FRANCHISE·WATCH·DESK

Verified — real FDD extraction

Not found in the SBA Franchise Directory — SBA financing may be unavailable; verify with your lender

The Piggy BBQ

Food & Dining · independent · est. —

The Piggy BBQ is a barbecue restaurant brand serving smoked and grilled meats and traditional BBQ sides. A franchisee would run a BBQ restaurant or quick-service outlet, managing smoking/cooking operations and counter or table service. (Details limited; description based on the brand name and food category.)

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A franchise is a business where you (the franchisee) pay a company (the franchisor) for the right to open and run a location using their brand and system — think a local Anytime Fitness or Taco John's owned by a small-business owner, not the corporation.

Before you can buy in, U.S. law requires the franchisor to give you a Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD) — a long legal filing covering its fees, finances, and history. The numbers on this page come straight from that document:

  • Franchise fee — the one-time cost to buy in.
  • Royalty — the ongoing cut of your sales you pay the franchisor.
  • Item 20 — how many locations opened and closed, the basis for our verdict (from Proven & strong down to Distressed — or Too new to judge).

The verdict

Not enough disclosure

Distress

0
STABLE

No verified FDD extraction to judge from. Any figures shown are labelled sample data or independent federal records.

Exit rate · latest year

Not disclosed

Cost to open

$306K–$942K

Item 7 total investment range

SBA loan defaults

No loan record

no SBA 7(a)/504 loans found for this brand

Behind the verdict

the record, factor by factor · Item 20

hi-1.0.0
Net unit growth35%

3-yr trend · Item 20 Table 1

Fair
Exit quality25%

terminations + ceased-ops vs. all exits · Table 3

Strong
Transfer / churn15%

transfers vs. base · Table 3

Fair
Promise-keeping10%

actual vs. projected openings · Table 5

Weak
Transparency15%

Item 19 disclosure + completeness

Weak

Systemwide units

2021–2023

0.0%
220212202222023

Survival record

FDD Item 20 · outlet status by year

In fiscal 2023, 0 of 0 franchised outlets left the system. Not every exit is a failure — but this is the measurable floor.

Show the outlet tables
Status (FTC)202120222023
Outlets at start222
Opened000
Transfers000
Terminations000
Non-renewals000
Reacquired by franchisor000
Ceased — other reasons000
Outlets at end222
Net change000

What it costs — and what it drags

FDD Items 5–7 · fees, investment, royalty

Buying in means a $35K franchise fee (Item 5) and a total investment of $306K–$942K (Item 7). The franchisor publishes no earnings claim (Item 19) — ask current and former franchisees for real numbers.

To open (Item 7)

$306K–$942K

all-in investment range

Franchise fee (Item 5)

$35K

upfront, one-time

Royalty (Item 6)

5%

of sales, ongoing

If a unit does this in annual sales…$1M/yr

Your figure — this brand discloses no Item 19 earnings; validate with current & former owners.

Royalty you'd pay / yr

$50K

5% of sales, before profit

Over a 10-yr term

$500K

royalties alone, excl. ad fund

This is not profit. It's the only money the FDD actually pins down — what you put in, and the royalty you owe on every dollar of sales. Your real take-home depends on labor, rent, food cost, and ramp-to-breakeven, none of which any FDD discloses.

Build a real pro-forma for The Piggy BBQ with an independent CPA

Distress signals

news-sourced · bankruptcies, closures, lawsuits

No recent closures, bankruptcies, or major lawsuits found in the news for The Piggy BBQ. That's a good sign — but it reflects news coverage, not a guarantee.

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A broker is paid by the franchisor to place you. An independent CPA is paid by you — and the job is pressure-testing The Piggy BBQ's numbers, including talking you out of a bad deal.

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The Piggy BBQ franchise questions, answered from the filings

How much does a The Piggy BBQ franchise cost?

Per The Piggy BBQ's 2024 FDD, buying in requires an initial franchise fee of $35K (Item 5) and a total initial investment of $306K–$942K (Item 7).

What royalty does The Piggy BBQ charge?

The Piggy BBQ charges an ongoing royalty of 5.0% of gross sales, per Item 6 of its 2024 FDD.

Does The Piggy BBQ disclose earnings (Item 19)?

No — The Piggy BBQ's 2024 FDD makes no financial performance representation in Item 19. That is legal and common, but it means the franchisor publishes no earnings claim; ask current franchisees for real numbers.

Is The Piggy BBQ a good franchise to buy? Health score, exit rate & costs (2026) · Franchise Watch Desk