Franchising FAQ

Franchising Journey

The journey to joining the Montana's BBQ Lifestyle begins with submitting an inquiry. Once you submit your form, you’ll gain access to deeper insights into our brand’s opportunities. Our Franchising Team will review your information and reach out within 2 business days to start the conversation.

From the moment you submit your inquiry, the discovery and approval process typically takes four to seven weeks. Depending on your province, a mandatory 2-week Franchise Disclosure Period may apply. Once approved, we move into the exciting phase of site selection and development. The timeline for this stage is dependent on the current availability of viable sites in your market.

Experience & Training

While prior experience in the hospitality industry can be helpful, it is not a requirement to become a successful franchisee. We’re looking for passionate, driven individuals who are committed to operational excellence and delivering a great guest experience. Our comprehensive training programs, ongoing support, and proven systems are designed to set you up for success, whether you're an experienced operator or new to the restaurant business.

Our training program gives you the skills, knowledge, and confidence to run a thriving restaurant from day one. You’ll learn everything you need to know to operate efficiently, deliver exceptional experiences, and lead a high-performing team.

Training program highlights:

  • Operational and business training from frontline to management
  • In-depth menu knowledge, including ingredients and preparation methods
  • Management skills: staffing, scheduling, inventory, and financial oversight
  • Food safety and health & safety best practices
  • Hands-on, in-restaurant experience
  • Flexible online training modules

At Montana's, training isn’t a one-time event, it’s a competitive advantage. We invest in your success with ongoing learning in leadership, finance, hospitality, and technology. Delivered through virtual, in-person, and on-demand formats, our programs keep you and your team ahead of the curve, so you can focus on what matters most: running a thriving restaurant.

Investment & Fees

As a Montana's franchisee, you will pay a 5% Royalty Fee based on gross sales, along with a 3% contribution to the National Advertising Fund. These fees empower the brand to execute high-impact national marketing campaigns, develop new menu innovations, and provide you with top-tier operational support and technology upgrades.

A Montana's restaurant starts from $1.1M. Investment levels vary by concept and by whether the site is a new ground up build, a conversion, or a non-traditional format. As part of this initial investment, franchise partners must also provide a minimum cash contribution starting from $350,000 for full-service restaurants. Please contact us to learn more about franchise costs and financial requirements.

Pre-opening costs should be considered when you prepare your location for launch and ensure a strong start. Pre-opening expenses may include, initial inventory and smallwares, hiring and training staff, local marketing and grand opening promotion, utility deposits and setup fees, pre-opening rent.

These costs will vary depending on the brand, market and the size of the location. You’ll find a full breakdown of the expected pre-opening costs in the Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD), and our team will work closely with you to plan and budget accordingly

Growth Markets

We are expanding across Canada and we’re excited about the potential.

Click here to see available markets and locations.

Operations

To succeed, franchise partners start by taking an active, hands-on role - getting to know the business, guiding their team, and helping daily operations run smoothly, especially in the early stages of the business. Over time, many partners transition into more of an oversight role as their team grows in capability. Throughout your journey, our proven tools, technology and systems make day-to-day tasks easier and provide the support you need to run your business with confidence.