bb.q Chicken Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
bb.q Chicken is a Korean fried chicken franchise serving crispy fried chicken, wings, and Korean dishes. Area representatives develop territories and support franchisees who run the restaurants.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A bb.q Chicken franchise requires a total initial investment of $661K – $1.3M, including a $45K franchise fee. The 2026 FDD does not disclose unit-level revenue (no Item 19). SBA 7(a) loans show a 0.0% charge-off rate across 38 loans[1]. FranchiseVerdict grade: C (Average), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified · figures per the 2026 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $661K – $1.3M
- 28th pct Service Resta…
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- Royalty
- N/A
- Units
- 9
- 12th pct Service Resta…
- SBA charge-off
- 0.0%
- % of SBA 7(a) loans not repaid · median varies by category
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 $661K – $1.3M including a $45K franchise fee.
- RETURNSFranchisor total revenue includes $57,662,252 in product sales (food distribution to franchisees) and $16,933,010 in service/fee revenues for FY2025.
- RISKVerdict C (Average), verdict score 66/100 (higher is better). SBA loan charge-off rate of 0.0% across 38 loans (well below the franchise average, based on all SBA 7(a) franchise lending, 2010–2025).
- FLAGAuditor 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
- BBDOTQ USA, Inc.
- Parent company
- Genesis BBQ Global Co., Ltd
- CEO title
- Chief Executive Officer
- Hyongbong Kim
- Incorporated in
- New Jersey
- HQ
- 2134 North Central Road, Fort Lee, NJ 07024
- Auditor
- SCJ CPA (S. Seo, CPA), Ridgefield Park, New Jersey
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $74.6M
- vs $78.9M prior year
- ⚠ Going-concern note
- Disclosed in FDD 2026
- Auditor flagged doubt about continued operations. Verify against the latest FDD before deciding.
Overview
About
- CEO
- Hyongbong Kim
- Headquarters
- New Jersey
- Founded
- 2014
- FDD year
- 2026
- States available
- 8
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 16% below the typical full-service restaurants franchise.
Source: FDD 2026 · Items 5–7
Full Item 7 breakdown47 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee (Restaurant)not refundable | $45K | $45K | |
| Lease/Security Deposit, Utility Deposit (Restaurant) | $3K | $50K | |
| Leasehold Improvements (Restaurant)not refundable | $450K | $850K | |
| Signage (Restaurant)not refundable | $5K | $25K | |
| Furniture and Fixtures (Restaurant)not refundable | $30K | $40K | |
| Equipment (Restaurant)not refundable | $70K | $150K | |
| Point-of-Sale System (Restaurant)not refundable | $4K | $8K | |
| Business Licenses and Permits (Restaurant)not refundable | $500 | $500 | |
| Professional Fees (Restaurant)not refundable | $1K | $5K | |
| Architectural/Design Fees (Restaurant)not refundable | $5K | $30K | |
| Insurance - 3 Months (Restaurant)not refundable | $2K | $3K | |
| Inventory (Restaurant)not refundable | $8K | $20K | |
| Training Fee & Expenses (Restaurant)not refundable | $5K | $7K | |
| Opening Material (Restaurant)not refundable | $3K | $6K | |
| Grand Opening Marketing (Restaurant)not refundable | $10K | $10K | |
| Additional Funds - 3 Months (Restaurant)not refundable | $20K | $40K | |
| Initial Franchise Fee (Essential Restaurant)not refundable | $45K | $45K | |
| Lease/Security Deposit, Utility Deposit (Essential Restaurant) | $3K | $20K | |
| Leasehold Improvements (Essential Restaurant)not refundable | $300K | $450K | |
| Signage (Essential Restaurant)not refundable | $5K | $25K | |
| Total initial investment | $1.5M | $2.6M |
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
- $661K – $1.3M
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $20K – $40K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $45K – $45K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Royalty
- Royalty Fee is 5% of Gross Sales, payable monthly on the …
- Ad fund
- 2.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 7.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Marketing / ad fund | 2.0% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $75 |
| Transfer fee | $100 |
| Renewal fee | $45K |
| Inventory (initial) | $8K – $20K |
| Total fee load | 7.0% of rev |
ROI & LBO modelsSingle-unit · 25-unit portfolio · editable
bb.q Chicken 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 bb.q Chicken unit return on the cash you put in?
Unlevered ROIC · per unit
Estimated return on your total franchise investment, before any debt financing.
7%
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: 2026 FDD
Financial Performance
Franchisor total revenue includes $57,662,252 in product sales (food distribution to franchisees) and $16,933,010 in service/fee revenues for FY2025.
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 7.0% (near the Full-Service Restaurants average).
Disclosure
Franchisor chose not to disclose financial performance representations. You will need to gather unit economics directly from existing franchisees.
Operator retention
Net unit growth of +66.7% over 3 years (0 opened, 0 closed).
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 bb.q Chicken Compares
Is the system healthy?
Source: FDD 2026 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 9
- Opened
- 0
- 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
- 2.4%
- Company-owned
- 0
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 100%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (3-yr)
- +66.7%
- Net unit change over 3 years
- 3-yr CAGR
- +66.7%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Opened (3yr)
- 1
- Closed (3yr)
- 0
- Terminated (3yr)
- 0
- Non-renewed (3yr)
- 0
- Transfers (3yr)
- 0
- Reacquired (3yr)
- 0
- Franchisor bought back
- Projected new
- 5
- Franchisor's next-year forecast
- Termination rate
- 14.3%
- Franchisor-initiated terminations
- Ceased ops
- 57.1%
- Units that stopped operating
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 17 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.
Available to sell in · Item 12
- Michigan
States where the franchisor is registered to sell new franchises (FDD registration filings).
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
- 38
- Loan volume
- $12.9M
- Median loan
- $310K
- 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
- 17
- Defaults
- 0
- Typical loan rate
- 8.3%
- avg rate to borrowers
- Franchised industry avg
- 13.2%
- brand beats franchise avg ↓
- Jobs supported
- 551
- 4.3 per loan
- Lender concentration
- 13%
- top lender's share
Borrower mix: 71% went to startups / new businesses, 29% to established operators
Franchise vs independent — in full-service restaurants, franchised businesses charge off at 13.2% vs 9.7% for independents — franchising is associated with 36% higher SBA default risk in this category.
Top lenders financing bb.q Chicken franchisees
Showing 3 of 17 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 bb.q Chicken'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 14 states
- Startup risk premium and job creation velocity
- 8-year lending trend
Instant access. No subscription.
With a 0.0% charge-off rate across 38 loans, banks have historically viewed this brand favorably for lending.
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
⚠ Grade capped at C: the auditor disclosed a going-concern note (FDD Item 21). The verdict score reflects the underlying financials before that cap.
bb.q Chicken presents moderate-to-elevated risk due to missing financial transparency, franchisor going concern issues, and aggressive expansion that may outpace operational support quality.
Litigation (Item 3)
No litigation is required to be disclosed in this Item.
Largest disclosed settlement: $199,000
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · SCJ CPA (S. Seo, CPA), Ridgefield Park, New Jersey⚠ Going-concern note flagged
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
- Franchisor sells you products: No
- 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 66 / 100 verdict
- 01MINORNo Item 19 financial disclosures (average unit revenue and net income not provided) — impossible to assess actual ROI or profitability
- 02HIGHGoing Concern flag is FALSE, suggesting potential balance sheet or operational sustainability concerns with the franchisor
- 03MINORRapid unit growth (28.9% YoY) may indicate quality control issues, market saturation risk, or unsustainable expansion model
- 04MINOR5% royalty on gross sales (not net) is extracted regardless of profitability — burdensome if margins compress
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
What are you signing up for?
Ongoing fees run about 7.0% of sales (royalty + ad fund), before rent and labor.
Source: FDD 2026 · 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 | 1 |
| Territory type | none |
| Protected territory | No |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | No |
| Territory population | 5,000 |
| Online sales rightsℹ | Restricted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Required |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 2 years |
| Non-compete (miles)ℹ | 20 mi |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| RoFR response window | 30 days |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Termination groundsℹ | 3 |
| Curable defaultsℹ | 3 |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Arbitration location | Within 10 miles of company headquarters (Fort Lee, New Jersey) |
| Jury trial waiver | No |
| Governing law | New Jersey |
| Litigation count | 0 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
No litigation is required to be disclosed in this Item.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 32 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 8 hrs
- Training location
- Fort Lee, New Jersey
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Field support
- 80 hrs/yr
- On-site visits per year
- Time to open
- 3 mo
- From signing to launch
- Site selection
- Area Representative helps identify/secure sites; franchisor approves
- Franchisor financing
- Not offered
- Item 10
- POS system
- Toast POS System
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: Toast POS System
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
73 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
bb.q Chicken · FDD (2026) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a bb.q Chicken franchise?
The total investment to open a bb.q Chicken franchise ranges from $661K – $1.3M, with an initial franchise fee of $45K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do bb.q Chicken franchise owners earn?
bb.q Chicken 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 bb.q Chicken 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 bb.q Chicken FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is bb.q Chicken's franchise failure rate?
Based on SBA 7(a) loan data, bb.q Chicken has a charge-off rate of 0.0% across 38 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 bb.q Chicken franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, bb.q Chicken has 9 total units in the United States, including 9 franchised units and 0 company-owned units.
Is bb.q Chicken a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates bb.q Chicken as a C-grade franchise with a verdict score of 66 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 bb.q Chicken, 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.