Aroma Joe's Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
Aroma Joe's is a drive-thru coffee franchise serving espresso drinks, its signature energy drinks, and breakfast items. Franchisees run drive-thru and quick-service shops managing baristas, beverage prep, and service.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Aroma Joe's franchise requires a total initial investment of $598K – $1.8M, including a $13K – $25K franchise fee and an ongoing 8.0% royalty[2]. The 2025 FDD does not disclose unit-level revenue (no Item 19). SBA 7(a) loans show a 0.0% charge-off rate across 39 loans[1]. FranchiseVerdict grade: A (Strongest tier), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified · figures per the 2025 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $598K – $1.8M
- 83rd pct Service Resta…
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- Outlet subset
- Royalty
- 8.0%
- 89th pct Service Resta…
- Units
- 120
- 79th pct Service Resta…
- SBA charge-off
- 0.0%
- % of SBA 7(a) loans not repaid · median varies by category
Quick verdict · Quick-Service Restaurants · color = vs category peers
Green = favorable by >10% vs Quick-Service Restaurants avg · No shading = within ±10% · Red = unfavorable by >10% · Source: FDD filings + SBA 7(a)
Data from public FDD filings and SBA records. Not financial advice. Methodology
Bottom line
- COSTTotal investment $598K – $1.8M including a $25K franchise fee, 8.0% ongoing royalty.
- RETURNSTotal revenues for year ended Dec 31, 2024 (audited): royalties $7,012,390, franchise fees $173,839, advertising $3,828,457, management fees $120,000, commissions $1,025,760, other income $187,053. Prior period (2023) audited by Berry, Dunn, McNeil & Parker, LLC; 2024 report signed in Portland, Maine on March 10, 2025 (CPA firm name not stated in extracted text).
- RISKVerdict A (Strongest tier), verdict score 90/100 (higher is better). SBA loan charge-off rate of 0.0% across 39 loans (well below the franchise average, based on all SBA 7(a) franchise lending, 2010–2025).
- GROWTHSystem growing at 26.3% CAGR over 3 years with 120 total units. Strong expansion trajectory.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- Aroma Joe's Franchising, LLC
- Predecessor
- Caffeinated Cousins
- Prior franchisor entity
- CEO title
- President & Chief Operating Officer
- David Tucci
- Incorporated in
- FL
- HQ
- 700 Technology Way, Scarborough, ME 04074
- Auditor
- Berry, Dunn, McNeil & Parker, LLC
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $12.3M
- vs $10.1M prior year
Overview
About
- CEO
- David Tucci
- Headquarters
- ME
- Founded
- 2013
- FDD year
- 2025
- States available
- 8
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 84% above the typical quick-service restaurants franchise.
Source: FDD 2025 · Items 5–7
Full Item 7 breakdown36 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee (Traditional Model) | $25K | $25K | |
| Real Property (Traditional Model) | $3K | $15K | |
| Leasehold Improvements (Traditional Model) | $284K | $1.0M | |
| Equipment Package (Traditional Model) | $154K | $203K | |
| Small wares (Traditional Model) | $4K | $9K | |
| Opening Inventory (Traditional Model) | $18K | $23K | |
| Insurance (Traditional Model) | $1K | $6K | |
| Training Expenses (including travel & lodging) (Traditional Model) | $3K | $6K | |
| Store Development, Architectural and Design Fees (Traditional Model) | $7K | $15K | |
| Engineering/Planning (Traditional Model) | $2K | $30K | |
| Site Development (Traditional Model) | $10K | $280K | |
| Professional Fees (Traditional Model) | $2K | $10K | |
| Optional Security System (not including monitoring) (Traditional Model) | $1K | $5K | |
| Outside signage (Traditional Model) | $30K | $66K | |
| Miscellaneous Expense (Traditional Model) | $2K | $10K | |
| Additional Funds - three months (Traditional Model) | $10K | $30K | |
| New Store Marketing (Traditional Model) | $20K | $20K | |
| 15% Buffer Fee (Traditional Model) | $23K | $30K | |
| Initial Franchise Fee (Non-Traditional Model) | $25K | $25K | |
| Real Property (Non-Traditional Model) | $3K | $5K | |
| Total initial investment | $777K | $2.4M |
Line items extracted from FDD Item 7. Ranges reflect the franchisor's stated low and high per line. Total is the sum of line-item lows / highs — actual costs may fall outside this range depending on market and build-out scope.
Item 7 · what it costs to open + operate
The Vitals
- Total investment
- $598K – $1.8M
- Bottom third — review vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $10K – $30K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $13K – $25K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Royalty
- 8.0%
- percentage · typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 3.5%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 11.5%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 8.0% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 3.5% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $350 |
| Training fee | $6K |
| Transfer fee | $13K |
| Renewal fee | $0 |
| Inventory (initial) | $18K – $23K |
| Total fee load | 11.5% of rev |
What do units actually make?
Source: FDD 2025 · Item 19
ROI & LBO modelsSingle-unit · 25-unit portfolio · editable
Aroma Joe's did not disclose financial performance in FDD Item 19. The ROIC and return models require Item 19 revenue. Without it all inputs are estimates. You can still run the calculator with your own assumptions by entering an expected revenue figure.
Returns model · single-unit ROIC
What would one Aroma Joe's unit return on the cash you put in?
Unlevered ROIC · per unit
Estimated return on your total franchise investment, before any debt financing.
6%
Below the 30–60% attractive-franchise band
These models are for research and scenario planning only. Not investment advice. Actual results depend on your specific location, management, and market conditions. Consult a franchise attorney and accountant before signing any franchise agreement.
Item 19 · Source: 2025 FDD
Financial Performance
Total revenues for year ended Dec 31, 2024 (audited): royalties $7,012,390, franchise fees $173,839, advertising $3,828,457, management fees $120,000, commissions $1,025,760, other income $187,053. Prior period (2023) audited by Berry, Dunn, McNeil & Parker, LLC; 2024 report signed in Portland, Maine on March 10, 2025 (CPA firm name not stated in extracted text).
Reported for a subset of outlets rather than the whole system
- Item 19 type
- gross sales
- Sample size
- 112
- vs category median 20 · large
- Range (low → high)
- $131K→$2.0M
- Cohort dispersion (min → max)
- Reporting year
- 2024
- Fiscal year the figures cover
- Source filing
- FDD 2025
- Disclosed in the 2025 filing, covering 2024
- Transparency
- 4 / 10
- vs category median 4 / 10 · typical
Compared against 782 Quick-Service Restaurants brands
Operator outlook
What the numbers say
Data-driven interpretation of this brand's financial disclosures, fee structure, and system trajectory.
Fee burden
Total ongoing fee load of 11.5% — above the Quick-Service Restaurants average of 7.9%.
Disclosure
Item 19 reports outlet revenue, but not in a form that yields a per-outlet average we can compare across brands.
Operator retention
System expanding at 26.3% CAGR over 3 years across 120 units — operators are staying and new ones are joining.
Source: FDD Item 19 financial performance representations and publicly filed FDD data. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Verify all figures with the franchisor and current franchisees before making any investment decision.
vs Quick-Service Restaurants averages
How Aroma Joe's Compares
Is the system healthy?
Source: FDD 2025 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 120
- Opened
- 8
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 0
- Terminated
- 0
- Franchisor ended the franchise (per Item 20)
- Non-renewed
- 0
- Term expired, not renewed (per Item 20)
- Turnover rate
- 0.0%
- Company-owned
- 0
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 100%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (3-yr)
- +26.3%
- Net unit change over 3 years
- 3-yr CAGR
- +26.3%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Opened (3yr)
- 14
- Closed (3yr)
- 0
- Terminated (3yr)
- 0
- Non-renewed (3yr)
- 0
- Transfers (3yr)
- 4
- Reacquired (3yr)
- 0
- Franchisor bought back
- Projected new
- 18
- Franchisor's next-year forecast
- Transfer rate
- 4.2%
- Owners selling to other franchisees
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 8 states with active franchisees
The Territory Map
Derived from franchisee contact records. Shows states with at least one current operator. Not where the franchisor is registered to sell new units (that data is re-extracting in a future refresh).
States derived from franchisee contact records (FDD Item 20). Shows states with at least one current operator on file. Full state registration data (Item 12) will appear on a future FDD refresh.
SBA loan performance
Government records
SBA Loan Data
Aggregated from SBA 7(a) and 504 loan disclosures, public data unique to FranchiseVerdict.
- Total loans
- 39
- Loan volume
- $12.7M
- Median loan
- $312K
- 50th percentile
- Charge-off rate
- 0.0%
- rates vary by category · see methodology
Historical SBA 7(a) lending data, not predictive of future performance. How SBA charge-off rates are calculated
- Repayment rate (PIF)
- 100.0%
- 5-yr charge-off
- 0.0%
- Loans approved 2021+
- Active lenders
- 13
- Defaults
- 0
- Typical loan rate
- 6.7%
- avg rate to borrowers
- Franchised industry avg
- 10.6%
- brand beats franchise avg ↓
- Jobs supported
- 238
- 3.3 per loan
- Lender concentration
- 20%
- top lender's share
Borrower mix: 73% went to startups / new businesses, 27% to established operators
Franchise vs independent — in snack and nonalcoholic beverage bars, franchised businesses charge off at 10.6% vs 8.9% for independents — franchising is associated with 19% higher SBA default risk in this category.
Top lenders financing Aroma Joe's franchisees
Showing 3 of 13 lenders. The full breakdown — every lender, state distribution, interest rates & risk ratings — is in the SBA Lending Report below.
Explore lender portfolios on Bank Reports or regional data on State Reports.
Premium insight
SBA Lending Report
Deep-dive into Aroma Joe's's SBA lending history: lender network, geographic footprint, interest rates, and more.
SBA Lending Report
- Principal loss rate and NAICS industry benchmark
- 10 lenders with concentration factor
- Per-state charge-off rates across 4 states
- Startup risk premium and job creation velocity
- 5-year lending trend
- SBA 504 real estate/equipment data
Instant access. No subscription.
With a 0.0% charge-off rate across 39 loans, banks have historically viewed this brand favorably for lending.
What could kill this investment?
SBA loans charge off at 0.0% — 100% below the 16.0% national norm, i.e. lower lender-observed risk.
Source: SBA 7(a) FOIA · FDD Items 3, 21
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 4, 8, 16, 21
Risk & Legal
Aroma Joe's presents meaningful profitability opacity and territorial vulnerability, offset partially by no litigation and modest growth, warranting deep franchisee validation before investment.
Litigation (Item 3)
No litigation required to be disclosed in Item 3.
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Berry, Dunn, McNeil & Parker, LLC
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
- Franchisor sells you products: Yes
- Kickbacks from required suppliers: Yes
- Must buy proprietary products: Yes
- Restricted to system-approved products: Yes
- Can negotiate own supplier terms: No
Score breakdown · what drove the 90 / 100 verdict
- 01MINORUnprotected territory creates direct competition risk and cannibalization within same market
- 02MINORModest 7.1% YoY unit growth suggests slowing momentum in franchise recruitment/retention
- 03MINOR8% royalty on gross sales (not net) penalizes operators during low-margin periods
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
What are you signing up for?
Ongoing fees run about 11.5% of sales (royalty + ad fund), before rent and labor.
Source: FDD 2025 · Items 11, 12, 17
FDD Items 12, 15, 17 · continued from Risk & Legal
Contract & Territory Detail
| Initial term | 10 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 10 years |
| Territory type | none |
| Protected territory | No |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | No |
| Online sales rightsℹ | Restricted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Required |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 1 year |
| Non-compete (miles)ℹ | 3 mi |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| RoFR response window | 30 days |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 60 days |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Arbitration location | Maine |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | ME |
| Litigation count | 0 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
No litigation required to be disclosed in Item 3.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 31 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 40 hrs
- Training location
- Scarborough, ME headquarters or virtually; OJT at approved local Aroma Joe's location
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Time to open
- 18 mo
- From signing to launch
- Site selection
- Franchisee selects, franchisor must approve; location must be approved within 30 days of receiving all required materials
- Franchisor financing
- Not offered
- Item 10
- POS system
- HP Engage One (primary); Microsoft Surface Pro (optional line-busting)
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: HP Engage One (primary); Microsoft Surface Pro (optional line-busting)
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
115 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
Aroma Joe's · FDD (2025) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Aroma Joe's franchise?
The total investment to open a Aroma Joe's franchise ranges from $598K – $1.8M, with an initial franchise fee of $25K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do Aroma Joe's franchise owners earn?
Aroma Joe's does not disclose average franchise owner earnings in their FDD Item 19. Not all franchisors are required to make financial performance representations. We recommend asking existing franchisees directly about their financial experience.
What is Item 19 in the Aroma Joe's FDD?
The FDD section where a franchisor may disclose financial performance of its outlets. Disclosure is optional and formats vary; figures are typically gross sales, which is revenue before expenses, not profit. FranchiseVerdict extracts these figures directly from the Aroma Joe's FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is Aroma Joe's's franchise failure rate?
Based on SBA 7(a) loan data, Aroma Joe's has a charge-off rate of 0.0% across 39 loans, meaning 0.0% of franchise loans were charged off. Charge-off rates are one proxy for franchise risk, though they do not capture all closures. This data comes from FOIA-sourced SBA lending records.
How many Aroma Joe's franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Aroma Joe's has 120 total units in the United States, including 120 franchised units and 0 company-owned units. 8 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is Aroma Joe's a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Aroma Joe's as a A-grade franchise with a verdict score of 90 out of 100 (higher is better), based on our analysis of investment costs, revenue data, SBA loan performance, and growth trends. Our rating is based solely on publicly available FDD and government data; we recommend speaking with current franchisees before making any investment decision. This is not investment advice.
Data sourced from public FDD filings and SBA 7(a) FOIA records. Not financial advice.
For franchisors
Are you the franchisor?
If you represent Aroma Joe's, you can request corrections or provide updated information.
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Data extracted from public FDD filings and SBA 7(a) loan disclosures (FOIA). This information is provided for research purposes only and does not constitute financial, legal, or investment advice. Verify all figures with the franchisor's current Franchise Disclosure Document before making any investment decision.