About Early Bird Franchise
Early Bird is a full service restaurant franchise specializing in breakfast and lunch, complemented by a selection of beer, wine, and cocktails.
The brand creates a vibrant dining atmosphere focused on high quality, creative morning and midday meals with both dine in and take out options.
The franchise fee is $60,000, and the company began franchising in 2024.
Early Bird Franchise Cost & Fees
Minimum Investment
$398K
Average Investment
$1.1M
Maximum Investment
$1.7M
| Fee Type | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee | $60,000 | One-time payment upon signing |
| Royalty Fee | 4% of Gross Sales of gross sales | Ongoing; paid monthly |
| Marketing/Ad Fund | Up to 1% of Gross Sales (Brand Development Fee), 2% of Gross Sales (Local Marketing), and 1-3% of Gross Sales (Cooperative Marketing, not more than 3%) | National brand fund |
| Total Investment Range | $397,500 – $1,703,000 | Includes build-out, inventory, working capital |
The investment range of $398K–$1.7M reflects variability in build-out costs, store size, lease terms, and market. The combined royalty (4% of Gross Sales) and marketing fee (Up to 1% of Gross Sales (Brand Development Fee), 2% of Gross Sales (Local Marketing), and 1-3% of Gross Sales (Cooperative Marketing, not more than 3%)) are ongoing costs paid as a percentage of gross sales.
Investment Breakdown (Item 7)
| Item | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee (1) | $60,000 | $60,000 |
| Rent – 3 Months (2) | $27,000 | $60,000 |
| Utilities (2) | $7,500 | $12,000 |
| Leasehold Improvements (3) | $94,000 | $1,000,000 |
| Signage (4) | $10,000 | $30,000 |
| Furniture, Fixtures and Equipment (5) (6) | $60,000 | $260,000 |
| Point of Sale System (7) | $10,000 | $40,000 |
| Business Licenses and Permits (8) | $3,500 | $8,000 |
| Liquor License(9) | $2,000 | $10,000 |
| Professional Fees (10) | $5,000 | $15,000 |
| Architectural/ Design Fees (11) | $8,000 | $30,000 |
| Insurance – 3 Months (12) | $6,000 | $6,500 |
| Inventory (13) | $22,500 | $30,000 |
| Training Expenses (14) | $27,000 | $60,000 |
| Grand Opening Marketing (15) | $10,000 | $10,000 |
| Additional Funds – 3 Months (16) | $45,000 | $71,500 |
Additional Fees (Item 6)
| Fee Type | Amount |
|---|---|
| Transfer Fee | $20,000 (single unit), $25,000 (multi-unit) |
| Renewal Fee | $5,000 |
| Audit Fee | Cost of audit (estimated to be between $1,000 and $5,000) |
| Initial Training (For New or Replacement Employees) | $2,000 per person, subject to annual adjustment |
| Additional On-Site Training | $300 per day per trainer plus expenses, subject to annual adjustment |
| Relocation Fee | 30% of our then-current initial franchise fee |
| Insufficient Funds Fee | $100 |
| Interest | 18% per annum or the highest interest rate allowed by applicable law (whichever is lower) |
| Prohibited Product or Service Fine | $250 per day of use of unauthorized products or services |
| Liquidated Damages | Varies (average monthly Royalty Fees and Marketing Fund contributions multiplied by the greater of 36 months or remaining term) |
| Costs and Attorneys’ Fees | Varies |
| Indemnification | Varies |
| Repair, Maintenance, and Remodeling/Redecorating | Varies |
| Charges for “mystery shopper” quality control evaluation | Up to $150 Monthly |
| Gift Cards/Loyalty Cards | To be determined |
| Insurance Premiums | Reimbursement of our costs, plus 10% administrative fee |
| Management Fee | 10% of Gross Sales, plus expenses |
| Quality Assurance Audits | To be determined |
| Health and Safety Inspection | $500 to $700 |
| Compliance with Systems/Manual Changes | To be determined |
Training Program (Item 11)
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Total Duration | Approximately 10 weeks for the Operating Principal, General Manager, and chef; approximately 5 weeks for the line cook. |
| Classroom Training | 78 |
| On-the-Job Training | 322 |
| Training Location | Franchisor's corporate headquarters, an affiliate's restaurant in the Omaha, Nebraska area, or another designated location. |
| Additional Training | The franchisor may conduct additional or refresher training programs and seminars, which may be mandatory for the franchisee, Operating Principal, General Manager, and other personnel. Franchisees are responsible for all expenses incurred by trainees (travel, lodging, meals, wages). Managers and other designated employees must also obtain ServSafe and alcohol awareness/TIPS certifications. |
Territory Rights (Item 12)
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Territory Type | Protected |
| Exclusive Territory | No |
| Description | Under a single-unit Franchise Agreement, the franchisee receives a specified Approved Location and a Territory within which the franchisor will not approve another Early Bird restaurant, provided the franchisee is in compliance. However, the franchisee may face competition from other franchisees, company-owned outlets, or other distribution channels controlled by the franchisor. The franchisor retains rights to operate or franchise Non-Traditional Sites (e.g., airports, hospitals, military bases) within the territory and to sell products through alternative distribution channels (e.g., Internet, wholesale, mail order) anywhere. Multi-unit operators receive a Development Area, typically defined by municipal or county boundaries, with exclusivity for traditional sites, but the franchisor retains rights for Non-Traditional Sites and alternative distribution channels. |
Renewal, Termination & Transfer (Item 17)
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Initial Term | 10 years |
| Renewal Term | Up to two additional terms of five years each |
| Renewal Fee | $5,000 |
| Renewal Conditions | To renew, the franchisee must provide timely notice, be in substantial compliance with the agreement, be current on all payments, remodel/refurbish the restaurant to current standards, sign the then-current Franchise Agreement (which may have different terms and fees), sign a general release, and maintain possession of the accepted location. The renewed territory boundaries will remain the same, and renewal fees will not exceed those for similarly situated renewing franchisees. |
| Transfer Fee | $20,000 |
| Transfer Conditions | Franchisee must obtain franchisor's prior written consent for any transfer of interest in the agreement, restaurant, or franchisee entity. Conditions for approval include: all monetary and other obligations to the franchisor and affiliates must be satisfied, no existing defaults, execution of a general release by the transferor, the transferee meeting franchisor's current franchisee criteria (including financial, managerial, and character standards), completion of required training by the transferee, execution of the then-current standard franchise agreement by the transferee, and payment of a $20,000 transfer fee. The franchisor has a right of first refusal to purchase the business on the same terms as a third-party offer. |
| Termination for Cause | The franchisor may terminate the agreement for various material defaults, some with a cure period (e.g., failure to pay monies owed within 5 days, failure to obtain signed confidentiality covenants within 5 days, failure to maintain required insurance within 7 days, unauthorized use of Marks within 24 hours, other curable defaults within 30 days). Non-curable defaults lead to immediate termination (e.g., insolvency/bankruptcy, selling unauthorized products, failure to acquire/remodel/open a location within required times, abandonment, felony conviction, public health/safety threat, unauthorized transfer, maintaining false records, or three material defaults within any 12-month period). A default under one agreement may trigger termination of all agreements (cross-default). |
| Non-Compete Period | During the term of the franchise and for two years after termination or expiration. |
| Non-Compete Details | During the term of the franchise, the franchisee and Controlling Principals are prohibited from operating or having an interest in a similar business without the franchisor's prior written consent. Following termination or expiration of the franchise, the franchisee and Controlling Principals are prohibited for two years from operating or having an interest in a similar business within a 20-mile radius of any Early Bird Restaurant in the System. |
Operations & Supply (Items 8 & 15)
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Owner-Operator Required | Yes |
| Participation Details | If the franchisee is not actively involved in daily operations, an Operating Principal must be designated. This individual must own at least a 10% equity interest in the franchise, be approved by the franchisor, complete all required training, and devote full-time best efforts to supervision and management. A General Manager is also required to direct daily operations, devote full-time best efforts, and meet franchisor's educational and business criteria. Both the Operating Principal and General Manager must sign confidentiality and non-competition covenants. |
| Required Suppliers | Franchisees must purchase or lease all fixtures, furnishings, equipment (including POS and communication systems), décor, signs, and related items that conform to franchisor specifications, or obtain written consent for alternatives. All food and beverage items, ingredients, products, materials, supplies, and paper goods must meet franchisor standards. Menu items must be prepared according to proprietary recipes and procedures. A list of approved products and suppliers is provided in the Manual. Currently, the franchisor has an arrangement with Sysco for food and beverage supply to the system. |
| Supply Restrictions | Franchisees are restricted to using only approved suppliers for all food, beverage, and other operational items, or must seek written approval for unapproved suppliers, which may involve testing and inspection costs (up to $1,000). The franchisor reserves the right to re-inspect and revoke supplier approval. All menu items, products, and services offered must be expressly approved in writing by the franchisor, and any unapproved items must be discontinued. All advertising and promotional materials, signs, and paper goods must bear the Marks in the prescribed form. |
| Franchisor Revenue from Suppliers | The franchisor receives monies from Sysco based on each location opening and the dollar amount of purchases from all locations. The franchisor and/or its affiliates may receive payments or other compensation (e.g., rebates, commissions) from approved suppliers, which can be used for any purpose. For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024, no revenue was received from rebates from required purchases and leases. |
Financing (Item 10)
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Financing Available | No |
| Description | Early Bird Corporate, LLC does not offer, either directly or indirectly, any financing arrangements to franchisees, nor does it guarantee any franchisee's notes, leases, or other obligations. |
Early Bird Franchise Earnings — Item 19
Revenue Range
$1.7M – $2.6M
Sample Size
4 units
Past financial performance does not guarantee future results. Individual results will vary.
Early Bird Litigation & Risk Flags
1 Pending Action ListedReview the full FDD for details on pending litigation.
Litigation and bankruptcy data is sourced from Items 3 and 4 of the FDD. Always verify current status directly from the most recent FDD.
Early Bird System Growth
Total Units
5
Franchised
1
Company-Owned
4
Early Bird currently operates 1 franchised locations and 4 company-owned units. Unit count data is sourced from Item 20 of the FDD.
Unit History (Item 20)
| Year | Opened | Closed | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2023 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 2024 | 3 | 0 | 5 |
Transfers: 0 | Closures: 0
State Registrations
Registered in 3 states: NE, IA, MI
Franchisor Financials (Item 21)
Revenue
$203K
Net Income
$3K
Total Assets
$67K
Early Bird Franchise — FAQ
The total investment to open a Early Bird franchise ranges from $397,500 to $1,703,000, per their Franchise Disclosure Document. This includes the initial franchise fee of $60,000. The investment covers build-out, inventory, equipment, signage, working capital, and other startup costs.
Early Bird charges a royalty fee of 4% of Gross Sales of gross sales, plus a Up to 1% of Gross Sales (Brand Development Fee), 2% of Gross Sales (Local Marketing), and 1-3% of Gross Sales (Cooperative Marketing, not more than 3%) contribution to the marketing/advertising fund. These fees are paid on an ongoing basis.
You can download the Early Bird Franchise Disclosure Document free on this page. The FDD is a public document filed with state franchise registries. Always also request the current FDD directly from Early Bird to ensure you have the most up-to-date version.
According to the Item 19 financial performance representation in their FDD, Early Bird franchise owners report . This is based on a sample of 4 units. Past performance does not guarantee future results.
Early Bird has been franchising since 2024. The FDD shows an investment range of $397,500-$1,703,000, a 4% of Gross Sales royalty, and includes an Item 19 earnings disclosure. There are 1 pending litigation action(s). Review the full FDD and contact current franchisees listed in Item 20 before making any investment decision.
The franchise fee is $60,000 and the total investment ranges from $397,500 to $1,703,000 depending on location size and market. Contact the franchisor directly for current net worth and liquid capital requirements, territory availability, and application details.
Similar Food & Beverage Franchises
Interested in Early Bird?
Get free info on this franchise. We will send you a detailed FDD report by email.
Data Source & Disclaimer: This website is for informational purposes only. It is not an offer to sell or buy a franchise. This profile is based on publicly available FDD data sourced from state franchise registry filings. All information is for research purposes only and does not constitute legal, financial, or investment advice. Data may be outdated or contain errors. Always obtain the current FDD directly from Early Bird and consult a qualified franchise attorney before making any investment decision. FranchiseOverview.com is operated by Franchising Compliance, LLC and is not affiliated with Early Bird or any of its subsidiaries. To report an inaccuracy: info@franchiseoverview.com