Opening a franchise location is not simpler than opening an independent business — it's just a different kind of complex. You're operating within a franchisor's system, which means specific build-out requirements, approved vendor lists, required training timelines, and a franchisee agreement that may specify a required opening date. Miss that date and you may face contractual consequences.

A Gantt chart for a franchise launch gives the franchisee and the franchisor a shared view of every milestone between lease signing and grand opening — so neither party is surprised by a delay and there's a clear record of what was planned and what happened.

The Franchise Launch Timeline: How Long Does It Really Take?

Depending on the franchise concept, location type (new construction vs. second-generation space), and market, a franchise launch typically takes:

Quick service restaurant (new build): 12–18 months
Quick service restaurant (second-gen space): 4–8 months
Retail franchise (mall or strip center): 4–8 months
Service franchise (cleaning, tutoring, fitness): 2–4 months

The Gantt works backward from the target opening date to determine when each upstream activity must start. For a concept with a 6-month build-out window and a required opening before a peak season, the lease needs to be signed before a specific date — and site selection needs to start before that.

Phase 1: Site Selection (Months 1–3)

Most franchisors provide real estate support, but the franchisee is ultimately responsible for identifying and securing a location that meets the franchise's site criteria.

Key tasks:

Review franchisor site criteria (square footage, parking, traffic counts, co-tenancy requirements)
Engage commercial real estate broker
Define target trade area with franchisor real estate team
Tour available properties
Submit preferred sites to franchisor for approval
Site approval from franchisor
Letter of intent (LOI) negotiation
Attorney lease review
Lease execution

Franchisor site approval is a dependency gate. Some franchisors approve sites quickly. Others have formal real estate committees that meet monthly. On the Gantt, build in the franchisor's approval timeline — typically 2–4 weeks from site submission.

LOI-to-lease can take 4–8 weeks depending on landlord responsiveness and negotiation complexity. Attorney review is not optional. Franchise leases are long-term commitments and often have franchisor-specific addenda that require careful review.

Phase 2: Financing and Legal (Months 2–4, Parallel with Site Selection)

While site selection is underway, financing should be in motion. Waiting until the lease is signed to start financing creates unnecessary timeline pressure.

Key tasks:

SBA loan application (if financing through SBA 7(a) or 504)
Franchisor Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD) review with attorney
Franchise agreement execution
Entity formation (LLC or corporation)
Bank account setup
Equipment financing applications (if separate from construction loan)
Franchisor initial fees payment

SBA loan approval timelines vary from 30 days (preferred lenders) to 90+ days. The Gantt shows financing as a parallel workstream to site selection, with a dependency: construction funding must be in place before build-out contracts are signed.

Phase 3: Build-Out Planning and Permitting (Months 3–5)

Once the lease is signed and financing is in place, build-out planning begins. Most franchisors have approved architects and provide prototype drawings, which accelerates this phase.

Key tasks:

Engage franchisor-approved architect (or confirm local architect approval)
Receive prototype drawings from franchisor
Customize drawings to local space conditions
Landlord approval of build-out plans (required in most leases)
Submit permit application
Building department plan review
Respond to plan review comments
Permit approval
General contractor bidding and selection
GC contract execution

Permitting in some markets takes 8–12 weeks, and busy markets with high commercial activity can take longer. The Gantt shows permitting as a parallel track to early construction prep tasks so time isn't wasted waiting. While permits are under review: finalize equipment orders, begin vendor account setup, and start the hiring process.

Phase 4: Build-Out and Construction (Months 4–8)

The build-out is typically the longest phase and the one with the most moving parts. Franchisor build-out requirements are specific — deviating from approved plans can result in a required correction before opening is approved.

Key tasks:

Landlord turnover of space to tenant
Demolition (if second-generation space)
Framing and structural work
Rough-in: plumbing, electrical, HVAC
Inspections at each rough-in stage
Drywall and finishes
Flooring
Equipment installation (kitchen equipment, POS, signage)
Exterior signage installation (often requires separate permit and landlord approval)
IT and technology installation (POS system, network, cameras, music system)
Furniture and fixture installation
Final punch list
Final inspection
Certificate of occupancy

The Gantt dependency chain: rough-in inspections → drywall → finishes → equipment installation → final inspection → certificate of occupancy. Nothing moves faster than the inspection schedule allows.

Equipment lead times are a critical planning variable. Kitchen equipment for food service franchises can have 8–14 week lead times. Order as soon as the space is confirmed, not after permits are approved. The Gantt should show equipment ordering as a task that starts early — overlapping with permitting — with a delivery target that hits before equipment installation begins.

Phase 5: Franchisor Opening Support and Pre-Opening Training (Months 6–8)

Most franchisors have pre-opening requirements: a mandatory training program, a required number of hours in existing locations, and a pre-opening inspection before they'll authorize the opening.

Key tasks:

Franchisee completion of franchisor training program (often at corporate headquarters or training store — several weeks)
Key staff hiring for training cohort
Initial management team sent to franchisor training or corporate training store
Franchisor field representative pre-opening inspection
Resolve any pre-opening inspection deficiencies
Opening authorization from franchisor

Franchisor training programs are often held on fixed schedules — monthly or quarterly. Missing the training cohort before your planned opening date means waiting for the next cohort. The Gantt needs to align the franchisee training schedule with the opening timeline.

Phase 6: Staff Hiring (Months 6–8, Parallel)

A franchise location needs a fully staffed team ready before opening day. Hiring, onboarding, and training hourly staff takes 4–6 weeks and should overlap with the final construction phase.

Key tasks:

Job postings on approved platforms
Application review and screening
Interviews (in-person or video)
Offers and hiring paperwork
I-9 verification
Onboarding and HR system setup
Food handler certifications and health department compliance (for food concepts)
Initial brand and product training
Operational systems training (POS, scheduling software, ordering systems)

Hiring in competitive labor markets takes longer than in slow ones. The Gantt should have a hiring start date that provides adequate buffer — you don't want to be 60% staffed a week before opening.

Phase 7: Pre-Opening Operations Setup (Month 8)

In the weeks before opening, the location transitions from a construction site to an operational business.

Key tasks:

Initial inventory order and delivery
Product storage organization and receiving procedures
POS system configuration and testing
Health department inspection (for food concepts)
Soft opening / friends-and-family run (operational rehearsal)
Staff performance review and additional training
Final franchisor opening team deployment (many franchisors send a team for the first week)
Opening-week inventory and supply orders confirmed

The health department inspection is a hard dependency for food concepts. The space must be complete and in compliance before the health inspector arrives. Failed inspections require corrections and re-inspection, which can push the opening date.

Phase 8: Soft Opening and Grand Opening (Month 9)

Most franchises recommend a soft opening before the grand opening — a period of limited hours or limited marketing where the team practices operations at real volume.

Key tasks:

Soft opening (typically 1–2 weeks before grand opening)
Operational issues identification and correction
Speed-of-service measurement and coaching
Customer feedback collection
Staffing adjustment based on actual traffic patterns
Grand opening marketing campaign activation (coordinated with franchisor marketing team)
Grand opening event (if applicable)
Grand opening week monitoring

Grand opening marketing is often co-funded with the franchisor's marketing development fund. Coordination with the franchisor's marketing team needs to be on the Gantt — they have lead time requirements for printed materials, digital campaigns, and local PR support.

The Multi-Location Franchise Gantt

For franchisees opening multiple locations, the Gantt manages all locations simultaneously — each location as its own swim lane, with the same phase structure staggered across the calendar. Overlapping leases mean overlapping build-outs. Hiring for two locations simultaneously strains the same labor pool. The Gantt makes these conflicts visible so the franchisee can sequence openings at a pace their organization can actually support.

A well-built franchise launch Gantt isn't just a planning document — it's the proof of execution capability that serious franchisors want to see from area developer candidates.