Steak Escape Sandwich GrillFranchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Steak Escape Sandwich Grill franchise requires a total initial investment of $240K – $829K, including a $25K franchise fee and an ongoing 6.0% royalty[2]. The 2025 FDD does not disclose unit-level revenue (no Item 19). Verdict grade: F. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified June 18, 2026 · figures per the 2025 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $240K – $829K
- 43rd pct Service Resta…
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- 59th pct Service Resta…
- Royalty
- 6.0%
- 44th pct Service Resta…
- Units
- 23
- 49th pct Service Resta…
- SBA default
- 0.0%
- system-wide median varies by category
Quick verdict · Quick-Service Restaurants · color = vs category peers
Green = >15% above Quick-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 1996. Systems this mature have refined operations and brand recognition.
The system contracted 17% year-over-year. Investigate why units are closing.
Bottom line
- Total investment $240K – $829K including a $25K franchise fee, 6.0% ongoing royalty.
- No Item 19 financial performance data disclosed. The franchisor chose not to publish revenue figures.
- Verdict F (Bottom Quintile) with a risk score of 100/100.
- System contracting at -20.8% CAGR over 3 years. Investigate whether closures are franchisor-driven (consolidation) or franchisee-driven (economics).
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
- Legal entity
- Escape Enterprises, Ltd.
- Parent company
- Escape Enterprises, Inc.
- Incorporated in
- OH
- HQ
- 1099 Sullivant Avenue, Columbus, Ohio 43223
- Auditor
- Holbrook & Manter
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $1.1M
- vs $1.0M prior year
Affiliated brands
- companies
Other brands the franchisor or its parent operates (Item 1).
Overview
About
Steak Escape operates fast-casual sandwich and grill restaurants focused on steak-based sandwiches and grilled items. Franchisees manage daily food preparation, counter service, inventory control, staffing, and marketing within a quick-service restaurant model. The business model targets lunch and casual dinner dayparts with a menu-driven format.
- CEO
- Kyle Turner
- Headquarters
- OH
- Founded
- 1996
- FDD year
- 2025
- States available
- 7
FDD Item 7 · 2025 filing · 15 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Feenot refundable | $25K | $25K | |
| Initial Training Expenses | $2K | $4K | |
| Initial Inventory of Food, Paper Products and Misc. Supplies | $5K | $10K | |
| Space Lease (Security Deposit and First Three Months' Rent) | $6K | $24K | |
| Construction and Leasehold Improvements | $75K | $475K | |
| Furniture, Fixtures and Equipment | $77K | $140K | |
| Signs and Graphics | $7K | $37K | |
| POS System | $4K | $15K | |
| Lease Negotiation Legal Expenses | $2K | $10K | |
| Architectural Services | $8K | $35K | |
| Insurance | $2K | $8K | |
| Uniforms | $1K | $2K | |
| Pre-Opening Advertising | $4K | $10K | |
| Utility Deposits, Business Licenses, and Prepaid Expenses | $2K | $4K | |
| Additional Funds - Three Months | $20K | $30K | |
| Total initial investment | $240K | $829K |
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
- $240K – $829K
- Near category avg vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $20K – $30K
- Near category avg vs category
- Franchise fee
- $25K – $25K
- Better than avg vs category
- Royalty
- 6.0%
- percentage_of_gross · typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 1.5%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 7.5%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 6.0% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 1.5% of gross sales |
| Transfer fee | $10K |
| Renewal fee | $13K |
| Inventory (initial) | $5K – $10K |
| Total fee load | 7.5% of rev |
Financial Performance
This franchisor did not disclose financial performance representations in Item 19, or our extractor could not parse them.
vs Quick-Service Restaurants averages
How Steak Escape Sandwich Grill Compares
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 23
- Opened
- 1
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 4
- Terminated
- 1
- Franchisor ended the franchise (per Item 20)
- Non-renewed
- 1
- Term expired, not renewed (per Item 20)
- Turnover rate
- 17.4%
- Company-owned
- 4
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 83%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (yr3)
- -17.4%
- Net unit change last year
- 3-yr CAGR
- -20.8%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Closed (3yr)
- 0
- Terminated (3yr)
- 0
- Non-renewed (3yr)
- 0
- Transfers (3yr)
- 2
- Reacquired (3yr)
- 1
- Franchisor bought back
- Transfer rate
- 10.5%
- Owners selling to other franchisees
- Continuity rate
- 79.2%
- Units that stayed open
- Termination rate
- 10.5%
- Franchisor-initiated terminations
- Ceased ops
- 21.1%
- Units that stopped operating
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 6 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
- Hawaii
- Illinois
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- New York
- North Dakota
- Rhode Island
- South Dakota
- Wisconsin
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 1 7(a) loan on file; statistical reliability is limited below 10 loans.
- Total loans
- 1
- Loan volume
- $111K
- Median loan
- $111K
- 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 Steak Escape Sandwich Grill'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 1 states
- Startup risk premium and job creation velocity
- 1-year lending trend
Instant access. No subscription.
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 5, 6, 12, 17
Risk & Legal
Steak Escape exhibits multiple critical distress signals: collapsing unit count, going concern status, active franchisor-franchisee litigation, and zero financial transparency, making this a high-risk turnaround play unsuitable for most franchisees.
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Holbrook & Manter
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
- Franchisor sells you products: No
- Must buy proprietary products: No
- Restricted to system-approved products: Yes
Score breakdown · what drove the 100 / 100 rating
- 01MINORUnit count collapsed 17.4% year-over-year (23 units remaining), indicating severe system contraction and franchisee failure rate
- 02HIGHGoing Concern designation = franchisor questioned ability to continue operations, suggesting financial distress at corporate level
- 03HIGHActive litigation (2022) by franchisor against franchisees for royalty collection indicates cash flow desperation and potential franchisor-franchisee conflict
- 04MINORNo financial disclosure (Item 19): no average unit volumes, net income, or profitability data provided—impossible to model ROI
- 05MINORUnprotected territory creates cannibalization risk; franchisor could open competing units nearby without restriction
- 06MINORWide investment range ($239.5K–$828.5K) with no clarity on what drives variance—suggests hidden costs or inconsistent support
- 07MINOR6% royalty on unknown revenue base is unquantifiable; combined with declining units, suggests royalty collection is strained
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 | 10 years |
| Protected territory | No |
| Online sales rightsℹ | 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 |
| Curable defaultsℹ | 2 |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | Ohio |
| Litigation count | 1 |
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 70 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 142 hrs
- Training location
- On-site and off-site
- Site selection
- joint
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
6 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
Steak Escape Sandwich Grill · FDD (2025) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Steak Escape Sandwich Grill franchise?
The total investment to open a Steak Escape Sandwich Grill franchise ranges from $240K – $829K, with an initial franchise fee of $25K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do Steak Escape Sandwich Grill franchise owners earn?
Steak Escape Sandwich Grill 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 Steak Escape Sandwich Grill's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for Steak Escape Sandwich 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 Steak Escape Sandwich Grill franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Steak Escape Sandwich Grill has 23 total units in the United States, including 19 franchised units and 4 company-owned units. 1 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is Steak Escape Sandwich Grill a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Steak Escape Sandwich Grill as a F-grade franchise with a risk score of 100 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.