East Coast Wings + GrillFranchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A East Coast Wings + Grill franchise requires a total initial investment of $408K – $1.2M, including a $40K franchise fee. Per the 2024 FDD, average unit revenue was $2.0M[2]. Verdict grade: A. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified June 18, 2026 · figures per the 2024 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $408K – $1.2M
- 27th pct Service Resta…
- Avg gross sales
- $2.0M
- 21st pct Service Resta…
- Royalty
- N/A
- Units
- 34
- 33rd pct Service Resta…
- SBA default
- 0.0%
- system-wide median varies by category
Quick verdict · Full-Service Restaurants · color = vs category peers
Green = >15% above Full-Service Restaurants avg · No shading = within ±15% · Red = >15% below avg · Source: FDD filings + SBA 7(a)
Data from public FDD filings and SBA records. Not financial advice. Methodology
37% cash-on-cash return (based on Operating Income). Above the 20% threshold most investors target.
Bottom line
- Total investment $408K – $1.2M including a $40K franchise fee.
- Average unit revenue of $2.0M/year (median $1.8M), with an estimated 37% cash-on-cash return (based on Operating Income).
- Verdict A (Top Quintile) with a risk score of 14/100.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
- Legal entity
- EAST COAST WINGS CORPORATION
- Parent company
- ECW Enterprises, Inc.
- Incorporated in
- NC
- HQ
- 100 Cambridge Plaza Drive, Winston-Salem, NC 27104
- Auditor
- BDO USA, P.C.
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $3.2M
- vs $4.0M prior year
Overview
About
Franchisees operate fast-casual wing and grill restaurants serving casual dining fare with emphasis on wings and grilled items. Daily operations include food preparation, inventory management, staff scheduling, customer service, and local marketing to drive traffic and meet the ~$2M annual revenue benchmark.
- CEO
- Sam G. Ballas
- Headquarters
- NC
- Founded
- 2002
- FDD year
- 2024
- States available
- 5
FDD Item 7 · 2024 filing
Initial investment breakdown
| Cost component | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $40K | $40K |
| Working capital (3–6 mo) | $10K | $20K |
| Equipment, build-out, other | $358K | $1.2M |
| Total initial investment | $408K | $1.2M |
Source: East Coast Wings + Grill 2024 FDD, Items 5 and 7[2]. “Equipment, build-out, other” is computed as total minus disclosed line items above.
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
$204K
10.0% margin
Unlevered ROIC
24%
EBITDA / total invested capital
Payback
4.1 yrs
cash-on-cash, unlevered
Item 7 · what it costs to open + operate
The Vitals
- Total investment
- $408K – $1.2M
- Better than avg vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $10K – $20K
- Better than avg vs category
- Franchise fee
- $40K – $40K
- Better than avg vs category
- Royalty
- the greater of (a) 5% of the Gross Sales of your Franchis…
- Ad fund
- 2.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 7.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
- Payback period
- 2.7 yrs
- From FDD / Item 19
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Marketing / ad fund | 2.0% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $1K |
| Transfer fee | $7K |
| Renewal fee | $4K |
| Total fee load | 7.0% of rev |
Financial Performance
- Avg gross sales
- $2.0M
- Per unit, per year
- Median gross sales
- $1.8M
- Avg operating income
- $306K
- Reported as Operating Income in FDD Item 19
- Cash-on-cash
- 37.2%
- Based on Operating Income / investment midpoint
- Item 19 type
- Historical Performance
- Sample size
- 20 units
- vs category median 13
- Range (low → high)
- $1.2M→$3.5M
- Cohort dispersion (min → max)
- Transparency
- 10 / 5
- vs category median 4 / 5 · above
Compared against 1264 Full-Service Restaurants brands
vs Full-Service Restaurants averages
How East Coast Wings + Grill Compares
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 34
- Opened
- 2
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 0
- Turnover rate
- 0.0%
- Company-owned
- 4
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 88%
- vs corporate-owned
- Multi-unit owners
- 13.3%
- Net growth (yr3)
- +3.4%
- Net unit change last year
- 3-yr CAGR
- -3.2%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Transfers (3yr)
- 1
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 10 states with active franchisees
The Territory Map
Derived from franchisee contact records. Shows states with at least one current operator. Not where the franchisor is registered to sell new units (that data is re-extracting in a future refresh).
States derived from franchisee contact records (FDD Item 20). Shows states with at least one current operator on file. Full state registration data (Item 12) will appear on a future FDD refresh.
SBA loan performance
Government records
SBA Loan Data
Aggregated from SBA loan disclosures. This brand has only 8 7(a) loans on file; statistical reliability is limited below 10 loans.
- Total loans
- 8
- Loan volume
- $4.7M
- Median loan
- $644K
- 50th percentile
- Charge-off rate
- 0.0%
- rates vary by category · see methodology
Historical SBA 7(a) lending data, not predictive of future performance. How SBA charge-off rates are calculated
- Repayment rate (PIF)
- 100.0%
- 5-yr charge-off
- N/A
- Loans approved 2021+
- Active lenders
- 7
- Defaults
- 0
Explore lender portfolios on Bank Reports or regional data on State Reports.
Premium insight
SBA Lending Report
Deep-dive into East Coast Wings + Grill's SBA lending history: lender network, geographic footprint, interest rates, and more.
SBA Lending Report
- Principal loss rate and NAICS industry benchmark
- 7 lenders with concentration factor
- Per-state charge-off rates across 4 states
- Startup risk premium and job creation velocity
- 4-year lending trend
Instant access. No subscription.
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 5, 6, 12, 17
Risk & Legal
Slow-growing regional QSR concept with concerning unit expansion metrics and aggressive fixed royalty obligations that warrant careful franchisee profitability validation.
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · BDO USA, P.C.
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Score breakdown · what drove the 14 / 100 rating
- 01MINORMinimal system growth of only 3.4% YoY with just 34 units suggests weak expansion momentum and potential market saturation concerns
- 02MINORHigh minimum monthly royalty of $4,850 creates significant fixed costs regardless of sales performance, problematic for underperforming locations
- 03MINORWide investment range ($408K-$1.2M) indicates inconsistent buildout costs and unclear capital requirements for proper due diligence
- 04MINORNet income margin of 15% is solid but relies heavily on $2M+ annual revenue—significant execution risk for franchisees achieving this benchmark
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
FDD Items 5, 6, 12, 17 · continued from Risk & Legal
Contract & Territory Detail
| Initial term | 10 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 5 years |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 2 |
| Territory type | Radius |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Online sales rights | Restricted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Optional |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 2 years |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Mandatory arbitration | No |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | North Carolina |
| Litigation count | 0 |
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 48 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 240 hrs
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
37 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
East Coast Wings + Grill · FDD (2024) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a East Coast Wings + Grill franchise?
The total investment to open a East Coast Wings + Grill franchise ranges from $408K – $1.2M, with an initial franchise fee of $40K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do East Coast Wings + Grill franchise owners earn?
According to Item 19 of the East Coast Wings + Grill FDD, the average gross sales per unit is $2.0M. The median is $1.8M. Note: this is gross revenue, not profit. Actual owner earnings vary based on location, operating costs, and management.
What is East Coast Wings + Grill's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for East Coast Wings + Grill (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 East Coast Wings + Grill franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, East Coast Wings + Grill has 34 total units in the United States, including 30 franchised units and 4 company-owned units. 2 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is East Coast Wings + Grill a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates East Coast Wings + Grill as a A-grade franchise with a risk score of 14 out of 100, 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.
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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.