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FRANCHISE RESALES

Buy a Hotshots Sports Bar and Grill Franchise

Hotshots Sports Bar and Grill is an interactive sports-bar-and-grill concept that pairs full-service casual dining with a full bar and in-venue entertainment. Founded in 1990 by Dan and Julie Volmert in St. Louis, Missouri, the brand built its following on the promise of “All the Games, All the Time,” putting live sports on high-definition screens alongside pool tables, darts and video games.

The menu is designed for fast, consistent preparation and includes smash burgers, St. Louis-style pizza, wings, salads and sandwiches, paired with a wide draft and bottled beer selection. Service standards are built into the model, with guests greeted within 30 seconds and meals targeted for delivery in under 10 minutes. The format draws lunch, dinner and late-night crowds, giving units multiple day-parts.

Hotshots remains family-owned and is now led by the founders’ second generation. The network is concentrated in the St. Louis area and operates across several states, with announced expansion into Florida and the Houston, Texas market. It is a regional brand with a long operating history rather than a national chain.

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Why buy a Hotshots Sports Bar and Grill Franchise?

Hotshots offers a recognised, decades-tested sports-bar format in a hospitality category that draws steady local demand around live sports, casual dining and social nightlife. For a buyer, the appeal is an established operating playbook: a proprietary, efficiency-focused menu, defined service standards and a support team built around running a high-volume bar and grill rather than inventing one.

The multi-day-part model spreads revenue across food, beverage and branded merchandise, and the entertainment-led atmosphere is designed to encourage repeat visits and longer stays. Buying into an established network also gives owners vendor relationships and operating systems that an independent bar operator would have to build from scratch.

Hotshots Sports Bar and Grill Franchise Costs & Information

Based on 2024 data reported in the 2025 FDD

  • Brand Profile

    • Year Founded

      1990

    • Franchising Since

      2010

    • New Startup Cost

      $969,000 – $2,156,000

    • Avg. Resale Price

      Contact us for details

  • Franchise Fees

    • Initial franchise Fee

      $50,000

      for new territories

    • Transfer Fee

      Up to 50%

      of then-current Initial Franchise Fee

    • Royalty Fee

      6%

      of Gross Sales or $500/week min

    • Marketing Fee

      2%

      of Gross Sales

  • Unit Performance

    • Total Units *

      14

    • New Units Opened *

      1

    • Units Transferred *

      0

    • Avg. Unit revenue *

      $1,541,838

    * Based on 2024 data reported in the 2025 FDD

Hotshots Sports Bar and Grill – Additional  Information

  1. Training & Support

    Hotshots gives incoming owners approximately six weeks (around 240+ hours) of hands-on training at corporate locations, covering both back- and front-of-house operations, plus roughly one week (40+ hours) of in-person launch support. Ongoing help comes from operations and marketing teams who guide day-to-day running of the venue, backed by annual marketing plans and vendor relationships that give franchisees purchasing leverage. Resale buyers should confirm with Hotshots what transfer training and onboarding the franchisor provides to incoming owners and existing staff when a unit changes hands.

  2. Ideal Owner

    The model suits a hands-on, operations-led owner comfortable running a high-volume hospitality venue. Prior restaurant experience is not required, but owners should be confident managing kitchen and bar staff, holding service standards under pressure and keeping a busy, multi-day-part operation running smoothly. Strong local marketing instincts and genuine enthusiasm for sports and a social, high-energy atmosphere help drive the repeat-visit traffic the format depends on. It best fits community-minded operators who want to be present in the business rather than passive investors.

  3. Recognition & Awards

    Hotshots earned national consumer recognition when it was named No. 3 in the USA TODAY 10Best Readers' Choice Awards for Best Sports Bar (2026), a public-vote ranking that reflects a loyal fan base built over more than 30 years of operation. Beyond that, the brand's reputation rests on its long-running St. Louis presence and recognisable "All the Games, All the Time" positioning. For resale buyers, brand-level recognition should be weighed alongside the specific territory's reputation, including local reviews, repeat customers and community visibility.

  4. Industry / Market

    Hotshots competes in the US bars and nightclubs sector, an industry worth roughly $39 billion in 2026 (IBISWorld), within a broader US restaurant industry that generates close to $900 billion in annual sales. Demand is driven by consumer spending on live-sports viewing, casual dining and social nightlife, with sports bars benefiting from event-driven traffic around major games and seasons. The category carries some sensitivity to discretionary spending and local competition, so for resale buyers the strength of a specific venue depends heavily on its location, day-part mix and established local following.

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