Black Rifle Coffee Company Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
Black Rifle Coffee Company is a coffee franchise serving specialty drinks and selling its veteran-founded roasted coffee and branded merchandise. Franchisees run the outposts, managing baristas, retail, and community events.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Black Rifle Coffee Company franchise requires a total initial investment of $1.6M – $3.3M, including a $35K franchise fee and an ongoing 6.0% royalty[2]. The 2025 FDD does not disclose unit-level revenue (no Item 19). FranchiseVerdict grade: B (Above average), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified · figures per the 2025 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $1.6M – $3.3M
- 99th pct Service Resta…
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- Royalty
- 6.0%
- 46th pct Service Resta…
- Units
- 37
- 60th pct Service Resta…
- SBA charge-off
- N/A
Quick verdict · Quick-Service Restaurants · color = vs category peers
Green = favorable by >10% vs Quick-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 $1.6M – $3.3M including a $35K franchise fee, 6.0% ongoing royalty.
- RETURNSTotal revenue of $391,489,933.32 is BRC Inc. consolidated (ultimate parent, NYSE: BRCC) for fiscal year ended December 31, 2024, per Item 8. Audited Item 21 statements (Exhibit F-1) are BRC Inc. consolidated; the franchisor Black Rifle Coffee Company LLC does not issue separate audited statements. Balance-sheet line items in the audited exhibit were not machine-readable in the source text (obfuscated encoding).
- RISKVerdict B (Above average), verdict score 53/100 (higher is better).
- GROWTHSystem growing at 81.8% CAGR over 3 years with 37 total units. Strong expansion trajectory.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- Black Rifle Coffee Company LLC
- Parent company
- Good Beans LLC
- Ultimate parent
- BRC Inc.
- CEO title
- Chief Executive Officer & Director
- Christopher Mondzelewski
- Founder active
- Yes
- Original founder still leading the business
- Incorporated in
- DE
- HQ
- 1144 South 500 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84101
- Auditor
- Ernst & Young LLP
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $391.5M
- vs $391.5M prior year
- Management churn noted
- Frequent turnover
- Item 2 disclosed frequent executive changes
Overview
About
- CEO
- Christopher Mondzelewski
- Headquarters
- UT
- Founded
- 2017
- FDD year
- 2025
- States available
- 10
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 274% above the typical quick-service restaurants franchise.
Source: FDD 2025 · Items 5–7
Full Item 7 breakdown15 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Feenot refundable | $35K | $35K | |
| Lease | $24K | $55K | |
| Utility Deposit | $750 | $2K | |
| Architect Fees | $50K | $130K | |
| Construction Costs | $650K | $1.7M | |
| Expenses for Initial Training | $40K | $60K | |
| Business Licenses and Permits | $5K | $10K | |
| Business Insurance | $10K | $15K | |
| Initial Inventory | $60K | $120K | |
| IT, Computer Hardware & Software, Drive-Thru Technologies | $120K | $125K | |
| Furniture, Fixtures, & Equipment | $400K | $495K | |
| Signage | $80K | $165K | |
| Grand Opening Marketing Program | $15K | $20K | |
| Professional Fees | $10K | $20K | |
| Additional Funds (3 months) | $100K | $350K | |
| Total initial investment | $1.6M | $3.3M |
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
- $1.6M – $3.3M
- Bottom third — review vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $100K – $350K
- Bottom third — review vs category
- Franchise fee
- $35K – $35K
- Middle of category vs category
- Royalty
- 6.0%
- percentage · typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 2.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 10.0%
- 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 | $0 |
| Transfer fee | $18K |
| Renewal fee | $18K |
| Inventory (initial) | $60K – $120K |
| Total fee load | 10.0% of rev |
ROI & LBO modelsSingle-unit · 25-unit portfolio · editable
Black Rifle Coffee Company 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 Black Rifle Coffee Company unit return on the cash you put in?
Unlevered ROIC · per unit
Estimated return on your total franchise investment, before any debt financing.
4%
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: 2025 FDD
Financial Performance
Total revenue of $391,489,933.32 is BRC Inc. consolidated (ultimate parent, NYSE: BRCC) for fiscal year ended December 31, 2024, per Item 8. Audited Item 21 statements (Exhibit F-1) are BRC Inc. consolidated; the franchisor Black Rifle Coffee Company LLC does not issue separate audited statements. Balance-sheet line items in the audited exhibit were not machine-readable in the source text (obfuscated encoding).
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 10.0% — above the Quick-Service Restaurants average of 7.9%.
Disclosure
Franchisor chose not to disclose financial performance representations. You will need to gather unit economics directly from existing franchisees.
Operator retention
System expanding at 81.8% CAGR over 3 years across 37 units — operators are staying and new ones are joining.
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 Quick-Service Restaurants averages
How Black Rifle Coffee Company Compares
Is the system healthy?
Source: FDD 2025 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 37
- Opened
- 4
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 1
- Terminated
- 1
- Franchisor ended the franchise (per Item 20)
- Non-renewed
- 0
- Term expired, not renewed (per Item 20)
- Turnover rate
- 10.0%
- Company-owned
- 17
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 54%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (3-yr)
- +81.8%
- Net unit change over 3 years
- 3-yr CAGR
- +81.8%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Opened (3yr)
- 4
- Closed (3yr)
- 1
- Terminated (3yr)
- 1
- Non-renewed (3yr)
- 0
- Transfers (3yr)
- 1
- Reacquired (3yr)
- 0
- Franchisor bought back
- Projected new
- 2
- Franchisor's next-year forecast
- Transfer rate
- 2.7%
- Owners selling to other franchisees
- Termination rate
- 2.7%
- Franchisor-initiated terminations
- Ceased ops
- 5.4%
- Units that stopped operating
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 7 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 loan disclosures. This brand has only 2 7(a) loans on file; statistical reliability is limited below 10 loans.
- Total loans
- 2
- Loan volume
- $1.3M
- Median loan
- $649K
- 50th percentile
- Charge-off rate
- N/A
- limited sample (2 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
High capital requirement, undisclosed unit economics, multiple active disputes, and modest unit growth create significant risk without access to proven franchisee performance data.
Litigation (Item 3)
Tang Capital Partners breach of contract re: warrant agreement (pending trial July 2025); 1791 Management LP fraud/breach claims (dismissed); Strategy and Execution Inc. breach of contract (settled $400K in Jan 2025); Clark et al. breach of contract re: warrant agreement (stayed)
Largest disclosed settlement: $400,000
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Ernst & Young 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: Yes
- Must buy proprietary products: Yes
- Restricted to system-approved products: Yes
- Can negotiate own supplier terms: No
Score breakdown · what drove the 53 / 100 verdict
- 01MINORNo average unit volume (Item 19) disclosure prevents ROI validation against $1.6M-$3.3M investment
- 02HIGHMultiple active litigation cases including royalty disputes with Strategy and Execution, Inc. suggest operational/payment conflicts
- 03MINORSlow unit growth (11.1% YoY on 37 units = ~4 net new franchises annually) indicates market saturation or franchisee struggles
- 04MINORHigh initial investment ($1.6M-$3.3M) with 6% royalty creates aggressive break-even threshold requiring $27K-$55K monthly revenue
- 05HIGHLitigation involving warrant agreements and Tang Capital Partners suggests corporate governance instability and potential founder/investor conflicts
- 06HIGHGoing Concern designation is FALSE, but absence of financial transparency (no revenue/income disclosure) creates blind spot for profitability assessment
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 2025 · Items 11, 12, 17
FDD Items 12, 15, 17 · continued from Risk & Legal
Contract & Territory Detail
| Initial term | 10 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 5 years |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 2 |
| Territory type | protected |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | No |
| 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 | 5 mi |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Mandatory arbitration | No |
| Arbitration location | Salt Lake City, Utah |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | UT |
| Litigation count | 4 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
Tang Capital Partners breach of contract re: warrant agreement (pending trial July 2025); 1791 Management LP fraud/breach claims (dismissed); Strategy and Execution Inc. breach of contract (settled $400K in Jan 2025); Clark et al. breach of contract re: warrant agreement (stayed)
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 58 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 134 hrs
- Training location
- Select Corporate Stores (typically Texas or Tennessee)
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Time to open
- 9 mo
- From signing to launch
- Site selection
- Franchisee proposes, franchisor approves
- Franchisor financing
- Not offered
- Item 10
- POS system
- NCR ALOHA
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: NCR ALOHA
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
14 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
Black Rifle Coffee Company · FDD (2025) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Black Rifle Coffee Company franchise?
The total investment to open a Black Rifle Coffee Company franchise ranges from $1.6M – $3.3M, with an initial franchise fee of $35K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do Black Rifle Coffee Company franchise owners earn?
Black Rifle Coffee Company 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 Black Rifle Coffee Company 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 Black Rifle Coffee Company FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is Black Rifle Coffee Company's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for Black Rifle Coffee Company (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 Black Rifle Coffee Company franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Black Rifle Coffee Company has 37 total units in the United States, including 20 franchised units and 17 company-owned units. 4 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is Black Rifle Coffee Company a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Black Rifle Coffee Company as a B-grade franchise with a verdict score of 53 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.