Franchise Deep Dive: Perkins Franchise Costs, Fees, Profit and Data

Brand history

Perkins Restaurant & Bakery is an American restaurant franchise known for its breakfast and homestyle meals. It is owned by Ascent Hospitality Management.

In 1957, Perkins started as a pancake house in Cincinnati. Founded by brothers Matt and Ivan Perkins, what was originally known as Smithies Pancake House quickly gained popularity for its pancakes and warm hospitality. Inspired by the success and positive response from the community, the brothers decided to expand their venture through franchising in 1958. Today, there are nearly 300 company-owned and franchised locations in 32 states and two Canadian provinces.

Business model

Perkins’ business model focuses on unwavering commitment to three key elements: food, the customer and the franchise owner.

Perkins has a reputation in two significant restaurant segments: breakfast and bakery. The brand has cultivated a loyal customer base by offering a top-notch breakfast service throughout the day. Beyond breakfast, Perkins serves a diverse lunch and dinner menu, featuring hearty classics like country fried steak, grilled salmon, burgers and soups.

The brand offers items made fresh in-house every day. Modernized ordering capabilities, including app-based orders and third-party delivery options, contribute to additional revenue streams for franchise owners.

At Perkins, every guest is treated like a welcome family member. The brand's mission is to create a warm and inviting atmosphere while enjoying their meals. Unlike rushing through meals for high turnover, Perkins believes in building lasting relationships with customers.

Perkins extends its commitment to excellence to its franchise owners, considering them part of the family. The brand provides robust support in areas such as site selection assistance, extensive training, technology and software support, vendor relations, cutting-edge marketing strategies, menu innovation, access to confidential operations manuals, and ongoing on-site field visits.

Growth and support

While historically focused on free-standing locations, Perkins adapted to changing real estate opportunities and consumer patterns post-pandemic by offering an end-cap model. This model offers a smaller footprint without compromising the brand's full-service hospitality and made-to-order meals. This model allows franchise owners to capitalize on prime real estate opportunities in their markets, making it a strategic and cost-effective investment.

Perkins does not make earnings for franchise owners publicly available. However, data from Sharp Sheets notes that, on average, a Perkins Restaurant franchise makes $1.7 million in sales per year.

The total investment estimate to open a Perkins franchise ranges between $1.2 million and $3.3 million.

The franchise fee is $40,000.

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