Ruth's Chris Steak HouseFranchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Ruth's Chris Steak House franchise requires a total initial investment of $2.5M – $6.4M, including a $100K franchise fee and an ongoing 5.0% royalty[2]. The 2025 FDD does not disclose unit-level revenue (no Item 19). Verdict grade: B. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified June 18, 2026 · figures per the 2025 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $2.5M – $6.4M
- 48th pct Service Resta…
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- 28th pct Service Resta…
- Royalty
- 5.0%
- 7th pct Service Resta…
- Units
- 135
- 43rd 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
Franchising since 1985. Systems this mature have refined operations and brand recognition.
Bottom line
- Total investment $2.5M – $6.4M including a $100K franchise fee, 5.0% ongoing royalty.
- No Item 19 financial performance data disclosed. The franchisor chose not to publish revenue figures.
- Verdict B (Above Average) with a risk score of 59/100.
- No Item 19 financial performance representation. Without franchisor-disclosed revenue data, you'll need to gather unit economics directly from existing franchisees.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
- Legal entity
- RUTH’S CHRIS STEAK HOUSE FRANCHISE, LLC
- Parent company
- Darden Restaurants, Inc.
- Ultimate parent
- Darden
- CEO title
- President
- Bradley S. Smith
- Incorporated in
- LA
- HQ
- 1000 Darden Center Drive, Orlando, Florida 32837
- Auditor
- WithumSmith+Brown, PC
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $46.5M
- vs $18.7M prior year
- Management churn noted
- Frequent turnover
- Item 2 disclosed frequent executive changes
Affiliated brands
- Darden
- Darden Franchising
- Darden APAC
Other brands the franchisor or its parent operates (Item 1).
Overview
About
Franchisees operate upscale steakhouse restaurants featuring USDA Prime beef served on heated plates, with full bar operations and table service. Daily operations include kitchen/FOH staff management, inventory/food cost control, marketing within protected territory, and maintaining brand standards across a high-touch, labor-intensive dining experience.
- CEO
- Bradley S. Smith
- Headquarters
- FL
- Founded
- 1972
- FDD year
- 2025
- States available
- 38
FDD Item 7 · 2025 filing · 15 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Franchise Feenot refundable | $100K | $100K | |
| Site Location Feasibility and Marketing Study | $5K | $10K | |
| Real Estate and Improvements | $1.0M | $3.5M | |
| Equipment, Furniture and Fixtures | $750K | $970K | |
| Signage | $25K | $85K | |
| Pre-Opening Marketing and Public Relations | $30K | $70K | |
| Pre-Opening & Training Inventory (Food & Beverages) | $90K | $200K | |
| Initial Inventory (Food & Beverages) | $120K | $350K | |
| Point of Sale Computer Hardware and Software and Office Material | $25K | $150K | |
| Management Training Expenses | $57K | $120K | |
| New Store Opening Assistance Training Expense | $80K | $150K | |
| Alcoholic Beverages License and other Business Permits | $10K | $180K | |
| Insurance deposits and Premiums (for first year) | $30K | $45K | |
| Utility Deposits | $5K | $100K | |
| Additional Funds (3 months) | $150K | $350K | |
| Total initial investment | $2.5M | $6.4M |
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
- $2.5M – $6.4M
- Near category avg vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $150K – $350K
- Near category avg vs category
- Franchise fee
- $100K – $100K
- Near category avg vs category
- Royalty
- 5.0%
- Net Sales · typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 1.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 6.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 5.0% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 1.0% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $0 |
| Transfer fee | $50K |
| Renewal fee | $30K |
| Total fee load | 6.0% of rev |
Financial Performance
This franchisor did not disclose financial performance representations in Item 19, or our extractor could not parse them.
vs Full-Service Restaurants averages
How Ruth's Chris Steak House Compares
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 135
- 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
- 84
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 38%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (yr3)
- -1.9%
- Net unit change last year
- 3-yr CAGR
- -1.9%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Transfers (3yr)
- 0
- Reacquired (3yr)
- 1
- Franchisor bought back
- Continuity rate
- 98.1%
- Units that stayed open
- Ceased ops
- 0.7%
- Units that stopped operating
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 29 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.
Available to sell in · Item 12
- California
- Hawaii
- Illinois
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- New York
- North Dakota
- Rhode Island
- South Dakota
- Washington
States where the franchisor is registered to sell new franchises (FDD registration filings).
SBA loan performance
Government records
SBA Loan Data
Aggregated from SBA loan disclosures. This brand has only 2 7(a) loans on file; statistical reliability is limited below 10 loans.
- Total loans
- 2
- Loan volume
- $2.9M
- Median loan
- $1.5M
- 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
- 1
- Defaults
- 0
Explore lender portfolios on Bank Reports or regional data on State Reports.
Premium insight
SBA Lending Report
Deep-dive into Ruth's Chris Steak House's SBA lending history: lender network, geographic footprint, interest rates, and more.
SBA Lending Report
- Principal loss rate and NAICS industry benchmark
- 1 lenders with concentration factor
- Per-state charge-off rates across 2 states
- Startup risk premium and job creation velocity
- 2-year lending trend
Instant access. No subscription.
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 5, 6, 12, 17
Risk & Legal
Ruth's Chris presents moderate-to-caution risk due to system contraction, missing financial transparency, and high capital requirements in a declining fine-dining category.
Litigation (Item 3)
No litigation information provided in Item 3
Largest disclosed settlement: $150,000
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · WithumSmith+Brown, PC
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
- Franchisor sells you products: Yes
- Kickbacks from required suppliers: No
- Must buy proprietary products: Yes
- Restricted to system-approved products: Yes
- Can negotiate own supplier terms: No
Score breakdown · what drove the 59 / 100 rating
- 01MINORDeclining unit count (-1.9% YoY) indicates system contraction and potential market saturation or operational challenges
- 02MINORNo Item 19 (average revenue/income) disclosure prevents accurate ROI assessment despite high capital requirement ($2.5M-$6.4M)
- 03MINORHigh initial investment with 5% royalty on net sales creates significant break-even threshold; lack of profitability data obscures actual unit economics
- 04MINOR15-year term locks franchisees into long-term commitment during period of restaurant industry consolidation and changing consumer preferences
- 05MINORFine dining steakhouse category faces structural headwinds (declining occasions, demographic shifts, labor cost inflation)
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 | 15 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 5 years |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 2 |
| Territory type | Assigned Area |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Online sales rightsℹ | Restricted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Required |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 2 years |
| Non-compete (miles)ℹ | 10 mi |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Curable defaultsℹ | 1 |
| Mandatory arbitration | No |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | Florida |
| Litigation count | 0 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
No litigation information provided in Item 3
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 168 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 352 hrs
- Training location
- On-site and corporate
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
100 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
Ruth's Chris Steak House · FDD (2025) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Ruth's Chris Steak House franchise?
The total investment to open a Ruth's Chris Steak House franchise ranges from $2.5M – $6.4M, with an initial franchise fee of $100K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do Ruth's Chris Steak House franchise owners earn?
Ruth's Chris Steak House does not disclose average franchise owner earnings in their FDD Item 19. Not all franchisors are required to make financial performance representations. We recommend asking existing franchisees directly about their financial experience.
What is Ruth's Chris Steak House's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for Ruth's Chris Steak House (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 Ruth's Chris Steak House franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Ruth's Chris Steak House has 135 total units in the United States, including 51 franchised units and 84 company-owned units.
Is Ruth's Chris Steak House a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Ruth's Chris Steak House as a B-grade franchise with a risk score of 59 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.
For franchisors
Are you the franchisor?
If you represent Ruth's Chris Steak House, you can request corrections or provide updated information.
Claim this brandOther Full-Service Restaurants franchises
Compare similar franchise opportunities in the Full-Service Restaurants category
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.