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FRANCHISE RESALES

Buy a Schlotzsky’s Deli Franchise

Schlotzsky’s Deli is a fast-casual deli franchise built around oven-baked sandwiches, founded in 1971 as a single sandwich shop in Austin, Texas. Its signature item, The Original®, is a muffuletta-style sandwich layered with premium meats, cheeses and marinated black olives on freshly baked sourdough. The menu has since broadened to include pizzas, wraps, salads, soups and sweet treats.

The brand now operates more than 250 restaurants across 20-plus states, concentrated in the southern and southwestern US with continued expansion into other markets. Units run in several formats, including traditional, drive-thru and non-traditional locations, and serve multiple dayparts through dine-in, drive-thru, take-out, online ordering and catering.

Schlotzsky’s is part of GoTo Foods (formerly Focus Brands), the multi-brand platform that also owns Auntie Anne’s, Cinnabon and Jamba. After a 2004 bankruptcy and later ownership changes, the brand has been modernised under this parent, with refreshed restaurant designs and menu updates supporting its fast-casual positioning.

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Why buy a Schlotzsky’s Deli Franchise?

Buying a Schlotzsky’s Deli franchise means stepping into one of the original fast-casual deli concepts: a brand with more than five decades of name recognition and a distinctive signature product that sets it apart from generic sandwich competitors. Its multi-daypart, multi-format menu gives an operator several revenue streams within a single location, spanning dine-in lunch traffic, drive-thru, catering and online orders.

As part of the GoTo Foods portfolio, franchisees gain supply-chain scale and spend management across one of North America’s larger multi-brand restaurant platforms, alongside established operating systems and marketing support. The brand has invested in modernised store designs and drive-thru formats aimed at improving throughput in a competitive quick-service market.

Schlotzsky’s Deli Franchise Costs & Information

Based on 2025 data reported in the 2026 FDD

  • Brand Profile

    • Year Founded

      1971

    • Franchising Since

      1977

    • New Startup Cost

      $668,775 – $2,261,500

    • Avg. Resale Price

      Contact us for details

  • Franchise Fees

    • Initial franchise Fee

      $35,500

      for new territories

    • Transfer Fee

      50%

      of the then-current Initial Franchise Fee

    • Royalty Fee

      6%

      of Net Sales

    • Marketing Fee

      4%

      of Net Sales

  • Unit Performance

    • Total Units *

      294

    • New Units Opened *

      4

    • Units Transferred *

      12

    • Avg. Unit revenue *

      $1,157,190

    * Based on 2025 data reported in the 2026 FDD

Schlotzsky’s Deli – Additional  Information

  1. Training & Support

    New franchisees receive structured initial training, including 18-50 hours of classroom instruction and 36-200 hours of on-the-job training, with hands-on time at an operating restaurant. Ongoing guidance comes from a regional market leader, supported by GoTo Foods' supply-chain and spend-management resources, menu optimisation, and national and local marketing including PR and co-op advertising. Resale buyers should confirm with Schlotzsky's what transfer training and system access the franchisor provides to incoming owners and inherited staff when ownership changes.

  2. Ideal Owner

    Schlotzsky's looks for owners with a solid background in business operations; prior restaurant or multi-unit foodservice experience is a strong advantage but not essential given the training provided. The model suits hands-on, operations-led operators comfortable managing staff, controlling food and labour costs and driving local sales across several dayparts. Community-minded owners who want to be active in their market and build a strong local team tend to fit the brand well, whether running one restaurant or developing several.

  3. Recognition & Awards

    Schlotzsky's is regularly recognised in Entrepreneur's Franchise 500, including a 2025 ranking, and has appeared on the Franchise Times Top 400 and Newsweek's America's Best Customer Service list (2023). Widely credited as one of the pioneers of the fast-casual category, the brand has built lasting recognition around its signature Original® sandwich and more than 50 years of operation, now backed by the GoTo Foods platform. For resale buyers, brand-level recognition should be weighed alongside the specific territory's local reviews, referral sources and community standing.

  4. Industry / Market

    The US fast-casual restaurant segment is a multibillion-dollar category that has consistently grown faster than traditional quick-service, as diners trade up for made-to-order quality at accessible prices. Demand is supported by convenience-driven habits, the shift toward drive-thru, off-premise and digital ordering, and appetite for customisable menus. Sandwiches and deli fare remain a durable, broadly appealing daypart staple. For resale buyers, a unit's drive-thru and digital ordering capability, local competition and daypart mix are key factors in judging ongoing demand.

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