Start a Wayback Burgers Franchise in 2025

Franchise 500 Rank: N/R Not ranked last year

Initial investment: $256K - $850K

Units as of 2024: 168 12.8% over 3 years

At Wayback Burgers, you may find yourself saying, "Wayback is Waybetter!" The franchise specializes in several flavors of delicious hand-dipped milkshakes, hot dogs, distinctive chicken sandwiches, french fries, onion rings, and, of course, burgers. From its humble Delaware beginnings way back in 1991, the franchise has grown to have more than 120 franchised locations across the United States along with several international locations.

According to the franchise's chief development officer, Wayback Burgers established international locations out of numerous requests by global investors. The franchise only started offering franchising opportunities in 2006, but they're focused on expanding across all 50 states and other parts of the world.

Why You May Want to Start a Wayback Burgers Franchise

The franchise is quick to embrace technology so that it can improve operations within its systems. Wayback Burger franchises have an app where customers can place fast online orders at their convenience. With the utilization of electric trucks, the Wayback Burger franchises are mindful of the environment.

There are numerous burger franchises in the market, most offering a great menu, but a franchise needs to offer more than just a good thick burger to stand out from the competition. Wayback Burger understands that success in this industry boils down to customer service. This is why, since its start, the brand has strived to provide helpful assistance.

What Might Make a Wayback Burgers Franchise a Good Choice?

When deciding how to expand, Wayback Burger chose to use a somewhat unconventional approach. Instead of going for large spaces to drive more sales volumes, the company decided to go for smaller spaces. Wayback Burgers thought this would help reduce the rent of the locations, thus reducing the required overhead costs. There were big perks to using the small space approach since it reduced initial investment and attracted more investors.

Wayback Burgers is typically thought of as a reasonably affordable franchise, although you should make sure you’re financially ready for an initial investment that will include a franchise fee and other startup costs. You should also be prepared for ongoing fees, which will include advertising, royalty, and renewal fees. Franchisees will also need to meet the franchise's set net worth and liquid capital requirements.

How to Open a Wayback Burgers Franchise

To get started with your Wayback Burgers franchise, submit an inquiry form. As you decide if starting a Wayback Burgers franchise is for you, make sure you take time to explore the opportunity. Research the brand and your local area to see if a Wayback Burgers franchise would do well in your community. If there are multiple other burger franchises in the immediate area, then you may want to reconsider opening a Wayback Burgers franchise in that location.

Before making any financial commitment or signing an agreement, you must perform your due diligence and establish if this is the right opportunity for you. Speak to existing franchisees and ask questions pointed at the Wayback Burgers team. If you believe that the opportunity is for you, then bite into Wayback Burgers and let yourself dig into this tasty franchise opportunity.

Company Overview

About Wayback Burgers

Industry	Food
Related Categories	Hamburgers
Founded	1991
Parent Company	Jake's Franchising LLC
Leadership	John Eucalitto, CEO
Corporate Address	716 S. Main St. Cheshire, CT 06410
Social	Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok

Business Overview

Franchising Since	2006 (19 years)
# of employees at HQ	39
Where seeking	This company is offering new franchises throughout the US. This company is offering new franchises worldwide.
# of Units	168 (as of 2024)

Information for Franchisees

Here's what you need to know if you're interested in opening a Wayback Burgers franchise.

Financial Requirements & Ongoing Fees

Here's what you can expect to spend to start the business and what ongoing fees the franchisor charges throughout the life of the business.

Initial Franchise Fee Definition: The initial fee paid to a franchisor to join their system What you need to know: Found in Item 5 of the FDD, this may be a flat fee, or may vary based on territory size, experience, or other factors.The franchise fee is an up-front (one-time) cost that a new franchisee pays to the franchisor. This fee is usually due at the signing of the franchise agreement and covers the right to use the franchisor's trademarks, name, and related business systems.	$35,000
Initial Investment Definition: The total amount necessary to begin operation of the franchise What you need to know: The initial investment includes the franchise fee, along with other startup expenses such as real estate, equipment, supplies, business licenses, and working capital. This is outlined in a chart in Item 7 of the FDD, showing a range of possible costs from low to high.	$256,000 - $850,000
Net Worth Requirement Definition: The minimum net worth you must have in order to qualify to become a franchisee of this company What you need to know: Net worth is the value of a person's assets minus liabilities. Assets include cash, stocks, retirement accounts, and real estate. Liabilities include items like mortgages, car payments, and credit card debt.	$400,000 - $500,000
Cash Requirement Definition: The minimum liquid capital you must have available in order to qualify to become a franchisee of this company.	$200,000 - $250,000
Veteran Incentives Definition: A discount or other incentive offered to military veterans who buy a franchise with this company.	$5,000 off franchise fee
Royalty Fee Definition: A ongoing fee paid to the franchisor on a regular basis. What you need to know: Most franchisors require franchisees to pay an ongoing royalty fee, which is detailed in Item 6 of the FDD. This fee is typically a percentage of weekly or monthly gross sales, but may also be a flat weekly, monthly, or annual fee.	5%
Ad Royalty Fee Definition: An going fee paid to the franchisor on a regular basis to support advertising or marketing efforts. What you need to know: This may also be called advertising fee, marketing fee, brand fund fee, and more, but the basic purpose is the same-- to support promotion of the brand systemwide. As with the royalty fee, it is detailed in Item 6 of the FDD, and can be a percentage of weekly or monthly gross sales or a weekly, monthly, or annual fee.	4%
Term of Agreement Definition: The length of time your franchise agreement will last. What you need to know: Franchise terms are typically anywhere from 5 to 20 years in length, but are sometimes instead dependent on factors such as the term of your lease. Once your term is up, you may have the option to renew your agreement, typically for a smaller fee than the original franchise fee.	20 years
Is franchise term renewable?	Yes

Financing Options

Some franchisors offer in-house financing, while others have relationships with third-party financing sources to which they refer qualified franchisees.

Third Party Financing	Wayback Burgers has relationships with third-party sources which offer financing to cover the following: startup costs, equipment

Training & Support Offered

Franchisors offer initial training programs and a variety of ongoing support options to help franchisees run their businesses.

On-The-Job Training	100 hours
Classroom Training	40 hours
Ongoing Support	Newsletter Meetings & Conventions Grand Opening Online Support Security & Safety Procedures Lease Negotiation Field Operations Site Selection Proprietary Software Franchisee Intranet Platform
Marketing Support	Co-op Advertising Ad Templates National Media Regional Advertising Social Media SEO Website Development Email Marketing Loyalty Program/App

Operations

Additional details about running this franchise.

Is absentee ownership allowed?	Yes
Can this franchise be run from home/mobile unit? Definition: The business can be run from your home and/or a vehicle, and it is not necessary to have a retail facility, office space, or warehouse.	No
Can this franchise be run part time? Definition: This business can be run by the owner on a part-time basis (less than 40 hours per week) and/or as a side business; it is not necessary for the business to be open/run full-time.	No
Are exclusive territories available? Definition: An exclusive territory is a fixed area in which you are given the right to operate and in which no other units of the same franchise may be opened. What you need to know: Territory size may be based on factors such as radius, population size, zip codes, and more. Details can be found in Item 12 of the FDD.	No