Bar Louie Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
Bar Louie is a gastrobar franchise pairing craft cocktails and local beer with an American food menu. Franchisees run the bar-and-restaurant locations, managing beverage and food service, staffing, and nightlife programming.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Bar Louie franchise requires a total initial investment of $1.1M – $3.9M, including a $50K franchise fee and an ongoing 5.0% royalty[2]. Per the 2024 FDD, average unit revenue was $3.1M[2]. FranchiseVerdict grade: C (Average), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified · figures per the 2024 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $1.1M – $3.9M
- 33rd pct Service Resta…
- Avg gross sales
- $3.1M
- 13th pct Service Resta…
- Royalty
- 5.0%
- 7th pct Service Resta…
- Units
- 66
- 28th 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
- COSTTotal investment $1.1M – $3.9M including a $50K franchise fee, 5.0% ongoing royalty.
- RETURNSAverage unit revenue of $3.1M/year (median $3.0M).
- RISKVerdict C (Average), verdict score 45/100 (higher is better).
- FLAGBankruptcy history disclosed in the FDD. Review Item 4 for details before proceeding.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- BLH Restaurant Franchises LLC
- Parent company
- BLH Acquisition Co. LLC
- Ultimate parent
- BLH Topco LLC
- Predecessor
- BL Restaurant Franchises LLC
- Prior franchisor entity
- CEO title
- Chief Executive Officer
- Brian K. Wright
- Incorporated in
- DE
- HQ
- The Colonnade, 15305 Dallas Parkway – 12th Floor, Addison, Texas 75001
- Auditor
- Grant Thornton LLP
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $142.6M
- vs $144.6M prior year
Overview
About
- CEO
- Brian K. Wright
- Headquarters
- TX
- Founded
- 1990
- FDD year
- 2024
- States available
- 6
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 115% above the typical full-service restaurants franchise.
Source: FDD 2024 · Items 5–7
FDD Item 7 · 2024 filing
Initial investment breakdown
| Cost component | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $50K | $50K |
| Working capital (3–6 mo) | $75K | $225K |
| Equipment, build-out, other | $940K | $3.7M |
| Total initial investment | $1.1M | $3.9M |
Source: Bar Louie 2024 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
- $1.1M – $3.9M
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $75K – $225K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $50K – $50K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Royalty
- 5.0%
- percentage · typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 1.5%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 10.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 5.0% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 1.5% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $0 |
| Transfer fee | $5K |
| Renewal fee | $25K |
| Inventory (initial) | $50K – $64K |
| Total fee load | 10.0% of rev |
What do units actually make?
Average unit sales run 77% above the full-service restaurants norm.
Source: FDD 2024 · Item 19
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
$355K
11.5% margin
Unlevered ROIC
13%
EBITDA / total invested capital
Payback
7.5 yrs
cash-on-cash, unlevered
ROI & LBO modelsSingle-unit · 25-unit portfolio · editable
What one unit earns on your invested capital
Model A · Single-Unit Return
Computes unlevered return on invested capital (ROIC) for a single franchise unit. The target band for an attractive franchise is 30–60% ROIC. Below that and a passive index fund likely outperforms; above that and the franchisor has pricing power you're subsidizing.
Note: Item 19 revenue is what the franchisor discloses. It's the top line only. Operating costs below are category estimates. Override them to match your real lease quote, labor market, and build-out budget.
Returns model · single-unit ROIC
What would one Bar Louie unit return on the cash you put in?
Unlevered ROIC · per unit
Estimated return on your total franchise investment, before any debt financing.
13%
Below the 30–60% attractive-franchise band
What 25 units return when you use SBA financing
Model B · Return on Equity: Debt-Financed Acquisition
Models a 25-unit portfolio acquisition financed with an SBA 7(a) loan. Shows equity IRR (your return on cash invested), DSCR (how safely the cash flow covers debt service), and the capital stack (SBA + seller + equity breakdown).
This is the “search fund” or “entrepreneurship through acquisition” scenario: you buy an existing multi-unit operator, use leverage to amplify returns, and either operate or hire management. The 25-unit size is the typical minimum for an SBA-backed franchise portfolio acquisition to pencil as a full-time income.
What “return on equity” means here: if you put in $500K of your own cash and the business generates enough EBITDA to pay down debt and grow, your equity IRR is the annual return on that $500K, including the value created when you eventually sell. Target IRR for a search fund is typically 25–35%.
Levered LBO scenario · Yale Crease Capital framing
What would 25 Bar Louie units return on equity?
Equity IRR · 5-yr
36.0%
4.65× MOIC
Year-1 DSCR
2.28×
EBITDA ÷ debt service
Equity required
$4.7M
on $13.9M purchase
Total debt
$9.2M
SBA $5.0M + senior + seller note
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: 2024 FDD
Financial Performance
- Avg gross sales
- $3.1M
- Per unit, per year
- Median gross sales
- $3.0M
Gross sales are revenue before expenses — not profit. Actual owner earnings depend on rent, labor, royalties, marketing fees, and debt service.
- Item 19 type
- gross sales
- Sample size
- 11
- vs category median 18
- Range (low → high)
- $1.4M→$6.4M
- Cohort dispersion (min → max)
- Reporting year
- 2023
- Fiscal year the figures cover
- Source filing
- FDD 2024
- Disclosed in the 2024 filing, covering 2023
- Transparency
- 4 / 10
- vs category median 3 / 10 · above
Compared against 805 Full-Service Restaurants brands
Operator outlook
What the numbers say
Data-driven interpretation of this brand's financial disclosures, fee structure, and system trajectory.
Unit economics
Average unit generates $3.1M/year in gross sales. Revenue-to-investment ratio: 1.2x.
Fee burden
Total ongoing fee load of 10.0% — above the Full-Service Restaurants average of 7.6%.
Disclosure
Transparency score 4/10 — this franchisor discloses detailed breakdowns (quartiles, segments, or cohort data). Buyers can model unit economics with higher confidence.
Operator retention
System contracting at -14.3% CAGR over 3 years. Investigate whether closures are franchisor-driven consolidation or franchisee exits.
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 Bar Louie Compares
Is the system healthy?
Source: FDD 2024 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 66
- Opened
- 0
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 1
- Turnover rate
- 5.6%
- Company-owned
- 48
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 27%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (3-yr)
- -14.3%
- Net unit change over 3 years
- 3-yr CAGR
- -14.3%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Opened (3yr)
- 0
- Closed (3yr)
- 1
- Terminated (3yr)
- 0
- Non-renewed (3yr)
- 0
- Transfers (3yr)
- 0
- Reacquired (3yr)
- 1
- Franchisor bought back
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 21 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.
A system losing more than 10% of its units year-over-year is a red flag. Check whether closures are concentrated in specific regions.
SBA loan performance
Government records
SBA Loan Data
Aggregated from SBA loan disclosures. This brand has only 5 7(a) loans on file; statistical reliability is limited below 10 loans.
- Total loans
- 5
- Loan volume
- $7.6M
- Median loan
- $1.4M
- 50th percentile
- Charge-off rate
- N/A
- limited sample (5 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
- 2
- Defaults
- N/A
Explore lender portfolios on Bank Reports or regional data on State Reports.
What could kill this investment?
Source: SBA 7(a) FOIA · FDD Items 3, 21
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 4, 8, 16, 21
Risk & Legal
Bar Louie presents elevated risk due to system contraction, unresolved litigation over franchise practices, undisclosed profitability metrics, and a franchisor business model potentially dependent on new franchise sales rather than franchisee prosperity.
Litigation (Item 3)
One case: BL Restaurant Franchises LLC v. 510 Park, Inc. et al. (N.D. Tex. 2018), dispute with Fortney family franchisees; dismissed and proceeded to AAA arbitration; settled with Fortneys dismissing all claims, turning over Columbus restaurant.
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
Disclosed in last 7 years
Predecessor entities (BL Restaurants Holding LLC, BL Restaurant Operations LLC, BL Restaurant Franchises LLC, BL Hunt Valley LLC) filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy on January 27, 2020 (Case No. 20-10156). Assets sold to BLH Acquisition Co. LLC on May 27, 2020. Also, CEO Brian K. Wright was CEO of Bertucci's Inc. when it filed Chapter 11 on April 15, 2018 (Case No. 1:18-bk-10898), dismissed January 14, 2020.
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Grant Thornton LLP
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
ⓘ These are the parent company's consolidated financials (the parent guarantees the franchisor), not this brand's standalone results — the figure reflects the whole corporate group, not this brand alone.
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
- Franchisor sells you products: Yes
- Kickbacks from required suppliers: No
- Must buy proprietary products: Yes
- Restricted to system-approved products: Yes
- Can negotiate own supplier terms: No
Score breakdown · what drove the 45 / 100 verdict
- 01MEDUnit count declined 10% YoY (66 units), indicating system contraction and potential market saturation or operational challenges
- 02HIGHRecent litigation with Fortney family franchisees alleging breach of contract and franchise statute violations, resulting in forced location transfer to franchisor
- 03MINORNo average net income disclosure (Item 19) despite $3.09M average revenue—inability or unwillingness to provide profitability data is a major transparency red flag
- 04MINORHigh investment range ($1.06M–$3.95M) with 5% royalty creates significant capital risk and ongoing cost burden in contracting system
- 05MINORHigh initial franchise fee ($50,000) combined with declining unit count suggests franchisor may be relying on new unit sales rather than supporting existing franchisee success
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
What are you signing up for?
Ongoing fees run about 10.0% of sales (royalty + ad fund), before rent and labor.
Source: FDD 2024 · Items 11, 12, 17
FDD Items 12, 15, 17 · continued from Risk & Legal
Contract & Territory Detail
| Initial term | 10 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 10 years |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 3 |
| Territory type | protected |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | No |
| Territory radius | 3 mi |
| Online sales rightsℹ | Restricted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Optional |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 2 years |
| Non-compete (miles)ℹ | 5 mi |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Mandatory arbitration | No |
| Arbitration location | Dallas, Texas |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | TX |
| Litigation count | 1 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
One case: BL Restaurant Franchises LLC v. 510 Park, Inc. et al. (N.D. Tex. 2018), dispute with Fortney family franchisees; dismissed and proceeded to AAA arbitration; settled with Fortneys dismissing all claims, turning over Columbus restaurant.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 15 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 185 hrs
- Training location
- Bar Louie Corporate Training Restaurant (nearest certified training location)
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Time to open
- 9 mo
- From signing to launch
- Site selection
- Franchisee selects site; franchisor must approve
- Franchisor financing
- Not offered
- Item 10
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
65 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
Bar Louie · FDD (2024) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Bar Louie franchise?
The total investment to open a Bar Louie franchise ranges from $1.1M – $3.9M, 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 Louie franchise owners earn?
According to Item 19 of the Bar Louie FDD, the average gross sales per unit is $3.1M. The median is $3.0M. Note: this is gross revenue, not profit. Actual owner earnings vary based on location, operating costs, and management.
What is Item 19 in the Bar Louie 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 Bar Louie FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is Bar Louie's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for Bar Louie (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 Bar Louie franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Bar Louie has 66 total units in the United States, including 18 franchised units and 48 company-owned units.
Is Bar Louie a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Bar Louie as a C-grade franchise with a verdict score of 45 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?
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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.