The franchise system is Restaurant Tycoon 3's offline paycheck: each level raises how much cash your restaurant earns per hour while you are away and how much can pile up before collection. Levels gate behind cash, restaurant counts, and star ratings, turning your rating grind into literal passive income.
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Early franchise
Cheap cash-gated levels that turn offline time into income at all.
Level 1
Level 1 starts offline franchise earnings after the 1200 Cash Franchise upgrade. It pays 50 Cash per hour until the 250 Cash cap.
- Earnings
- 50 Cash/hr
- Star rating
- -
- Restaurants
- -
- Requirement
- Franchise Upgrade (1200 Cash)
- Max earnings
- 250 Cash
Level 2
Level 2 needs one 3-star restaurant in the franchise. Offline pay rises to 65 Cash per hour with a 500 Cash cap.
- Earnings
- 65 Cash/hr
- Star rating
- 3 stars
- Restaurants
- 1 restaurant
- Requirement
- 1 restaurant with 3 stars
- Max earnings
- 500 Cash
Level 3
Level 3 needs two 3-star restaurants. It pays 80 Cash per hour until the 750 Cash cap.
- Earnings
- 80 Cash/hr
- Star rating
- 3 stars
- Restaurants
- 2 restaurants
- Requirement
- 2 restaurants with 3 stars
- Max earnings
- 750 Cash
| Image | Name | Description | Earnings | Star rating | Restaurants | Requirement | Max earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | Level 1 starts offline franchise earnings after the 1200 Cash Franchise upgrade. It pays 50 Cash per hour until the 250 Cash cap. | 50 Cash/hr | - | - | Franchise Upgrade (1200 Cash) | 250 Cash | |
| Level 2 | Level 2 needs one 3-star restaurant in the franchise. Offline pay rises to 65 Cash per hour with a 500 Cash cap. | 65 Cash/hr | 3 stars | 1 restaurant | 1 restaurant with 3 stars | 500 Cash | |
| Level 3 | Level 3 needs two 3-star restaurants. It pays 80 Cash per hour until the 750 Cash cap. | 80 Cash/hr | 3 stars | 2 restaurants | 2 restaurants with 3 stars | 750 Cash |
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Growing franchise
Level 4
Level 4 is the first 4-star gate: two restaurants at 4 stars for 100 Cash per hour and a 1250 Cash cap.
- Earnings
- 100 Cash/hr
- Star rating
- 4 stars
- Restaurants
- 2 restaurants
- Requirement
- 2 restaurants with 4 stars
- Max earnings
- 1250 Cash
Level 5
Level 5 uses volume instead of a higher rating: four 3-star restaurants for 120 Cash per hour and a 1750 Cash cap.
- Earnings
- 120 Cash/hr
- Star rating
- 3 stars
- Restaurants
- 4 restaurants
- Requirement
- 4 restaurants with 3 stars
- Max earnings
- 1750 Cash
Level 6
Level 6 needs three 4-star restaurants. Offline pay is 150 Cash per hour with a 2500 Cash cap.
- Earnings
- 150 Cash/hr
- Star rating
- 4 stars
- Restaurants
- 3 restaurants
- Requirement
- 3 restaurants with 4 stars
- Max earnings
- 2500 Cash
| Image | Name | Description | Earnings | Star rating | Restaurants | Requirement | Max earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Level 4 | Level 4 is the first 4-star gate: two restaurants at 4 stars for 100 Cash per hour and a 1250 Cash cap. | 100 Cash/hr | 4 stars | 2 restaurants | 2 restaurants with 4 stars | 1250 Cash | |
| Level 5 | Level 5 uses volume instead of a higher rating: four 3-star restaurants for 120 Cash per hour and a 1750 Cash cap. | 120 Cash/hr | 3 stars | 4 restaurants | 4 restaurants with 3 stars | 1750 Cash | |
| Level 6 | Level 6 needs three 4-star restaurants. Offline pay is 150 Cash per hour with a 2500 Cash cap. | 150 Cash/hr | 4 stars | 3 restaurants | 3 restaurants with 4 stars | 2500 Cash |
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Late franchise
The star-gated tiers where caps stretch to serious money.
Level 7
Level 7 is the first 5-star gate: three 5-star restaurants for 175 Cash per hour and a 3250 Cash cap.
- Earnings
- 175 Cash/hr
- Star rating
- 5 stars
- Restaurants
- 3 restaurants
- Requirement
- 3 restaurants with 5 stars
- Max earnings
- 3250 Cash
Level 8
Level 8 needs four 4-star restaurants. It pays 200 Cash per hour until the 4500 Cash cap.
- Earnings
- 200 Cash/hr
- Star rating
- 4 stars
- Restaurants
- 4 restaurants
- Requirement
- 4 restaurants with 4 stars
- Max earnings
- 4500 Cash
Level 9
Level 9 needs four 5-star restaurants. Offline pay is 250 Cash per hour with a 6500 Cash cap.
- Earnings
- 250 Cash/hr
- Star rating
- 5 stars
- Restaurants
- 4 restaurants
- Requirement
- 4 restaurants with 5 stars
- Max earnings
- 6500 Cash
Level 10
Level 10 is the max franchise: five 5-star restaurants for 300 Cash per hour and a 10000 Cash cap.
- Earnings
- 300 Cash/hr
- Star rating
- 5 stars
- Restaurants
- 5 restaurants
- Requirement
- 5 restaurants with 5 stars
- Max earnings
- 10000 Cash
| Image | Name | Description | Earnings | Star rating | Restaurants | Requirement | Max earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Level 7 | Level 7 is the first 5-star gate: three 5-star restaurants for 175 Cash per hour and a 3250 Cash cap. | 175 Cash/hr | 5 stars | 3 restaurants | 3 restaurants with 5 stars | 3250 Cash | |
| Level 8 | Level 8 needs four 4-star restaurants. It pays 200 Cash per hour until the 4500 Cash cap. | 200 Cash/hr | 4 stars | 4 restaurants | 4 restaurants with 4 stars | 4500 Cash | |
| Level 9 | Level 9 needs four 5-star restaurants. Offline pay is 250 Cash per hour with a 6500 Cash cap. | 250 Cash/hr | 5 stars | 4 restaurants | 4 restaurants with 5 stars | 6500 Cash | |
| Level 10 | Level 10 is the max franchise: five 5-star restaurants for 300 Cash per hour and a 10000 Cash cap. | 300 Cash/hr | 5 stars | 5 restaurants | 5 restaurants with 5 stars | 10000 Cash |
How offline earnings scale
Each level lifts two numbers: the hourly rate and the cap. The cap is the one that changes behavior, because earnings stop accumulating once it fills; a high rate with a low cap only pays players who log in often. Later levels stretch both, which is what makes them worth their star-rating requirements.
- Buy the first franchise upgrade as soon as the cash allows; unboosted offline time is income thrown away.
- Log in before the cap fills; the schedule the cap implies is the real subscription cost of the game.
- Star requirements make rating investments double-pay: better ratings raise live income and unlock better offline income.
FAQ
How does the franchise work in Restaurant Tycoon 3?
Buy the franchise upgrade, then level it up. Each level pays cash per hour while you are offline, up to a cap collected on your next visit.
What do higher levels need?
Early levels cost cash; later ones add restaurant-count and star-rating requirements listed per level.
Is franchise income worth it?
Yes, it is the only income that accrues while you are away, and its later caps make even short daily visits profitable.
