Blowfish Poke Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
Blowfish Poke is a fast-casual franchise serving customizable poke bowls from restaurants and food trucks. Franchisees run the operations, managing fresh-fish prep, staffing, and counter service.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Blowfish Poke franchise requires a total initial investment of $156K – $339K, including a $30K – $35K franchise fee and an ongoing 6.0% royalty[2]. The 2025 FDD does not disclose unit-level revenue (no Item 19). FranchiseVerdict grade: C (Average), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified · figures per the 2025 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $156K – $339K
- 14th pct Service Resta…
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- Company-owned only
- Royalty
- 6.0%
- 46th pct Service Resta…
- Units
- 5
- 24th 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 $156K – $339K including a $30K franchise fee, 6.0% ongoing royalty.
- RETURNSItem 21 audit (Smith, Buzzi & Associates, LLC; Miami, FL; report dated March 6, 2025) is a single balance sheet as of February 28, 2025 only. Franchisor Blowfish Franchise, LLC was formed Feb 21, 2024 and had not operated three years, so no income statement was required or included. Total assets = cash $30,894; total liabilities $0 (deferred franchise fee nil); total members' equity $30,894. No franchisor revenue or net income disclosed.
- RISKVerdict C (Average), verdict score 39/100 (higher is better).
- DATAItem 19 reports affiliate gross revenue rather than annual gross sales, so unit revenue is not directly comparable. Ask franchisees directly for full unit-level revenue.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- Blowfish Franchise LLC
- CEO title
- CEO
- Jennie Kwon
- Incorporated in
- MD
- HQ
- 12175 Clarksville Pike, Suite 206, Clarksville, MD 21029
- Auditor
- Smith, Buzzi & Associates, LLC.
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $0
- Most recent fiscal year
Affiliated brands
- Pr
Other brands the franchisor or its parent operates (Item 1).
Overview
About
- CEO
- Jennie Kwon
- Headquarters
- MD
- Founded
- 2024
- FDD year
- 2025
- States available
- 2
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 62% below the typical quick-service restaurants franchise.
Source: FDD 2025 · Items 5–7
Full Item 7 breakdown26 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee (Brick and Mortar)not refundable | $35K | $35K | |
| Traveling and Living Expenses while Training (Brick and Mortar) | $3K | $6K | |
| Furniture, Fixtures, and Decor (Brick and Mortar) | $3K | $6K | |
| Real Property Rent and Security Deposits (Brick and Mortar) | $8K | $18K | |
| Leasehold Improvements (Brick and Mortar) | $50K | $170K | |
| TV, Cameras, Computer Hardware, Software, POS System, and other Supplies (Brick and Mortar) | $20K | $35K | |
| Initial Inventory (Brick and Mortar) | $5K | $10K | |
| Signage (Brick and Mortar) | $5K | $7K | |
| Grand Opening Advertising (Brick and Mortar) | $3K | $5K | |
| Licenses, Permits, and Certifications (Brick and Mortar) | $1K | $2K | |
| Insurance (3 Months) (Brick and Mortar) | $750 | $1K | |
| Professional Fees (Brick and Mortar) | $3K | $4K | |
| Additional Funds (3 months) (Brick and Mortar) | $20K | $40K | |
| Initial Franchise Fee (Food Truck/Trailer)not refundable | $30K | $30K | |
| Traveling and Living Expenses while Training (Food Truck/Trailer) | $3K | $6K | |
| Commissary Kitchen (Food Truck/Trailer) | $1K | $3K | |
| Food Truck or Trailer + Wrapping (Food Truck/Trailer) | $50K | $150K | |
| Equipment + Build Out (Food Truck/Trailer) | $15K | $50K | |
| Furniture, Fixtures, and Decor (Food Truck/Trailer) | $2K | $3K | |
| Computer Hardware, Software, POS System, and other Supplies (Food Truck/Trailer) | $6K | $8K | |
| Total initial investment | $279K | $621K |
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
- $156K – $339K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $20K – $40K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $30K – $35K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Royalty
- 6.0%
- percentage · typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 0.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 6.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 6.0% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 0.0% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $500 |
| Transfer fee | $10K |
| Renewal fee | $5K |
| Inventory (initial) | $5K – $10K |
| Total fee load | 6.0% of rev |
What do units actually make?
Source: FDD 2025 · Item 19
ROI & LBO modelsSingle-unit · 25-unit portfolio · editable
Blowfish Poke 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 Blowfish Poke unit return on the cash you put in?
Unlevered ROIC · per unit
Estimated return on your total franchise investment, before any debt financing.
43%
Within 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
Item 21 audit (Smith, Buzzi & Associates, LLC; Miami, FL; report dated March 6, 2025) is a single balance sheet as of February 28, 2025 only. Franchisor Blowfish Franchise, LLC was formed Feb 21, 2024 and had not operated three years, so no income statement was required or included. Total assets = cash $30,894; total liabilities $0 (deferred franchise fee nil); total members' equity $30,894. No franchisor revenue or net income disclosed.
Company-owned outlets only - not franchisee performance
- Item 19 type
- affiliate gross revenue
- Sample size
- 5
- vs category median 20 · small
- Range (low → high)
- $83K→$571K
- Cohort dispersion (min → max)
- Reporting year
- 2024
- Fiscal year the figures cover
- Source filing
- FDD 2025
- Disclosed in the 2025 filing, covering 2024
- Transparency
- 4 / 10
- vs category median 4 / 10 · typical
Compared against 782 Quick-Service Restaurants brands
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 6.0% — below the Quick-Service Restaurants average of 7.9%.
Disclosure
Item 19 reports affiliate gross revenue rather than annual gross sales, so unit revenue is not directly comparable.
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 Blowfish Poke Compares
Is the system healthy?
Source: FDD 2025 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 5
- 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
- 0.0%
- Company-owned
- 5
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 0%
- vs corporate-owned
3-year detail · Item 20
- Opened (3yr)
- 0
- Closed (3yr)
- 0
- Terminated (3yr)
- 0
- Non-renewed (3yr)
- 0
- Transfers (3yr)
- 0
- Reacquired (3yr)
- 0
- Franchisor bought back
- Projected new
- 1
- Franchisor's next-year forecast
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 12 · 2 states reported
The Territory Map
FDD Item 12 reports the state count, but the specific list isn't in our current data. The map will appear once we re-extract from the FDD or enough franchisee contacts are available.
2
states with franchisees (per FDD Item 12)
SBA loan performance
Government records
SBA Loan Data
Aggregated from SBA loan disclosures. This brand has only 3 7(a) loans on file; statistical reliability is limited below 10 loans.
- Total loans
- 3
- Loan volume
- $730K
- Median loan
- $243K
- average
- Charge-off rate
- N/A
- limited sample (3 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
Blowfish Poke presents elevated risk due to an underdeveloped franchise system (5 units), missing profitability disclosures, and unvalidated financial performance claims despite moderate investment requirements.
Litigation (Item 3)
0 case reference(s): 0 pending, 0 settled.
Largest disclosed settlement: $105,000
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Smith, Buzzi & Associates, LLC.
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
Score breakdown · what drove the 39 / 100 verdict
- 01MEDOnly 5 units system-wide indicates extremely limited operating history and unproven scalability model
- 02MEDNo disclosed growth trajectory for the 5-unit system raises questions about franchise appeal and unit economics viability
- 03MINORItem 19 financial performance representations absent — cannot validate that $292,760 average is achievable or sustainable for new franchisees
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
What are you signing up for?
Ongoing fees run about 6.0% 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 | 10 years |
| Territory type | exclusive |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | Yes |
| Territory radius | 10 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 |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Termination groundsℹ | 3 |
| Curable defaultsℹ | 3 |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Arbitration location | Maryland |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | MD |
| Litigation count | 0 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
0 case reference(s): 0 pending, 0 settled.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 31 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 92 hrs
- Training location
- Affiliate restaurant in Clarksville, MD or other franchisor training center
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Time to open
- 4 mo
- From signing to launch
- Site selection
- Franchisee with franchisor approval
- Franchisor financing
- Not offered
- Item 10
- POS system
- Clover POS
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: Clover POS
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Blowfish Poke franchise?
The total investment to open a Blowfish Poke franchise ranges from $156K – $339K, with an initial franchise fee of $30K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do Blowfish Poke franchise owners earn?
Blowfish Poke 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 Blowfish Poke 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 Blowfish Poke FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is Blowfish Poke's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for Blowfish Poke (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 Blowfish Poke franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Blowfish Poke has 5 total units in the United States, including 0 franchised units and 5 company-owned units.
Is Blowfish Poke a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Blowfish Poke as a C-grade franchise with a verdict score of 39 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.