- Headquarters
- NY
- Founded
- 2010
- FDD year
- 2025
- States available
- 2
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 28% below the typical full-service restaurants franchise.
Source: FDD 2025 · Items 5–7
Full Item 7 breakdown23 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Feenot refundable | $30K | $30K | |
| Real Estate Broker Feenot refundable | $0 | $6K | |
| Lease Deposit | $5K | $12K | |
| Utility Security Deposit | $3K | $5K | |
| Rent - 3 Monthsnot refundable | $16K | $35K | |
| Architect/Design Feesnot refundable | $14K | $26K | |
| Leasehold Improvementsnot refundable | $210K | $525K | |
| Equipmentnot refundable | $53K | $158K | |
| Signagenot refundable | $5K | $16K | |
| Furniture and Fixturesnot refundable | $79K | $116K | |
| Computer Hardware and Softwarenot refundable | $2K | $3K | |
| POS Systemnot refundable | $5K | $11K | |
| Office Equipment and Suppliesnot refundable | $5K | $16K | |
| Stationery and Initial Marketing Materialsnot refundable | $2K | $3K | |
| Initial Inventorynot refundable | $32K | $53K | |
| Uniformsnot refundable | $1K | $3K | |
| Licenses & Permitsnot refundable | $3K | $5K | |
| Professional Feesnot refundable | $4K | $9K | |
| Insurance - Annual Premiumnot refundable | $13K | $26K | |
| Training Expensesnot refundable | $13K | $25K | |
| Total initial investment | $535K | $1.2M |
Line items extracted from FDD Item 7. Ranges reflect the franchisor's stated low and high per line. Total is the sum of line-item lows / highs — actual costs may fall outside this range depending on market and build-out scope.
Item 7 · what it costs to open + operate
The Vitals
- Total investment
- $535K – $1.2M
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $26K – $53K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $30K – $30K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Royalty
- 5.0%
- percentage · typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 0.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 7.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 5.0% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 0.0% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $0 |
| Training fee | $13K |
| Transfer fee | $23K |
| Renewal fee | $15K |
| Inventory (initial) | $32K – $53K |
| Total fee load | 7.0% of rev |
What do units actually make?
Average unit sales run 59% above the full-service restaurants norm.
Includes company-owned outlets
Based on a sample of only 2
Source: FDD 2025 · Item 19
Single-unit · estimated
Returns at a glance
Indicative numbers using FDD Item 7 / Item 19 inputs and category-benchmarked cost ratios. Full single-unit, 25-unit portfolio, and LBO models (with every input editable to stress-test your own scenario) live on the financials page.
Store EBITDA · annual
$360K
13.0% margin
Unlevered ROIC
41%
EBITDA / total invested capital
Payback
29 mo
cash-on-cash, unlevered
ROI & LBO modelsSingle-unit · 25-unit portfolio · editable
What one unit earns on your invested capital
Model A · Single-Unit Return
Computes unlevered return on invested capital (ROIC) for a single franchise unit. The target band for an attractive franchise is 30–60% ROIC. Below that and a passive index fund likely outperforms; above that and the franchisor has pricing power you're subsidizing.
Note: Item 19 revenue is what the franchisor discloses. It's the top line only. Operating costs below are category estimates. Override them to match your real lease quote, labor market, and build-out budget.
Returns model · single-unit ROIC
What would one Duff’s Famous Wings unit return on the cash you put in?
Unlevered ROIC · per unit
Estimated return on your total franchise investment, before any debt financing.
41%
Within the 30–60% "attractive franchise" band
What 25 units return when you use SBA financing
Model B · Return on Equity: Debt-Financed Acquisition
Models a 25-unit portfolio acquisition financed with an SBA 7(a) loan. Shows equity IRR (your return on cash invested), DSCR (how safely the cash flow covers debt service), and the capital stack (SBA + seller + equity breakdown).
This is the “search fund” or “entrepreneurship through acquisition” scenario: you buy an existing multi-unit operator, use leverage to amplify returns, and either operate or hire management. The 25-unit size is the typical minimum for an SBA-backed franchise portfolio acquisition to pencil as a full-time income.
What “return on equity” means here: if you put in $500K of your own cash and the business generates enough EBITDA to pay down debt and grow, your equity IRR is the annual return on that $500K, including the value created when you eventually sell. Target IRR for a search fund is typically 25–35%.
Levered LBO scenario · Yale Crease Capital framing
What would 25 Duff’s Famous Wings units return on equity?
Equity IRR · 5-yr
32.2%
4.04× MOIC
Year-1 DSCR
2.50×
EBITDA ÷ debt service
Equity required
$6.6M
on $16.6M purchase
Total debt
$10.0M
SBA $5.0M + senior + seller note
These models are for research and scenario planning only. Not investment advice. Actual results depend on your specific location, management, and market conditions. Consult a franchise attorney and accountant before signing any franchise agreement.
Item 19 · Source: 2025 FDD
Financial Performance
Includes company-owned outlets
Based on a sample of only 2
- Avg gross sales
- $2.8M
- Per unit, per year
- Median gross sales
- $2.8M
Gross sales are revenue before expenses — not profit. Actual owner earnings depend on rent, labor, royalties, marketing fees, and debt service.
- Item 19 type
- Gross Sales
- Sample size
- 2
- vs category median 18 · small
- Range (low → high)
- $1.7M→$3.8M
- Cohort dispersion (min → max)
- Reporting year
- 2024
- Fiscal year the figures cover
- Source filing
- FDD 2025
- Disclosed in the 2025 filing, covering 2024
- Transparency
- 4 / 10
- vs category median 3 / 10 · above
Compared against 805 Full-Service Restaurants brands
Operator outlook
What the numbers say
Data-driven interpretation of this brand's financial disclosures, fee structure, and system trajectory.
Unit economics
Average unit generates $2.8M/year in gross sales. Revenue-to-investment ratio: 3.3x. Includes company-owned outlets.
Fee burden
Total ongoing fee load of 7.0% (near the Full-Service Restaurants average).
Disclosure
Transparency score 4/10 — this franchisor discloses detailed breakdowns (quartiles, segments, or cohort data). Buyers can model unit economics with higher confidence. Sample size of 2 units — treat as directional only.
Operator retention
Net unit growth roughly flat at 0.0%.
Source: FDD Item 19 financial performance representations and publicly filed FDD data. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Verify all figures with the franchisor and current franchisees before making any investment decision.
vs Full-Service Restaurants averages
How Duff’s Famous Wings Compares
Is the system healthy?
Source: FDD 2025 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 5
- Opened
- 0
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 0
- Terminated
- 0
- Franchisor ended the franchise (per Item 20)
- Non-renewed
- 0
- Term expired, not renewed (per Item 20)
- Turnover rate
- 0.0%
- Company-owned
- 3
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 40%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (3-yr)
- +0.0%
- Net unit change over 3 years
- 3-yr CAGR
- +0.0%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Opened (3yr)
- 0
- Closed (3yr)
- 0
- Terminated (3yr)
- 0
- Non-renewed (3yr)
- 0
- Transfers (3yr)
- 0
- Reacquired (3yr)
- 0
- Franchisor bought back
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 12 · 2 states reported
The Territory Map
FDD Item 12 reports the state count, but the specific list isn't in our current data. The map will appear once we re-extract from the FDD or enough franchisee contacts are available.
2
states with franchisees (per FDD Item 12)
SBA loan performance
Government records
SBA Loan Data
Aggregated from SBA loan disclosures. This brand has only 5 7(a) loans on file; statistical reliability is limited below 10 loans.
- Total loans
- 5
- Loan volume
- $2.3M
- Median loan
- $324K
- 50th percentile
- Charge-off rate
- N/A
- limited sample (5 loans) — rate not shown below 10
Historical SBA 7(a) lending data, not predictive of future performance. How SBA charge-off rates are calculated
- Repayment rate (PIF)
- N/A
- 5-yr charge-off
- N/A
- Loans approved 2021+
- Active lenders
- 3
- Defaults
- N/A
Explore lender portfolios on Bank Reports or regional data on State Reports.
What could kill this investment?
Source: SBA 7(a) FOIA · FDD Items 3, 21
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 4, 8, 16, 21
Risk & Legal
Duff's Wings presents CAUTION-level risk due to an underdeveloped franchise system (5 units only), undisclosed profitability metrics, franchisor going concern issues, and insufficient data to validate the ROI on a $500k+ investment.
Litigation (Item 3)
0 case reference(s): 3 pending, 0 settled.
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · The ZLC Group CPAs LLC
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
- Franchisor sells you products: No
- Must buy proprietary products: Yes
- Restricted to system-approved products: Yes
Score breakdown · what drove the 68 / 100 verdict
- 01MINOROnly 5 units in system with unknown growth trajectory — extremely small and potentially stagnant franchise
- 02MINORNo net income disclosure (Item 19) prevents validation of profitability claims and ROI projections
- 03MINORHigh investment range ($534k-$1.15M) against only 5 existing units raises questions about unit economics and franchisor viability
- 04HIGHGoing Concern status is False — potential financial instability at franchisor level
- 05MINOR5% royalty on $3.48M average revenue ($174k annually per unit) may not sustain franchisor with only 5 franchisees
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
What are you signing up for?
Ongoing fees run about 7.0% of sales (royalty + ad fund), before rent and labor.
Source: FDD 2025 · Items 11, 12, 17
FDD Items 12, 15, 17 · continued from Risk & Legal
Contract & Territory Detail
| Initial term | 10 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 5 years |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 2 |
| Territory type | protected |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | No |
| Territory radius | 2 mi |
| Territory population | 47,500 |
| Online sales rights | Restricted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Optional |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 2 years |
| Non-compete (miles)ℹ | 10 mi |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| RoFR response window | 30 days |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Termination groundsℹ | 1 |
| Curable defaultsℹ | 5 |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Arbitration location | Erie County, New York |
| Jury trial waiver | No |
| Governing law | NY |
| Litigation count | 0 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
0 case reference(s): 3 pending, 0 settled.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 54 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 166 hrs
- Training location
- Williamsville, NY (affiliate restaurant)
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Time to open
- 10 mo
- From signing to launch
- Site selection
- Franchisee selects, franchisor approves
- Franchisor financing
- Not offered
- Item 10
- POS system
- Franchisor-designated POS system
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: Franchisor-designated POS system
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
1 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
Duff’s Famous Wings · FDD (2025) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Duff’s Famous Wings franchise?
The total investment to open a Duff’s Famous Wings franchise ranges from $535K – $1.2M, with an initial franchise fee of $30K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do Duff’s Famous Wings franchise owners earn?
According to Item 19 of the Duff’s Famous Wings FDD, the average gross sales per unit is $2.8M. The median is $2.8M. Important context: Includes company-owned outlets; Based on a sample of only 2. Note: this is gross revenue, not profit. Actual owner earnings vary based on location, operating costs, and management.
What is Item 19 in the Duff’s Famous Wings FDD?
The FDD section where a franchisor may disclose financial performance of its outlets. Disclosure is optional and formats vary; figures are typically gross sales, which is revenue before expenses, not profit. FranchiseVerdict extracts these figures directly from the Duff’s Famous Wings FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is Duff’s Famous Wings's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for Duff’s Famous Wings (fewer than 10 loans on file). Charge-off rates are one way to gauge franchise risk, but not all franchise loans go through the SBA program. We recommend reviewing turnover and closure data in the FDD and speaking with current franchisees.
How many Duff’s Famous Wings franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Duff’s Famous Wings has 5 total units in the United States, including 2 franchised units and 3 company-owned units.
Is Duff’s Famous Wings a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Duff’s Famous Wings as a A-grade franchise with a verdict score of 68 out of 100 (higher is better), based on our analysis of investment costs, revenue data, SBA loan performance, and growth trends. Our rating is based solely on publicly available FDD and government data; we recommend speaking with current franchisees before making any investment decision. This is not investment advice.
Data sourced from public FDD filings and SBA 7(a) FOIA records. Not financial advice.
For franchisors
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Data extracted from public FDD filings and SBA 7(a) loan disclosures (FOIA). This information is provided for research purposes only and does not constitute financial, legal, or investment advice. Verify all figures with the franchisor's current Franchise Disclosure Document before making any investment decision.