Chatime franchise fees and terms
Total investment starts at $300,000 + GST, typically $300,000 to $375,000 depending on store format and site. Chatime does not charge an application deposit at any stage. The franchise agreement term is 5 years, with renewal options. Royalty and marketing levy rates are set out in the disclosure document you receive before you sign anything.
The fee structure, item by item
Every figure below is either published in full or marked as something you receive in your disclosure document. Nothing is estimated.
| Item | What applies at Chatime |
|---|---|
| Application deposit | None. Chatime does not ask for a deposit at any point in the application process, refundable or otherwise. |
| Total initial investment | From $300,000 + GST, typically $300,000 to $375,000 depending on store format and the specific site. |
| What the investment covers | The franchise fee, store fit-out, equipment, training and opening stock. |
| Initial franchise fee | Included within the total investment above. Itemised separately in your disclosure document. |
| Ongoing royalty | Set out in your disclosure document. Chatime does not publish the rate on this page. |
| Marketing levy | Set out in your disclosure document. Chatime does not publish the rate on this page. |
| Franchise agreement term | 5 years, with renewal options available. |
| Renewal and transfer costs | Set out in your disclosure document. |
| Earnings or profit projections | Chatime does not publish these. See the section below for why. |
Why some numbers are not on this page
Because the ones that matter to your decision should come to you in a form you can hold a franchisor to, not as marketing copy on a website.
Fee rates belong in the disclosure document
Your royalty, marketing levy, renewal and transfer costs are all set out in the disclosure document you receive before signing. That document is a formal instrument under the Franchising Code of Conduct. A number on a web page is not, and it can go stale without anyone noticing.
We do not publish earnings figures
Under the Franchising Code, a franchisor may choose whether to give earnings information, and if it does, it must stand behind its accuracy. Chatime does not publish turnover, profit or return-on-investment figures, and no franchisor in Australia can lawfully guarantee what a business will earn.
What actually determines what a store earns
Site and lease terms, local competition, wage and rent costs, trading hours, and how the business is run day to day. Two Chatime stores with identical fit-outs can perform very differently. Anyone who tells you otherwise — in any franchise system — is telling you something they cannot support.
What the Franchising Code of Conduct entitles you to
These are your rights as a prospective franchisee in Australia. They apply to Chatime and to every other franchise system you might be considering.
A disclosure document, at least 14 days before you sign
The franchisor must give you the disclosure document at least 14 days before you sign a franchise agreement. If a franchisor gives you earnings information, that must come in the same 14-day window, with a statement that it is accurate to the best of their knowledge.
A 14-day cooling-off period after you sign
You may terminate the agreement in writing within 14 days of entering into it, and get some or all of your money back. The cooling-off period can only be waived in limited circumstances, such as where you recently held a substantially similar agreement with the same franchisor.
A public record you can check independently
Franchisors must publish information on the Franchise Disclosure Register, a public government register. You can look up Chatime, and any brand you are comparing it against, without asking the franchisor's permission.
A duty of good faith, both ways
Both parties must act in good faith in their dealings with each other. That obligation runs through negotiation, the life of the agreement, and how it ends.
Somewhere to go if it goes wrong
The ACCC enforces the Code, and the Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman can assist with franchising disputes. Neither costs you anything to approach.
Training and support
Training is included in the investment figure above. You do not need food and beverage experience to be considered.
5 days online
Systems, product knowledge, compliance and the operating standards you will be held to, completed before you set foot in a store.
6 days in-store in Sydney
Hands-on training in a working Sydney franchise, alongside a current Chatime franchise partner — not a classroom, and not a demonstration store.
Questions worth asking any franchisor
Including this one. If a brand will not answer these plainly, that is information in itself.
Can I speak to franchisees I choose myself?
Not a curated list. Ask for the full franchisee contact details in the disclosure document and pick your own.
How many franchisees left the network last year, and why?
Transfers, terminations and non-renewals are disclosable. Ask for the numbers and the reasons.
What does the total investment actually include, and what will I still have to fund?
Working capital, your own professional fees and any landlord requirements typically sit outside the headline figure in any system.
What happens at the end of the term?
Renewal rights, what a renewal costs, and what happens to the site and the lease if you do not renew.
What capital expenditure can I be asked for mid-term?
Significant capital expenditure must be disclosed. Ask what a refurbishment cycle looks like and who decides when it happens.
Will you put that in writing?
Anything material that is said in a meeting but does not appear in the disclosure document or the agreement is not something you can rely on.
Take independent advice, and budget for it
Have a franchise lawyer and an accountant review the disclosure document and the franchise agreement before you sign. This is standard practice, it is expected, and no reputable franchisor will discourage it.
Chatime franchise fees and terms: your questions
Does Chatime charge a franchise application deposit?
No. Chatime does not charge an application deposit at any stage of the recruitment process, refundable or otherwise. You are not asked for money to begin an application or to be considered.
How much does a Chatime franchise cost in Australia?
Total investment starts at $300,000 + GST and typically runs to $375,000, depending on store format and the specific site. That covers the franchise fee, fit-out, equipment, training and opening stock. Costs specific to a site are itemised in your disclosure document.
What is the Chatime franchise agreement term?
The standard Chatime franchise agreement term is 5 years, with renewal options available. Full terms, including what renewal involves, are set out in the disclosure document provided before you sign.
What royalty and marketing levy does Chatime charge?
Chatime's royalty and marketing levy rates are set out in the disclosure document you receive at least 14 days before signing a franchise agreement. They are not published on this website.
How much can I earn from a Chatime franchise?
Chatime does not publish earnings, turnover or return-on-investment figures, and no franchisor in Australia can lawfully guarantee financial performance. What a store earns depends on its site and lease, local competition, operating costs and how it is run. Take the disclosure document to your own accountant.
When do I receive the disclosure document?
Under the Franchising Code of Conduct, a franchisor must give you the disclosure document at least 14 days before you sign a franchise agreement. You also have a 14-day cooling-off period after signing, during which you can terminate in writing and recover some or all of your money.
Do I need food and beverage experience to open a Chatime franchise?
No. Training covers what you need: 5 days online followed by 6 days in-store at a Sydney franchise, working alongside a current Chatime franchise partner. Training is included in the investment figure.
What store formats does Chatime offer?
Two: a kiosk format suited to shopping centre food courts, and an inline format for street-front and larger retail tenancies. Which format applies depends on the site, and the investment required varies with it.
Ready to see the detail?
Enquire and a franchise consultant will talk you through the numbers for the sites that are actually available. No deposit, no obligation.
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