How do you open a PrimoHoagies franchise?
PrimoHoagies’ 2026 disclosure describes this as a typical range, not a guaranteed schedule. The contractual path runs through qualification, federal disclosure review, agreement execution, site and lease approval, design and construction, training, food-safety certification, a pre-opening inspection, and written opening approval. A new unit can be delayed by real estate, permits, contractors, equipment, staffing, or failed training.
What must an applicant qualify for before signing?
The official franchise site currently states financial requirements of $500,000 in liquidity and $1 million in net worth. Its inquiry form also asks about legal residence, desired geography, business or franchise ownership experience, and whether the candidate is applying individually or with partners. These are application-stage screening facts; the FDD does not say that meeting them guarantees approval.
The operating commitment is more specific. For one restaurant, the franchisee or an approved principal must personally provide on-premises management and may not delegate that role to a hired manager. The commitment is at least 40 hours per week. Multi-unit owners must devote at least 40 hours weekly across their restaurants and install a fully trained manager for each unit, also working at least 40 on-premises hours.
Start with the official PrimoHoagies franchise opportunity site. The brand’s consumer site also maintains the official U.S. PrimoHoagies website.
What happens between inquiry and opening authorization?
Which deadlines control the critical path?
The federal disclosure period belongs before signing or payment; it is not part of the construction schedule. The current text of 16 CFR §436.2 specifies 14 calendar days and a separate seven-calendar-day rule for certain unilateral material revisions. The FTC Franchise Rule Compliance Guide provides additional federal context.
What must be approved before construction and opening?
Territory designation, site approval, lease approval, plan approval, construction completion, and opening approval are separate decisions. A typical Territory is a two-mile radius around the Approved Location unless the Franchise Agreement states otherwise, but the Site Selection Territory can be larger and does not become the protected Territory. The franchisor may reserve nontraditional venues and alternative distribution channels within the area.
| Approval | Primary evidence or deliverable | Who controls the decision | What it does not establish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Site | Location description, requested market materials, and favorable site evidence such as a letter of intent | PrimoHoagies Franchising, LLC, in writing | Lease approval, legal compliance, or projected sales |
| Lease | Proposed lease, Conditional Assignment of Lease, and Consent and Agreement of Lessor | Franchisor before execution; landlord signs required forms | Construction approval or protected-territory scope |
| Plans | Preliminary and final drawings prepared through designated professionals | Franchisor for brand standards; local professionals and authorities for codes | Permit issuance or ADA compliance |
| Opening | Completed buildout, equipment, signage, systems, ADA Certification, inspection, and written approval | Franchisor, after required third-party approvals | A guarantee of performance or future compliance |
The franchisee must obtain zoning classifications, construction and operating permits, certificates of occupancy and health, and other locally required clearances. PrimoHoagies’ prototype plans do not replace local construction drawings. The buyer should engage qualified local professionals and check the U.S. Department of Justice Title III ADA guidance and the relevant state and municipal authorities for the actual location.
Who is responsible for each opening dependency?
Applicant / franchisee
- Provide complete qualification and ownership information.
- Find and investigate the site; negotiate the lease subject to approval.
- Hire professionals, obtain permits, construct, insure, equip, staff, certify, and stock the restaurant.
- Complete training and give opening notice.
Franchisor
- Decide candidate, territory, site, lease, plans, trainees, and opening approval.
- Provide or make available standards, prototype plans, manuals, approved suppliers, and training.
- Respond to a complete site submission within 30 days.
- Inspect before opening; opening assistance remains discretionary.
Third parties
- Landlord executes required consent and lease-assignment forms.
- Architects, engineers, contractors, and suppliers deliver compliant work and systems.
- Government authorities issue permits, health approvals, and occupancy documents.
- An approved certification provider administers food-safety training.
What must be completed before written opening approval?
The Initial Training Program totals approximately 195.5 hours: about 150 hours of classroom or in-store training and 45.5 virtual hours. The franchisee, or an approved manager for an entity franchisee, and one additional individual must successfully complete it at least 15 days before opening. An entity must also send at least one owner for required portions of weeks one and five.
The franchisee and each manager must complete ServSafe or a comparable food-safety certification at the franchisee’s expense, with enough certified staff to keep at least one certified employee present during all business hours. Approved POS hardware, software, surveillance, credit-card processing, signage, equipment, uniforms, paper goods, and opening inventory must come from designated or approved sources. The computer system must be operational before opening.
For the first 30 days of operation, every shift must be supervised by someone who completed the Initial Training Program, or longer if required by the franchisor. The $15,000 grand-opening advertising payment for a new unit is due at least 60 days before opening; an acquired existing restaurant follows the separate $10,000 payment timing disclosed for transfers.
How does the multi-unit process differ?
A multi-unit buyer signs the Multi-Unit Option Agreement contemporaneously with the first Franchise Agreement. The option agreement itself does not grant an exclusive development territory, and each restaurant must later be governed by its own then-current Franchise Agreement. The first unit must open within 270 days after the franchisor approves its location.
The remaining unit dates are inserted into the buyer’s Development Schedule; the 2026 form does not publish one universal schedule for every package. Before exercising each additional option, the developer must remain compliant, current on payments, unchanged in effective control without consent, and staffed with personnel who completed required training. Missing an Opening Deadline or Development Schedule date can terminate the option agreement and eliminate undeveloped rights and related incentives without a cure opportunity.
What should a buyer verify before committing?
Sources: PrimoHoagies Franchise Disclosure Document issued April 30, 2026, Items 5–12, 15–17 and 20; Franchise Agreement §§3, 5–7, 13 and 15; Site Selection Addendum; ADA Certification; Multi-Unit Option Agreement §§1–3; official PrimoHoagies franchise and brand websites; 16 CFR §436.2 and FTC guidance. FDD contractual citations are intentionally unlinked because no matching 2026 FDD was verified on a franchise-controlled public domain.
What is the practical opening conclusion?
The verified PrimoHoagies path is inquiry and qualification, FDD review, approval and agreement execution, site and lease approval, franchisor-approved design and buildout, permits and systems, successful training and food-safety certification, final inspection, and written opening authorization. The FDD’s total timeline is an official typical 30–180 day range, while the 270-day provisions are contractual deadlines.
The most important applicant-controlled dependency is securing an approvable site and lease early enough to protect the construction and training schedule. The most important outside dependency is coordinated approval by PrimoHoagies, the landlord, professionals, suppliers, contractors, and local authorities. The key issue to verify is which opening trigger applies at signing—and, for a multi-unit buyer, every date inserted into the Development Schedule.