Established
1979
Franchise Units
2
Minimum Investment
$100,000
Franchise Fee
$25,000
Total Investment Range
$400,000
Home Based
No
Description
Jody Maroni’s Sausage Kingdom is an iconic gourmet street-food franchise concept born on the vibrant boardwalk of Venice Beach, California. Known for its bold flavors, handcrafted sausages, and lively brand personality, the franchise blends nostalgia, artisan cooking, and modern fast-casual dining. Customers come for the fun, stay for the food, and return because the brand offers something unlike anything else in the QSR category—a premium twist on classic American comfort food.
Over the years, Jody Maroni’s has built a loyal following by doing something simple extremely well: elevating the humble hot dog into a gourmet experience. With its creative recipes, fresh-baked onion rolls, and unexpected flavor combinations, the brand appeals to food-lovers, travelers, families, and anyone seeking memorable, flavorful meals. For franchisees, the model delivers a proven, compact, fast-casual format that thrives in high-traffic environments such as boardwalks, malls, stadiums, airports, and entertainment venues. It’s a playful, high-energy concept that offers strong differentiation and an opportunity to carve out a profitable niche in America’s booming specialty fast-casual market.
Why Invest in This Franchise?
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Unique & Differentiated Concept: Not your typical hot dog stand—this is gourmet sausages with personality, premium ingredients, and a signature brand story.
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Strong Brand Identity: The “Sausage Kingdom” theme is fun, memorable, and naturally social-media-friendly, giving franchisees strong marketing potential.
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High-Traffic Venue Model: Smaller footprints and flexible layouts make it ideal for food courts, airports, stadiums, entertainment zones, and walk-up locations.
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Multiple Revenue Streams: In-store dining, grab-and-go, catering, event carts, kiosks, and retail sausage sales add valuable income diversification.
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Appeal to Modern Consumers: Today’s diners want higher-quality comfort food with a twist—this franchise is perfectly positioned to deliver it.
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Brand Heritage: With decades of history and a strong California origin story, franchisees can leverage authenticity and brand credibility.
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Scalable Growth Options: Ideal for single-unit operators or investors seeking multi-unit expansion across key metropolitan or entertainment markets.
Background
Jody Maroni’s Sausage Kingdom began its journey in 1979 on the iconic boardwalk of Venice Beach, California. Founded by Jordan Monkarsh, known affectionately as “Jody Maroni,” the brand quickly earned a cult following for its handcrafted gourmet sausages, playful personality, and elevated take on classic American street food. What started as a small family-operated sausage stand soon gained recognition for its bold flavors, fresh-baked onion rolls, and creative, globally inspired sausage recipes.
Throughout the late 1980s, 1990s, and early 2000s, the brand expanded into high-traffic entertainment venues, including shopping centers, airports, stadiums, and tourist-heavy boardwalks. Its unique blend of artisan sausages and fast-casual service set it apart from typical hot dog stands, positioning it as a premium specialty concept within the QSR space.
The company is recognized as a third-generation family business, built on the principles of quality ingredients, inventive recipes, and a fun, guest-engaging brand style. The franchise officially began offering opportunities in the late 1990s, and historical franchise listings show that the brand operated a small number of franchised units, often located in high-visibility, destination-style venues.
with approximate records pointing toward around 2 active units in recent years. Because franchise activity may vary or change over time, candidates are encouraged to verify current availability directly with the brand.
Positioned within the Food & Beverage → Fast Casual / Specialty Sausages & Hot Dogs category, Jody Maroni’s Sausage Kingdom remains known for its flavorful menu, Venice Beach origin story, and long-standing heritage as one of America’s most distinctive gourmet sausage experiences.
Support Training
Pre-Launch Support:
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Assistance with site selection and location evaluation.
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Guidance for building out high-traffic, compact units suited to malls, airports, boardwalks, and stadiums.
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Operational Training:
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Hands-on training covering food preparation, grilling techniques, menu execution, food safety, workflow, and customer service.
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Classroom modules covering management, inventory control, hiring, and brand standards.
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Historical training models list more than 100 hours of structured training.
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Marketing Support:
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Branding materials, launch strategies, local store marketing tools, seasonal promotions, and storytelling-driven marketing assets.
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Support for grand openings and location-specific marketing pushes.
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Ongoing Support:
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Operational evaluations, field visits, and access to established supplier networks.
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Product updates, new flavor releases, and menu development guidance.
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Purchasing programs for key ingredients and specialty sausages.
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Supply Chain Support:
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Centralized sausage production ensures consistent quality and a unique competitive advantage.
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Standardized recipes and proprietary flavor blends help maintain the brand’s premium positioning.
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Ideal Candidate
Customer-Focused & Energetic: Someone who enjoys engaging with guests and thrives in lively, high-traffic settings.
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Foodservice or Hospitality Experience: Helpful but not mandatory—ideal for candidates who understand quick-service operations.
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Brand-Driven Personality: Passion for creative food, fun branding, and social-media-friendly customer experiences.
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Financially Prepared: Has the capital to invest in build-out, equipment, and working capital for the first 3–6 months.
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Location-Savvy: Understands the importance of choosing a high-traffic spot like a boardwalk, mall, airport, or entertainment destination.
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Operationally Disciplined: Able to follow brand systems, maintain quality standards, and manage labor and food costs.
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Growth-Oriented: Suitable for both single-unit owners and investors interested in multi-unit or area development.
Financial Detail
Total Investment Range: Approx. $100,000 – $400,000 depending on location type, build-out, and equipment.
Minimum Liquid Capital Required: Approx. $100,000.
Franchise Fee: Around $25,000.
Royalty Fees: Traditionally around 5% of gross sales.
Marketing Fee: Approx. 1.5% of gross sales.
Infrastructure Costs:
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Small kitchen setup, grill line, refrigeration, signage, POS systems, and branded design elements.
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High-traffic locations may require additional leasehold improvements.
Working Capital: Recommended 3–6 months of operating expenses including payroll, inventory, utilities, and marketing.
Expected ROI & Break-Even:
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Typical fast-casual operations aim for break-even in 12–24 months.
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Estimated ROI ranges vary depending on foot traffic, location type, menu mix, and cost control.
Revenue Streams:
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Walk-up and dine-in sales.
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Catering services and event carts/kiosks.
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Merchandise and packaged retail sausages.
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Multi-unit expansion potential.