Bar-B-CleanFranchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Bar-B-Clean franchise requires a total initial investment of $78K – $99K, including a $50K franchise fee. Per the 2024 FDD, average unit revenue was $416K[2]. SBA 7(a) loans show a 0.0% charge-off rate across 14 loans[1]. Verdict grade: A. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified June 18, 2026 · figures per the 2024 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $78K – $99K
- 22nd pct Cleaning & Ma…
- Avg gross sales
- $416K
- 14th pct Cleaning & Ma…
- Royalty
- N/A
- Units
- 29
- 33rd pct Cleaning & Ma…
- SBA default
- 0.0%
- system-wide median varies by category
Quick verdict · Cleaning & Maintenance · color = vs category peers
Green = >15% above Cleaning & Maintenance avg · No shading = within ±15% · Red = >15% below avg · Source: FDD filings + SBA 7(a)
Data from public FDD filings and SBA records. Not financial advice. Methodology
Each dollar invested generates 4.7x in gross revenue, well above the typical 1.5-2.5x range.
Only 0.0% of 14 SBA loans charged off, well below the 16% franchise average.
The system grew 22% year-over-year. Fast growth means demand, but can strain support.
The franchisor's auditor raised doubt about continued operations. This is a serious risk signal.
Bottom line
- Total investment $78K – $99K including a $50K franchise fee.
- Average unit revenue of $416K/year (median $373K), with an estimated 158% cash-on-cash return (based on P&L Bottom Line).
- Verdict A (Top Quintile) with a risk score of 32/100. SBA loan charge-off rate of 0.0% across 14 loans (well below the franchise average, based on all SBA 7(a) franchise lending, 2010–2024).
- 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
- Legal entity
- Bar-B-Clean Franchising Inc.
- Incorporated in
- CA
- HQ
- 5390 Los Monteros, Yorba Linda, California 92887
- Auditor
- Suchan & Associates
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $119K
- vs $336K prior year
- ⚠ Going-concern note
- Disclosed in FDD 2024
- Status as of 2024; may have been resolved in a later filing we don't yet have.
Overview
About
Bar-B-Clean operates commercial barbecue equipment cleaning and restoration services for restaurants, catering companies, and food service establishments. Franchisees manage scheduling, client relationships, perform on-site deep cleaning using specialized equipment and chemicals, and handle invoicing for their protected territory.
- CEO
- Bryan Weinstein
- Headquarters
- CA
- Founded
- 2012
- FDD year
- 2024
- States available
- 8
FDD Item 7 · 2024 filing
Initial investment breakdown
| Cost component | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $50K | $50K |
| Working capital (3–6 mo) | $8K | $13K |
| Equipment, build-out, other | $21K | $37K |
| Total initial investment | $78K | $99K |
Source: Bar-B-Clean 2024 FDD, Items 5 and 7[2]. “Equipment, build-out, other” is computed as total minus disclosed line items above.
Single-unit · estimated
Returns at a glance
Indicative numbers using FDD Item 7 / Item 19 inputs and category-benchmarked cost ratios. Full single-unit, 25-unit portfolio, and LBO models (with every input editable to stress-test your own scenario) live on the financials page.
Store EBITDA · annual
$46K
11.0% margin
Unlevered ROIC
46%
EBITDA / total invested capital
Payback
26 mo
cash-on-cash, unlevered
Item 7 · what it costs to open + operate
The Vitals
- Total investment
- $78K – $99K
- Better than avg vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $8K – $13K
- Better than avg vs category
- Franchise fee
- $50K – $50K
- Near category avg vs category
- Royalty
- greater of 6% of monthly Gross Revenue or $500 per month
- Ad fund
- 2.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 8.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
- Payback period
- 0.6 yrs
- From FDD / Item 19
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Marketing / ad fund | 2.0% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $500 |
| Transfer fee | $10K |
| Renewal fee | $10K |
| Total fee load | 8.0% of rev |
Financial Performance
- Avg gross sales
- $416K
- Per unit, per year
- Median gross sales
- $373K
- Avg p&l bottom line
- $140K
- Reported as P&L Bottom Line in FDD Item 19
- Cash-on-cash
- 157.8%
- Based on P&L Bottom Line / investment midpoint
- Item 19 type
- gross_sales
- Sample size
- 5 units
- vs category median 31 · small
- Range (low → high)
- $254K→$814K
- Cohort dispersion (min → max)
- Transparency
- 10 / 5
- vs category median 4 / 5 · above
Compared against 204 Cleaning & Maintenance brands
Revenue is 4.7x the investment midpoint. At typical franchise margins, this suggests a payback under 3 years.
vs Cleaning & Maintenance averages
How Bar-B-Clean Compares
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 29
- Opened
- 9
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 4
- Turnover rate
- 13.8%
- Company-owned
- 1
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 97%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (yr3)
- +21.7%
- Net unit change last year
- 3-yr CAGR
- +21.7%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Transfers (3yr)
- 3
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 24 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.
Fast growth in a small system. Newer franchisors expanding quickly may not yet have the support infrastructure of larger systems.
SBA loan performance
Government records
SBA Loan Data
Aggregated from SBA 7(a) and 504 loan disclosures, public data unique to FranchiseVerdict.
- Total loans
- 14
- Loan volume
- $1.9M
- Median loan
- $138K
- 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)
- N/A
- 5-yr charge-off
- N/A
- Loans approved 2021+
- Active lenders
- 6
- Defaults
- 0
Explore lender portfolios on Bank Reports or regional data on State Reports.
Premium insight
SBA Lending Report
Deep-dive into Bar-B-Clean's SBA lending history: lender network, geographic footprint, interest rates, and more.
SBA Lending Report
- Principal loss rate and NAICS industry benchmark
- 6 lenders with concentration factor
- Per-state charge-off rates across 7 states
- Startup risk premium and job creation velocity
- 5-year lending trend
Instant access. No subscription.
With a 0.0% charge-off rate across 14 loans, banks have historically viewed this brand favorably for lending.
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 5, 6, 12, 17
Risk & Legal
Emerging franchise with unverified financial claims, high upfront costs relative to investment, and aggressive royalty minimums that pressure unit-level economics.
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Suchan & Associates⚠ Going-concern note flagged
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Score breakdown · what drove the 32 / 100 rating
- 01MINORHigh franchise fee ($49,500) represents 63% of total investment, limiting working capital flexibility
- 02MINORMinimum royalty floor of $500/month ($6,000 annually) creates break-even pressure for underperforming units
- 03MEDOnly 29 units with 21.7% YoY growth suggests emerging brand with limited operational track record and scale
- 04MEDNo Item 19 financial performance representations disclosed — cannot independently verify $415k revenue and $139k net income claims
- 05MINORAggressive royalty structure (greater of 6% or $500) means franchisees earning <$83,333 monthly revenue pay effective rate >7.2%
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
FDD Items 5, 6, 12, 17 · continued from Risk & Legal
Contract & Territory Detail
| Initial term | 10 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 5 years |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 1 |
| Territory type | Radius/Household count |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Online sales rights | Restricted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Required |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 1 year |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | California |
| Litigation count | 0 |
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 4 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 12 hrs
- POS system
- CRM
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: CRM
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
41 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
Bar-B-Clean · FDD (2024) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Bar-B-Clean franchise?
The total investment to open a Bar-B-Clean franchise ranges from $78K – $99K, with an initial franchise fee of $50K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do Bar-B-Clean franchise owners earn?
According to Item 19 of the Bar-B-Clean FDD, the average gross sales per unit is $416K. The median is $373K. Note: this is gross revenue, not profit. Actual owner earnings vary based on location, operating costs, and management.
What is Bar-B-Clean's franchise failure rate?
Based on SBA 7(a) loan data, Bar-B-Clean has a charge-off rate of 0.0% across 14 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 Bar-B-Clean franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Bar-B-Clean has 29 total units in the United States, including 23 franchised units and 1 company-owned units. 9 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is Bar-B-Clean a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Bar-B-Clean as a A-grade franchise with a risk score of 32 out of 100, 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.
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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.