Beef Jerky Experience Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
Beef Jerky Experience is a specialty snack retail franchise selling jerky, meat snacks, hot sauces, and novelty foods. Franchisees run retail stores or outlet locations, managing inventory, merchandising, and sales.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Beef Jerky Experience franchise requires a total initial investment of $193K – $407K, including a $50K franchise fee and an ongoing 6.0% royalty[2]. Per the 2026 FDD, average unit revenue was $430K[2]. SBA 7(a) loans show a 4.2% charge-off rate across 31 loans[1]. FranchiseVerdict grade: B (Above average), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified · figures per the 2026 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $193K – $407K
- 7th pct Service Resta…
- Avg gross sales
- $430K
- 1st pct Service Resta…
- Royalty
- 6.0%
- 24th pct Service Resta…
- Units
- 68
- 29th pct Service Resta…
- SBA charge-off
- 4.2%
- % 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 $193K – $407K including a $50K franchise fee, 6.0% ongoing royalty.
- RETURNSAverage unit revenue of $430K/year (median $370K).
- RISKVerdict B (Above average), verdict score 49/100 (higher is better). SBA loan charge-off rate of 4.2% across 31 loans (well below the franchise average, based on all SBA 7(a) franchise lending, 2010–2025).
- DECLINESystem contracting at -23.2% CAGR over 3 years. Investigate whether closures are franchisor-driven (consolidation) or franchisee-driven (economics).
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- The Beef Jerky Outlet Franchise, Inc.
- Predecessor
- Beef Jerky Outlet
- Prior franchisor entity
- CEO title
- CEO
- Scott Parker
- Incorporated in
- TN
- HQ
- 2849 Winfield Dunn Parkway, Unit 250, Kodak, TN 37764
- Auditor
- UHY LLP
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $2.4M
- vs $2.7M prior year
- Management churn noted
- Frequent turnover
- Item 2 disclosed frequent executive changes
Overview
About
- CEO
- Scott Parker
- Headquarters
- TN
- Founded
- 2010
- FDD year
- 2026
- States available
- 26
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 74% below the typical full-service restaurants franchise.
Source: FDD 2026 · Items 5–7
Full Item 7 breakdown16 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Feenot refundable | $50K | $50K | |
| Rent - 3 Monthsnot refundable | $8K | $40K | |
| Leasehold Improvements - Materialsnot refundable | $4K | $35K | |
| Leasehold Improvements - Demo/Space Rehabnot refundable | $10K | $50K | |
| Leasehold Improvements - Architectnot refundable | $3K | $6K | |
| Fixtures, Furnishings and Equipmentnot refundable | $60K | $106K | |
| Signagenot refundable | $5K | $13K | |
| Initial Inventorynot refundable | $30K | $50K | |
| Security Deposits | $4K | $10K | |
| Insurance - 3 Monthsnot refundable | $750 | $3K | |
| Business Kickstart Assets & Technology Feenot refundable | $4K | $5K | |
| Franchisor Travel and Living Expenses For On-site Trainingnot refundable | $3K | $8K | |
| POS/Back Office Computer Equipment and Suppliesnot refundable | $3K | $8K | |
| Permits/Licensesnot refundable | $100 | $3K | |
| Professional Feesnot refundable | $1K | $3K | |
| Additional Funds - 3 Monthsnot refundable | $10K | $20K | |
| Total initial investment | $194K | $407K |
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
- $193K – $407K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $10K – $20K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $50K – $50K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Royalty
- 6.0%
- percentage · typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 2.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 8.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 6.0% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 2.0% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $85 |
| Training fee | $500 |
| Transfer fee | $10K |
| Renewal fee | $3K |
| Inventory (initial) | $30K – $50K |
| Total fee load | 8.0% of rev |
What do units actually make?
Average unit sales run 75% below the full-service restaurants norm.
Source: FDD 2026 · 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
$43K
10.0% margin
Unlevered ROIC
14%
EBITDA / total invested capital
Payback
7.3 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 Beef Jerky Experience unit return on the cash you put in?
Unlevered ROIC · per unit
Estimated return on your total franchise investment, before any debt financing.
14%
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 Beef Jerky Experience units return on equity?
Equity IRR · 5-yr
49.9%
7.57× MOIC
Year-1 DSCR
1.88×
EBITDA ÷ debt service
Equity required
$258K
on $1.3M purchase
Total debt
$1.0M
SBA $0.6M + 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: 2026 FDD
Financial Performance
- Avg gross sales
- $430K
- Per unit, per year
- Median gross sales
- $370K
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 product sales
- Sample size
- 62 outlets
- vs category median 18 · large
- Range (low → high)
- $93K→$1.3M
- Cohort dispersion (min → max)
- Quartile band
- $223K→$694K
- Bottom 25% → top 25%
- Reporting year
- 2025
- Fiscal year the figures cover
- Source filing
- FDD 2026
- Disclosed in the 2026 filing, covering 2025
- 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 $430K/year in gross sales. Revenue-to-investment ratio: 1.4x.
Fee burden
Total ongoing fee load of 8.0% (near the Full-Service Restaurants average).
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 -23.2% CAGR over 3 years. Investigate whether closures are franchisor-driven consolidation or franchisee exits.
Multi-unit rate
Only 1% of franchisees own multiple units. Could indicate challenging economics or a young system where operators haven't had time to expand.
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 Beef Jerky Experience Compares
Is the system healthy?
Source: FDD 2026 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 68
- Opened
- 3
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 15
- Terminated
- 0
- Franchisor ended the franchise (per Item 20)
- Non-renewed
- 0
- Term expired, not renewed (per Item 20)
- Turnover rate
- 23.8%
- Company-owned
- 5
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 93%
- vs corporate-owned
- Multi-unit owners
- 1.0%
- Net growth (3-yr)
- -23.2%
- Net unit change over 3 years
- 3-yr CAGR
- -23.2%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Opened (3yr)
- 3
- Closed (3yr)
- 15
- Terminated (3yr)
- 0
- Non-renewed (3yr)
- 0
- Transfers (3yr)
- 1
- Reacquired (3yr)
- 0
- Franchisor bought back
- Transfer rate
- 1.5%
- Owners selling to other franchisees
- Continuity rate
- 80.8%
- Units that stayed open
- Ceased ops
- 22.1%
- Units that stopped operating
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 4 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 7(a) and 504 loan disclosures, public data unique to FranchiseVerdict.
- Total loans
- 31
- Loan volume
- $4.9M
- Median loan
- $160K
- average
- Charge-off rate
- 4.2%
- 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
- 0.0%
- Loans approved 2021+
- Active lenders
- 16
- Defaults
- 1
Vintage analysis
Beef Jerky Experience charge-off rate by loan vintage
Top lenders financing Beef Jerky Experience franchisees
Showing 3 of 16 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 Beef Jerky Experience'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 17 states
- Startup risk premium and job creation velocity
Instant access. No subscription.
What could kill this investment?
SBA loans charge off at 4.2% — 74% 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
Contracting franchise system with undisclosed profitability, franchisor financial concerns, and deteriorating unit economics warrants extreme caution.
Litigation (Item 3)
No litigation required to be disclosed in Item 3.
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · UHY LLP
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 49 / 100 verdict
- 01MEDUnit count declined 16% YoY (68 to ~57 units) — indicates system contraction and franchisee struggles
- 02MINORNo net income disclosure despite $430k average revenue — suggests thin margins or franchisor hiding profitability data
- 03HIGHGoing Concern = False — potential financial instability at franchisor level
- 04MINORHigh investment range ($193k-$407k) paired with declining units signals poor ROI for current franchisees
- 05MEDNo litigation disclosed but system shrinkage suggests underlying operational or support issues
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
What are you signing up for?
Ongoing fees run about 8.0% 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 | 5 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 5 years |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 3 |
| Territory type | protected |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | No |
| Territory radius | 2 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 | 25 mi |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| RoFR response window | 10 days |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 3 days |
| Curable defaultsℹ | 4 |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Arbitration location | Sevier County, Tennessee |
| Jury trial waiver | No |
| Governing law | TN |
| Litigation count | 0 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
No litigation required to be disclosed in Item 3.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 28 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 44 hrs
- Training location
- Affiliate or Franchisee Store and/or on-line; on-site at franchisee's store
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Time to open
- 12 mo
- From signing to launch
- Site selection
- Franchisee selects; franchisor must approve
- Franchisor financing
- Not offered
- Item 10
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
4 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
Beef Jerky Experience · FDD (2026) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Beef Jerky Experience franchise?
The total investment to open a Beef Jerky Experience franchise ranges from $193K – $407K, 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 Beef Jerky Experience franchise owners earn?
According to Item 19 of the Beef Jerky Experience FDD, the average gross sales per unit is $430K. The median is $370K. Note: this is gross revenue, not profit. Actual owner earnings vary based on location, operating costs, and management.
What is Item 19 in the Beef Jerky Experience 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 Beef Jerky Experience FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is Beef Jerky Experience's franchise failure rate?
Based on SBA 7(a) loan data, Beef Jerky Experience has a charge-off rate of 4.2% across 31 loans, meaning 4.2% 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 Beef Jerky Experience franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Beef Jerky Experience has 68 total units in the United States, including 63 franchised units and 5 company-owned units. 3 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is Beef Jerky Experience a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Beef Jerky Experience as a B-grade franchise with a verdict score of 49 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 Beef Jerky Experience, you can request corrections or provide updated information.
Other Full-Service Restaurants franchises
Compare similar franchise opportunities in the Full-Service Restaurants category
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.