All 10 Franchise Levels are gone from Restaurant Tycoon 3. The Earn Offline Update went live on August 28, 2026, and it retired the franchise system. The Cash Register upgrade replaced the Franchise upgrade. The old levels stay listed here, with what each one paid.
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Early franchise
The Franchise upgrade unlocked Level 1, and star ratings gated Levels 2 and 3.
Level 1
Level 1 was the first franchise level. It unlocked with the 1,200 Cash Franchise upgrade and paid 50 Cash per hour, up to a 250 Cash cap.
- Earnings
- 50 Cash/hr
- Star rating
- -
- Restaurants
- -
- Requirement
- Franchise Upgrade (1200 Cash)
- Max earnings
- 250 Cash
Level 2
Level 2 needed one 3-star restaurant. It paid 65 Cash per hour, up to 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 needed two 3-star restaurants. It paid 80 Cash per hour, up to a 750 Cash cap.
- Earnings
- 80 Cash/hr
- Star rating
- 3 stars
- Restaurants
- 2 restaurants
- Requirement
- 2 restaurants with 3 stars
- Max earnings
- 750 Cash
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Growing franchise
Levels 4 and 6 raised the bar to 4-star restaurants, and Level 5 asked for four 3-star restaurants instead.
Level 4
Level 4 was the first 4-star gate, with two restaurants at 4 stars. It paid 100 Cash per hour, up to a 1,250 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 asked for volume instead of a higher rating: four 3-star restaurants. It paid 120 Cash per hour, up to a 1,750 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 needed three 4-star restaurants. It paid 150 Cash per hour, up to a 2,500 Cash cap.
- Earnings
- 150 Cash/hr
- Star rating
- 4 stars
- Restaurants
- 3 restaurants
- Requirement
- 3 restaurants with 4 stars
- Max earnings
- 2500 Cash
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Late franchise
Levels 7 to 10 were the top tier. They needed 4-star or 5-star restaurants and paid up to 300 Cash per hour.
Level 7
Level 7 was the first 5-star gate, with three restaurants at 5 stars. It paid 175 Cash per hour, up to a 3,250 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 needed four 4-star restaurants. It paid 200 Cash per hour, up to a 4,500 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 needed four 5-star restaurants. It paid 250 Cash per hour, up to a 6,500 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 was the top franchise level: five 5-star restaurants. It paid 300 Cash per hour, up to a 10,000 Cash cap.
- Earnings
- 300 Cash/hr
- Star rating
- 5 stars
- Restaurants
- 5 restaurants
- Requirement
- 5 restaurants with 5 stars
- Max earnings
- 10000 Cash
What the Cash Register changed
Buy the Cash Register upgrade and your offline earnings collect from the manager desk instead of each table. The manager desk got its own cash register section. Register furniture is called Cash Register, and you can interact with it. You can have up to 10 Cash Registers.
What each removed level paid
Pay climbed from 50 Cash per hour at Level 1 to 300 Cash per hour at Level 10. The cap grew from 250 Cash to 10,000 Cash over the same ten levels. Each level stopped adding cash once its cap filled, so the cap decided how often you had to come back.
FAQ
What replaced franchise income in Restaurant Tycoon 3?
Customers who eat while you're offline. Their money took the place of franchise pay, and the Cash Register upgrade lets you collect it from the manager desk.
How do I earn offline cash now?
Customers eat while you're offline. When you reload your restaurant, everyone who was inside has already paid their bill.
Do I need the Cash Register to collect offline earnings?
No. Without it, you collect from each table. If you own the Auto-collect money gamepass, offline earnings collect automatically.
Will the franchise levels come back?
The developer said it plans to come back with special rewards, like trophies, chat tags and badges for players with several 5-star restaurants. The old levels are not part of that plan.
