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Brand Dossier

Chester's

FDD-based analysis. Item-level data. No franchisor input.

Rank #290 on Entrepreneur 2026FoodFDD issued May 5, 2026
Ranking ContextRanking from Entrepreneur Media's 2026 Franchise 500. Zorzee is independent and not affiliated with Entrepreneur Media.
Source File2026 Franchise Disclosure Document
About the Brand

About Chester's

Chester's International franchises quick-service restaurants that sell chicken and sides under the Chester's name, including bone-in chicken, chicken filet sandwiches, chicken tenders, and an assortment of side orders. The franchise is offered in three formats: Store-in-Store/Non-Trad Restaurants built out within convenience stores, strip malls, food courts, or other non-traditional locations such as sports arenas; Supermarket Restaurants sold to supermarkets and experienced foodservice operators that use Chester's proprietary breading and packaging to prepare chicken products with their own equipment; and Express Restaurants, small self-service grab 'n go restaurants that heat and sell fully cooked product from a modular kiosk-type unit within a retail business's existing space. Chester's Restaurants compete with other quick-service restaurants, including franchised and non-franchised national and regional chains, as well as coffee shops, budget restaurants, grocery stores offering prepared foods, and convenience stores serving hot food.

Source: Entrepreneur 2026 ranking/profile data and Franchise Disclosure Document, rewritten by Zorzee

Investment Summary

The Numbers At a Glance

Total Investment Range
$27,500 to $306,500
FDD Item 7
Franchise Fee
$3,500
Development fee: $2,000 Supermarket or Express training fee; FY2025 collected range $0 to $3,500.
FDD Item 5
Royalty + Fees
Variable fee model
No royalty visible. Current recurring visible fees include Marketing Support Fee $200/quarter and, for...
FDD Item 6
Earnings Claim
Not Disclosed
This FDD does not disclose an Item 19 earnings claim.
FDD Item 19

Every value here comes straight from the FDD; anything not yet source-verified stays blank rather than estimated. The Pro figures and full interpretation unlock with a Pro membership.

The FDD Data Table

Everything the 2026 Filing Discloses

Every data point Zorzee tracks for this brand, in FDD Item order. Missing source data stays blank; Pro-only interpretation remains locked.

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ItemData PointValueSource
Item 3Litigation Actions (total) 0 actions disclosed FDD Item 3
Item 5Initial Franchise Fee $3,500 FDD Item 5
Item 5Development Fee $2,000 Supermarket or Express training fee; FY2025 collected range $0 to $3,500 FDD Item 5
Item 6Royalty Fee No percentage royalty disclosed in the reviewed fee table; required ongoing fees include $200/quarter Marketing Support Fee and $250 to $325/month POS Technology Fee. FDD Item 6
Item 6National Media Fund Pro FDD Item 6
Item 6Corporate Ad & Development Fund Pro FDD Item 6
Item 6Total Ongoing Fee Burden Pro Calculated (Item 6)
Item 7Total Investment (low) $27,500 FDD Item 7
Item 7Total Investment (high) $306,500 FDD Item 7
Item 8Required Purchases (food/supplies) Pro FDD Item 8
Item 11Franchisor Assistance Pro FDD Item 11
Item 12Exclusive Territory Pro FDD Item 12
Item 12Territory Size Pro FDD Item 12
Item 15Operating Participation Pro FDD Item 15
Item 17Initial Term Length Pro FDD Item 17(a)
Item 17Renewal Terms Pro FDD Item 17(b)-(c)
Item 17Required Remodel at Renewal Pro FDD Item 17(c)
Item 17Termination Triggers Pro FDD Item 17(f)-(h)
Item 17Transfer Fee Pro FDD Item 17(m), Item 6
Item 17ROFR Provisions Pro FDD Item 17(n)
Item 17Post-Termination Non-Compete Pro FDD Item 17(r)
Item 19Revenue Metric Disclosed Pro FDD Item 19
Item 20Total Franchised Units (2025) 918 FDD Item 20
Item 20Company-Owned Units (2025) 0 FDD Item 20
Item 20Total System Net Unit Growth (YoY) -75 FDD Item 20
Item 20Terminations Pro FDD Item 20
Item 20Agreements Signed, Not Yet Open Pro FDD Item 20
Item 21Audited Financials Pro FDD Item 21
Pro Data Points Locked
The free table maps every data point to its FDD source. Pro fills in the values and interpretation that require the full read.
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The Signal Tracker

Five Signals From the 2026 Filing

Each signal turns one part of the filing into a read a buyer can act on. Strength means the disclosed data is favorable. In Line means it is typical for the category. Deal-Specific means the term is populated but you still have to model it against your own deal. Concern means the disclosed data is a real risk. The read is free. The reasoning behind it is the Pro read.

Fee Structure
Deal-Specific
FDD Item 6
The Pro Read

Chester's runs a fixed periodic-fee model rather than a percentage-of-sales royalty, and it discloses no financial performance representation. Because the FDD prints no sales, cost, or profit figures, the ongoing fee burden cannot be sized against unit revenue from this document, and the effective load depends heavily on each location's volume. Treat unit economics as qualitative and confirm them with existing operators.

Unit Economics
Concern
FDD Item 19
The Pro Read

Chester's makes no financial performance representation, so no systemwide average or median unit revenue is disclosed for prospects to model. Earnings expectations must be built from independent diligence rather than franchisor figures, and any sales data gathered elsewhere would reflect gross revenue, not profit.

Litigation History
In Line
FDD Item 3
The Pro Read

Source-reviewed FDD Item 3 discloses 0 actions. The legal-context read remains locked in Pro.

Operator Validation
Concern
FDD Item 20
The Pro Read

The system reported 918 total locations in 2025, all franchised, but the net change was a contraction rather than growth.

Term & Exit Terms
Deal-Specific
FDD Item 17
The Pro Read

The initial term is five years for a store-in-store or non-traditional unit and three years for a supermarket or express unit, with no contractual right to renew except limited automatic one-year extensions for certain formats. Transfer approval is fully discretionary, there is no right of first refusal, and no post-term non-compete is disclosed.

Five Reads In. The Reasoning Is Locked.
You can see where each signal lands. Pro gives you the why: the math, the source detail, and what to validate before you act.
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Item 19: Earnings Disclosure

What the Earnings Claim Says, and What It Does Not

Chester's does not disclose an Item 19 earnings claim in the tracked filing. The caution below stays free.

Not Disclosed

This filing does not publish an Item 19 earnings claim. There is no earnings figure hidden behind the Pro gate.

What the Number Doesn't Tell You
Free, because misreading Item 19 is one of the costliest mistakes a first-time buyer can make.
  • Item 19 reports the disclosed sales or revenue metric. That is not profit, and not a forecast of what you would personally take home.
  • An average and a median are not the same number. Know which you are shown and how far apart they sit.
  • What reaches you is whatever survives operating costs and debt service. Item 19 never shows that figure.
The Rest of the Dossier Is Locked
Pro still covers the fee burden, unit trajectory, litigation, and the Zorzee read. It does not invent an Item 19 figure this filing does not publish.
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Unit Count and Trajectory

A System That Contracted

Total Units
918
Latest sourced FDD year
Franchised
918
FDD Item 20
Company-Owned
0
FDD Item 20
Total System Net Change (YoY)
-75
Latest total-system change
Total System Units, Latest Available FDD Years
1,002
2023
993
2024
918
2025

Chester's trajectory is shown only where source-backed. Missing Item 20 fields stay blank inside the locked layout instead of removing the section.

Source: FDD Item 20 where present. Total system units, franchised plus company-owned. Not financial advice.

Beyond the Net Number
A net unit count is not the same as healthy stores. Pro breaks out openings, closures, terminations, and what the trajectory signals.
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Litigation History

What FDD Item 3 Discloses

0 actions disclosed in source-reviewed FDD Item 3.

Source Status
Item 3 litigation detail not yet sourced
Not yet sourced. No zero-action conclusion has been loaded for this brand.
The Read · Pro
What a Litigation Count Doesn't Tell You
Free, because a raw lawsuit count is one of the most misread lines in any FDD.
  • A count means nothing without scale and time. Always compare it to system size and years covered.
  • The pattern matters more than the total. Repeated allegations matter more than isolated disputes.
  • Concluded and open matters are not the same weight. Open matters require different diligence than old resolved matters.
Litigation Read Locked
Pro gives the case-by-case read: allegations, status, scale context, and whether any pattern matters before signing.
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Editorial Analysis

The Zorzee Read

The Zorzee Take
The editor's synthesis: what the filing actually means once the numbers, diligence, and operator reality are weighed against each other. The Take names what matters, what does not, and what must be validated before any decision.
The Read · Pro
The Inversion
Charlie Munger's rule: to understand a thing, study how it fails. Zorzee stress-tests every brand against forecasting, site selection, management depth, and exit math. The framework is free. Which modes bite hardest for this brand, and the fix for each, is the read.
The Failure-Mode Read · Pro
The Editorial Read Is Locked
Pro unlocks the full Zorzee read on Chester's: the editorial synthesis, the math behind the numbers, and the failure modes the filing reveals. Zorzee briefs the decision; you make it.
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Zorzee editorial. Independent analysis. No franchisor review or approval. Not financial advice.

The Decision

You've Seen the Filing. The Read Is Still the Missing Piece.

The filing tells you what Chester's costs to open. Pro adds the read on whether the numbers work for you, in your market, and whether this brand is a business or a job you bought.

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This Dossier
  • The full read behind all five Signal Tracker verdicts
  • Pro FDD data points from fee burden through Item 17 and audited financials
  • The Item 19 earnings read where disclosed
  • The litigation and system-health read
  • The Zorzee Take and failure-mode analysis
Your Pro Membership
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  • The Zorzee Files: FDD guides, DCF templates, and pro forma models
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