Bambu Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Bambu franchise requires a total initial investment of $143K – $440K, including a $35K franchise fee and an ongoing 4.0% royalty[2]. The 2025 FDD does not disclose unit-level revenue (no Item 19). FranchiseVerdict grade: F (Weakest tier), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified · figures per the 2025 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $143K – $440K
- 6th pct Service Resta…
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- 28th pct Service Resta…
- Royalty
- 4.0%
- 2nd pct Service Resta…
- Units
- 52
- 37th pct Service Resta…
- SBA charge-off
- N/A
Quick verdict · Full-Service Restaurants · color = vs category peers
Green = favorable by >10% vs Full-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
- Total investment $143K – $440K including a $35K franchise fee, 4.0% ongoing royalty.
- Item 19 states the franchisor makes no financial performance representations of any kind; no historical sales, cost, or profit data disclosed.
- Verdict F (Weakest tier), verdict score 25/100 (higher is better).
- Auditor disclosed a going-concern note, which flagged doubt about the franchisor's ability to continue operations. Verify against the latest FDD.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- Bambu Franchising LLC
- Predecessor
- Bambu Desserts & Drinks, Inc.; Bambu IP, LLC; Bambu Desserts & Drinks Franchise, Inc.
- Prior franchisor entity
- CEO title
- Chief Executive Officer and Manager
- Marc Geman
- Incorporated in
- Colorado
- HQ
- 7700 E. Arapahoe Rd., Suite 300, Centennial, Colorado 80112
- Auditor
- Reese CPA LLC
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $2.6M
- Most recent fiscal year
- ⚠ Going-concern note
- Disclosed in FDD 2025
- Auditor flagged doubt about continued operations. Verify against the latest FDD before deciding.
Overview
About
Franchisor of Bambū shoppes, fast-casual Vietnamese-style beverage shops selling Vietnamese dessert drinks (Che), Vietnamese-style coffee (Ca Phe), blended yogurts (Yonami), Asian-inspired teas including bubble tea, and real fruit smoothies, plus mochi waffles and complementary snack/food items.
- CEO
- Marc Geman
- Headquarters
- Colorado
- Founded
- 2014
- FDD year
- 2025
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 69% below the typical full-service restaurants franchise.
Source: FDD 2025 · Items 5–7
FDD Item 7 · 2025 filing
Initial investment breakdown
| Cost component | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $35K | $35K |
| Working capital (3–6 mo) | $5K | $25K |
| Equipment, build-out, other | $103K | $380K |
| Total initial investment | $143K | $440K |
Source: Bambu 2025 FDD, Items 5 and 7[2]. “Equipment, build-out, other” is computed as total minus disclosed line items above.
Item 7 · what it costs to open + operate
The Vitals
- Total investment
- $143K – $440K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $5K – $25K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $35K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Royalty
- 4.0%
- percentage · typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- Marketing and Technology Fee is a flat $575 per month (su…
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 4.0% of gross sales |
| Transfer fee | $15K |
Financial Performance
Item 19 states the franchisor makes no financial performance representations of any kind; no historical sales, cost, or profit data disclosed.
Operator outlook
What the numbers say
Data-driven interpretation of this brand's financial disclosures, fee structure, and system trajectory.
Fee burden
4.0% royalty — lower than the category average.
Disclosure
Franchisor chose not to disclose financial performance representations. You will need to gather unit economics directly from existing franchisees.
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 Full-Service Restaurants averages
How Bambu Compares
Is the system healthy?
Source: FDD 2025 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 52
- Opened
- N/A
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- N/A
- Turnover rate
- 26.9%
- Company-owned
- 0
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 100%
- vs corporate-owned
3-year detail · Item 20
- Opened (3yr)
- 7
- Terminated (3yr)
- 14
- Transfers (3yr)
- 4
- Reacquired (3yr)
- 0
- Franchisor bought back
No multi-year history disclosed and no opening/closing activity in the last reporting year.
SBA loan performance
Government records
SBA Loan Data
Aggregated from SBA loan disclosures. This brand has only 9 7(a) loans on file; statistical reliability is limited below 10 loans.
- Total loans
- 9
- Loan volume
- $1.6M
- Median loan
- $150K
- 50th percentile
- Charge-off rate
- N/A
- limited sample (9 loans) — rate not shown below 10
Historical SBA 7(a) lending data, not predictive of future performance. How SBA charge-off rates are calculated
- Repayment rate (PIF)
- N/A
- 5-yr charge-off
- N/A
- Loans approved 2021+
- Active lenders
- 9
- Defaults
- N/A
Explore lender portfolios on Bank Reports or regional data on State Reports.
What could kill this investment?
The auditor flagged going-concern doubt (Item 21) — the single biggest risk here.
Source: SBA 7(a) FOIA · FDD Items 3, 21
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 4, 8, 16, 21
Risk & Legal
Litigation (Item 3)
Franchisee territory dispute settled 2024; two 2015-2016 predecessor regulatory actions (VA and MD securities/franchise violations, settled with restitution); one 2025 arbitration by franchisor against a former franchisee/guarantors for breach of contract and collection of amounts due.
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Reese CPA LLC⚠ Going-concern note flagged
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
- Franchisor sells you products: No
- Must buy proprietary products: Yes
- Restricted to system-approved products: Yes
What are you signing up for?
Source: FDD 2025 · Items 11, 12, 17
FDD Items 12, 15, 17 · continued from Risk & Legal
Contract & Territory Detail
| Initial term | 10 years |
|---|---|
| Territory type | protected |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | No |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Optional |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 2 years |
| Non-compete (miles)ℹ | 10 mi |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| RoFR response window | 30 days |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Arbitration location | Denver, Colorado |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | Colorado |
| Litigation count | 4 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
Franchisee territory dispute settled 2024; two 2015-2016 predecessor regulatory actions (VA and MD securities/franchise violations, settled with restitution); one 2025 arbitration by franchisor against a former franchisee/guarantors for breach of contract and collection of amounts due.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 16 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 72 hrs
- Training location
- Grand Prairie, Texas and at the franchisee's shoppe / franchisor-designated locations
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Time to open
- 12 mo
- From signing to launch
- Site selection
- franchisor-approved, franchisee-led with franchisor assistance
- Franchisor financing
- Not offered
- Item 10
- POS system
- Square (bundled POS system)
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: Square (bundled POS system)
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Bambu franchise?
The total investment to open a Bambu franchise ranges from $143K – $440K, with an initial franchise fee of $35K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do Bambu franchise owners earn?
Bambu 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 Bambu's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for Bambu (fewer than 10 loans on file). Charge-off rates are one way to gauge franchise risk, but not all franchise loans go through the SBA program. We recommend reviewing turnover and closure data in the FDD and speaking with current franchisees.
How many Bambu franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Bambu has 52 total units in the United States.
Is Bambu a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Bambu as a F-grade franchise with a verdict score of 25 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 Bambu, 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.