Bento SushiFranchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Bento Sushi franchise requires a total initial investment of $100K – $146K, including a $100K franchise fee and an ongoing 10.0% royalty[2]. The 2025 FDD does not disclose unit-level revenue (no Item 19). Verdict grade: F. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified June 18, 2026 · figures per the 2025 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $100K – $146K
- 3rd pct Service Resta…
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- 28th pct Service Resta…
- Royalty
- 10.0%
- 45th pct Service Resta…
- Units
- 64
- 38th pct Service Resta…
- SBA default
- N/A
Quick verdict · Full-Service Restaurants · color = vs category peers
Green = >15% above Full-Service Restaurants 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
Franchised units fell from 94 to 63 over 3 years. Investigate why operators are leaving.
The franchisor's auditor raised doubt about continued operations. This is a serious risk signal.
Bottom line
- Total investment $100K – $146K including a $100K franchise fee, 10.0% ongoing royalty.
- No Item 19 financial performance data disclosed. The franchisor chose not to publish revenue figures.
- Verdict F (Bottom Quintile) with a risk score of 100/100.
- 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
- Bento Sushi Franchise, Inc.
- Parent company
- Bento Nouveau Inc.
- Incorporated in
- DE
- HQ
- 2136 S. Peoria St., Chicago, IL 60608
- Auditor
- BDO Canada LLP
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $3.5M
- vs $2.3M prior year
- ⚠ Going-concern note
- Disclosed in FDD 2025
- Auditor flagged doubt about continued operations. Verify against the latest FDD before deciding.
Overview
About
Franchisees operate quick-service sushi restaurants, managing food preparation, inventory, customer service, and delivery/dine-in operations. Daily duties include staff management, quality control of fresh ingredients, order fulfillment, and point-of-sale operations while paying 10% royalties on gross sales.
- CEO
- David S. Jones
- Headquarters
- IL
- Founded
- 2016
- FDD year
- 2025
- States available
- 23
FDD Item 7 · 2025 filing
Initial investment breakdown
| Cost component | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $100K | $100K |
| Working capital (3–6 mo) | $5K | $15K |
| Equipment, build-out, other | $0 | $31K |
| Total initial investment | $100K | $146K |
Source: Bento Sushi 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
- $100K – $146K
- Better than avg vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $5K – $15K
- Better than avg vs category
- Franchise fee
- $2K – $100K
- Near category avg vs category
- Royalty
- 10.0%
- percentage_of_gross · typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 2.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 12.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 10.0% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 2.0% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $100 |
| Transfer fee | $10K |
| Renewal fee | $100K |
| Total fee load | 12.0% of rev |
Financial Performance
This franchisor did not disclose financial performance representations in Item 19, or our extractor could not parse them.
vs Full-Service Restaurants averages
How Bento Sushi Compares
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 64
- Opened
- 10
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 8
- Turnover rate
- 12.5%
- Company-owned
- 1
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 98%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (yr3)
- +5.0%
- Net unit change last year
- 3-yr CAGR
- -33.0%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Transfers (3yr)
- 15
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 9 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.
SBA loan performance
Government records
SBA Loan Data
Aggregated from SBA 7(a) and 504 loan disclosures, public data unique to FranchiseVerdict.
No SBA loan data available for this brand.
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 5, 6, 12, 17
Risk & Legal
Bento Sushi presents meaningful investment risk due to lack of financial transparency, unprotected territory, and slow unit growth, making ROI validation difficult before committing a six-figure franchise fee.
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · BDO Canada LLP⚠ Going-concern note flagged
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Score breakdown · what drove the 100 / 100 rating
- 01MEDHigh franchise fee ($100,000) with no disclosed average revenue or net income to validate ROI
- 02MINORNo protected territory creates direct competition risk and cannibalization potential
- 03MINORSlow unit growth (5.0% YoY) suggests market saturation or franchisee satisfaction concerns
- 04MINORShort 3-year term creates renewal risk and limits franchisee long-term planning
- 05MEDWide investment range ($20,200–$145,550) indicates inconsistent unit economics or incomplete disclosure
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 | 3 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 3 years |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 1 |
| Protected territory | No |
| Online sales rights | Restricted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Optional |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 2 years |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| Termination notice | 15 days |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | Delaware |
| Litigation count | 0 |
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 45 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 120 hrs
- POS system
- Bento Operating Tablet
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: Bento Operating Tablet
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
12 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
Bento Sushi · FDD (2025) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Bento Sushi franchise?
The total investment to open a Bento Sushi franchise ranges from $100K – $146K, with an initial franchise fee of $100K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do Bento Sushi franchise owners earn?
Bento Sushi 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 Bento Sushi's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for Bento Sushi (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 Bento Sushi franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Bento Sushi has 64 total units in the United States, including 94 franchised units and 1 company-owned units. 10 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is Bento Sushi a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Bento Sushi as a F-grade franchise with a risk score of 100 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.