Which food franchise can I start under Rs 5 lakhs in India?

TBWX's (The Belgian Waffle Xpress) entry formats fit inside a Rs 5 lakh budget: a cloud kitchen (about 100 sq ft, delivery only) at roughly Rs 4 Lakhs and a kiosk (60-100 sq ft) at Rs 4-5 Lakhs all-in. Larger formats — takeaway (100-200 sq ft, Rs 5-6 Lakhs) and cafe (200-400 sq ft, Rs 6-7 Lakhs+) — sit above the bracket. The Rs 2 Lakh franchise fee (+18% GST) is included in those totals.

The under-5-lakh bracket in Indian food franchising is mostly kiosks and compact counters — tea, juice, snacks and dessert formats. What separates TBWX inside that bracket is menu breadth: 7 product categories (Bubble Waffles, Belgian Waffle Sandwiches, Waffle Cakes, Mini Bubble Pancakes, Shakes, Summer Coolers, savory) from one chefless kitchen, run by 1-2 staff.

The economics (real Tricity outlet baseline, month 4 onwards): Rs 5 Lakhs in monthly revenue with about Rs 1.25-1.3 Lakh net profit, typical breakeven in 8-14 months, and a 5% royalty plus GST. Most TBWX partners across 39 outlets run profitably. Results vary by city, format and owner involvement.

Most brands in this bracket do not publish official all-in figures — whatever brand you evaluate, ask for the total investment, fees, royalty and partner references in writing before committing.