Buck's Pizza Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
- Investment
- $207K – $693K
- Disclosed sales
- not disclosed
- SBA charge-off
- 22.7%
- on 28 loans
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
Buck's Pizza is a pizza franchise serving hand-tossed pizza and Italian fare for dine-in, carryout, and delivery. Franchisees run the restaurants, managing food prep, delivery, and staffing.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Buck's Pizza franchise requires a total initial investment of $207K – $693K, including a $20K franchise fee and an ongoing 5.0% royalty[2]. This franchisor makes no financial performance representation in Item 19 of its FDD. Item 19 is voluntary under the FTC Franchise Rule, and this filing states that it makes none, so no revenue or earnings figures are disclosed. Declining to publish one is lawful and is not evidence of how the outlets perform. It does mean that less about this brand can be verified from its filing, and the FranchiseVerdict grade - an editorial assessment, not investment advice - reflects that. SBA 7(a) loans show a 22.7% charge-off rate across 28 loans[1]. FranchiseVerdict grade: C (Average), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Run a live ROI scan →
Sources, dates and evidence
FDD issued: 2024 filing · Data extracted: · Last cited check: · Staleness risk: high - figures are from a filing two or more years old
Evidence: strong✓ Investment (Item 7)✓ Item 19 status✓ Units and owners (Item 20)✓ SBA loan coverage✓ Litigation (Item 3)✓ Financial statements (Item 21)✓ Franchisor identityhow this is scored4 of 5 headline figures on this page cite a page of the filing; the rest are marked “Not cited” beside the figure.
Overview
- Investment
- $207K – $693K
- 25th pct Service Resta…
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- Royalty
- 5.0%
- 12th pct Service Resta…
- Units
- 11
- 39th pct Service Resta…
- SBA charge-off
- 22.7%
- % of SBA 7(a) loans not repaid · median varies by category
Quick verdict · Quick-Service Restaurants · color = vs category peers
Green = favorable by >10% vs Quick-Service Restaurants median · 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 $207K – $693K including a $20K franchise fee, 5.0% ongoing royalty.
- RETURNSThis franchisor makes no financial performance representation in Item 19 of its FDD. Item 19 is voluntary under the FTC Franchise Rule, and this filing states that it makes none, so no revenue or earnings figures are disclosed. Declining to publish one is lawful and is not evidence of how the outlets perform. It does mean that less about this brand can be verified from its filing, and the FranchiseVerdict grade - an editorial assessment, not investment advice - reflects that.
- RISKVerdict C (Average), verdict score 43/100 (higher is better). SBA loan charge-off rate of 22.7% across 28 loans (well above the 16% franchise average, based on all SBA 7(a) franchise lending, 2010–2025).
- GROWTHNegative: net -1 franchised outlets in the latest year (0 opened, 1 closed) (Item 20).
- DATAThis franchisor makes no financial performance representation in Item 19 of its FDD. Item 19 is voluntary under the FTC Franchise Rule, and this filing states that it makes none, so no revenue or earnings figures are disclosed. Declining to publish one is lawful and is not evidence of how the outlets perform. It does mean that less about this brand can be verified from its filing, and the FranchiseVerdict grade - an editorial assessment, not investment advice - reflects that. Item 20 of the FDD lists current and former franchisees; asking them directly is the standard way to fill this gap.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- Buck's Pizza Franchising Corporation, Inc.
- CEO title
- President
- Josh Benton
- Incorporated in
- PA
- HQ
- 53 Industrial Drive, P.O. Box 405, DuBois, PA 15801
- Auditor
- McKeever Varga & Senko
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $2.8M
- vs $3.1M prior year
Overview
About
- CEO
- Josh Benton
- Headquarters
- PA
- Founded
- 1994
- FDD year
- 2024
- States available
- 5
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost is about typical for a quick-service restaurants franchise (near the category median).
Source: FDD 2024 · Items 5–7
FDD Item 7 · 2024 filing
Initial investment breakdown
| Cost component | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $20K | $20K |
| Working capital (3–6 mo) | $30K | $120K |
| Equipment, build-out, other | $157K | $553K |
| Total initial investment | $207K | $693K |
Source: Buck's Pizza 2024 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
- $207K – $693K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $30K – $120K
- Middle of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $20K – $20K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Royalty
- 5.0%
- typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 0.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 7.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 5.0% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 0.0% |
| Transfer fee | $5K |
| Inventory (initial) | $10K – $20K |
| Total fee load | 7.0% of rev |
ROI & LBO modelsSingle-unit · 25-unit portfolio · editable
Buck's Pizza makes no financial performance representation in Item 19 of its FDD - a voluntary item under the FTC Franchise Rule - so no unit revenue figures are disclosed. The return models need a revenue figure to start from, and the operating costs that turn gross sales into a profit are in no FDD. Enter your own and the calculator runs on your assumptions — nothing here is modelled until you do.
Returns model · single-unit ROIC
What would one Buck's Pizza unit return on the cash you put in?
Illustrative category typicals — not sourced to any filing, survey or sample. Replace them with figures from franchisee validation calls before you rely on the output.
Unlevered ROIC · per unit
Your modelled return on total invested capital, before any debt financing.
—
An FDD discloses gross sales, not profit. We hold no sourced figure for annual revenue, COGS, labour, rent / occupancy and other operating costs, and will not substitute an assumed one. Enter your own and the model runs on your assumptions.
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: 2024 FDD
Financial Performance
No financial performance representation
This franchisor makes no financial performance representation in Item 19 of its FDD. Item 19 is voluntary under the FTC Franchise Rule, and this filing states that it makes none, so no revenue or earnings figures are disclosed. Declining to publish one is lawful and is not evidence of how the outlets perform. It does mean that less about this brand can be verified from its filing, and the FranchiseVerdict grade - an editorial assessment, not investment advice - reflects that.
Item 20 of the FDD lists current and former franchisees; asking them directly is the standard way to fill this gap.
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 Quick-Service Restaurants median).
Disclosure
This franchisor makes no financial performance representation in Item 19 of its FDD. Item 19 is voluntary under the FTC Franchise Rule, and this filing states that it makes none, so no revenue or earnings figures are disclosed. Declining to publish one is lawful and is not evidence of how the outlets perform. It does mean that less about this brand can be verified from its filing, and the FranchiseVerdict grade - an editorial assessment, not investment advice - reflects that. Item 20 of the FDD lists current and former franchisees; asking them directly is the standard way to fill this gap.
Operator retention
System contracting at -10.0% CAGR over 3 years. Investigate whether closures are franchisor-driven consolidation or franchisee exits.
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 medians
How Buck's Pizza Compares
Category median of published Quick-Service Restaurants brands that report the figure; the middle half spans the 25th to 75th percentile and n counts the brands behind it. Medians are used because a few very large systems pull an average far from the typical brand. Revenue is disclosed gross sales, not profit.
Is the system healthy?
Source: FDD 2024 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 11
- Opened
- 0
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 1
- Terminated
- 0
- Franchisor ended the franchise (per Item 20)
- Non-renewed
- 0
- Term expired, not renewed (per Item 20)
- Turnover rate
- 9.1%
- Company-owned
- 2
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 82%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (3-yr)
- -10.0%
- Net unit change over 3 years
- 3-yr CAGR
- -10.0%
- Compounded over last 3 years
Last fiscal year · Item 20 exits and transfers
- Terminated
- 0
- Not renewed
- 0
- Transferred
- 1
- Reacquired
- 0
- Franchisor bought back
- Signed, not yet open
- 0
- 0.00 per open outlet · Item 20 Table 5
- Projected new
- 1
- Franchisor's next-year forecast
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 3 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.
Where the owners are · Item 20 owner list
5 current owners across 3 states.
- SC 2
- TX 2
- GA 1
Counts only, from the list the franchisor prints in Item 20. Names and phone numbers are for your own due diligence and are not shown here.
SBA loan performance
Government records
SBA Loan Data
Aggregated from SBA 7(a) and 504 loan disclosures, public data unique to FranchiseVerdict.
- Total loans
- 28
- Loan volume
- $3.3M
- Median loan
- $96K
- 50th percentile
- Charge-off rate
- 22.7%
- on 28 loans · 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)
- 77.3%
- 5-yr charge-off
- N/A
- Loans approved 2021+
- Active lenders
- 19
- Defaults
- 5
- Typical loan rate
- 6.4%
- avg rate to borrowers
- Franchised industry avg
- 21.5%
- brand above franchise avg ↑
- Jobs supported
- 134
- 4.7 per loan
- Lender concentration
- 13%
- top lender's share
Borrower mix: 0% went to startups / new businesses, 100% to established operators
Franchise vs independent — in limited-service restaurants, franchised businesses charge off at 21.5% vs 25.0% for independents — franchising is associated with 14% lower SBA default risk in this category.
Vintage analysis
Buck's Pizza charge-off rate by loan vintage
Top lenders financing Buck's Pizza franchisees
Showing 3 of 19 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.
Lender network · 7(a) + 504
SBA Lending Report
Full lending analysis for Buck's Pizza from SBA 7(a) FOIA data.
- Principal loss rate
- 11.1%
- Avg SBA guarantee
- 73%
- Avg interest rate
- 6.42%
- Avg chargeoff amount
- $64K
- Lender concentration
- 12.5%
- Job velocity
- 4.7 per $100K
- NAICS benchmark
- 15.7%
- NAICS 722211
- Jobs supported
- 134
Top SBA lendersTop lender holds 13% of loans
| # | Lender | Loans | Volume | Default % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Readycap Lending, LLC | 3 | $336K | 66.7% |
| 2 | PNC Bank, National Association | 2 | $256K | 50.0% |
| 3 | Bank of America, National Association | 2 | $361K | 0.0% |
| 4 | Zions Bank, A Division of | 2 | $148K | 0.0% |
| 5 | Truist Bank | 2 | $256K | 0.0% |
| 6 | Cadence Bank | 2 | $350K | N/A |
| 7 | Citizens Bank | 1 | $510K | 0.0% |
| 8 | Centennial Bank of the West | 1 | $60K | 100.0% |
| 9 | First Community Bank, N.A. | 1 | $55K | 0.0% |
| 10 | Wells Fargo Bank National Association | 1 | $67K | 0.0% |
Geographic failure vector
| State | Loans | Defaults | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| GAGeorgia | 4 | 1 | 25.0% |
| SCSouth Carolina | 3 | 0 | 0.0% |
| TXTexas | 3 | 0 | 0.0% |
| NCNorth Carolina | 2 | 0 | 0.0% |
| UTUtah | 2 | 0 | 0.0% |
| ALAlabama | 1 | 0 | 0.0% |
| COColorado | 1 | 1 | 100.0% |
| ILIllinois | 1 | 1 | 100.0% |
| INIndiana | 1 | 1 | 100.0% |
| MOMissouri | 1 | 1 | 100.0% |
SBA 7(a) lending trend
Borrower profile
Source: SBA 7(a) + 504 FOIA loan-level data, matched by FranchiseVerdict
A 22.7% charge-off rate means roughly 1 in 4 franchisees failed to repay their SBA loan. Investigate what changed.
What could kill this investment?
SBA loans charge off at 22.7% — 42% above the 16.0% national norm, i.e. higher 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
Litigation (Item 3)
Subject: officers or affiliates. The franchisor is not a named party in these cases.
No litigation required to be disclosed
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · McKeever Varga & Senko
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
FY2023 combined statements of Buck's Pizza Franchising Corporation, Inc. and affiliate Buck's Pizza of DuBois, LLC. Total revenue $2,762,127 comprises Sales $2,473,588, Royalty income $238,146, Rebate income $50,393 (no franchise fee income in 2023). Auditor firm name appears only as a letterhead logo not captured in text; signed 'Certified Public Accountants', March 22, 2024, Pittsburgh, PA.
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 43 / 100 verdict
- 01MINORSystem contracted 10% YoY (11 units down from ~12) indicating declining franchisee viability or brand weakness
- 02MEDNo Item 19 financial performance data disclosed — impossible to validate ROI claims or assess profitability
- 03MEDWide investment range ($206.7K–$692.5K) with no disclosed average revenue/net income creates opacity around unit economics
- 04MED5% royalty on undisclosed gross sales means franchisees cannot benchmark expected cash flow against industry standards
- 05MINOROnly 11 units remaining limits brand recognition, supply chain leverage, and national marketing effectiveness
- 06MINOR10-year term is standard but risky given system contraction — difficult to recoup investment in shrinking concept
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 2024 · 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 | Exclusive territory |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | Yes |
| Online sales rightsℹ | Granted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Optional |
| 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 | N/A - no arbitration; litigation in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania |
| Jury trial waiver | No |
| Governing law | PA |
| Litigation count | 0 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
No litigation required to be disclosed
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 6 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 101 hrs
- Training location
- DuBois, PA headquarters
- Ongoing training
- Optional
- Time to open
- 1 mo
- From signing to launch
- Site selection
- Franchisee selects within exclusive territory, subject to franchisor approval
- Franchisor financing
- Not offered
- Item 10
- POS system
- PrISM for Windows
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: PrISM for Windows
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
5 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Buck's Pizza franchise?
The total investment to open a Buck's Pizza franchise ranges from $207K – $693K, with an initial franchise fee of $20K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do Buck's Pizza franchise owners earn?
Buck's Pizza makes no financial performance representation in Item 19 of its FDD - a voluntary item under the FTC Franchise Rule - so no unit revenue figures are disclosed. Declining to publish one is lawful and is not evidence of how the outlets perform. It does mean that less about this brand can be verified from its filing, and the FranchiseVerdict grade - an editorial assessment, not investment advice - reflects that. Item 20 of the FDD lists current and former franchisees; asking them directly is the standard way to fill this gap.
Who owns Buck's Pizza?
Buck's Pizza is franchised by Buck's Pizza Franchising Corporation, Inc.. Source: FDD Item 1, 2024 filing.
What is Item 19 in the Buck's Pizza 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 Buck's Pizza FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is Buck's Pizza's franchise failure rate?
Based on SBA 7(a) loan data, Buck's Pizza has a charge-off rate of 22.7% across 28 loans, meaning 22.7% 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 Buck's Pizza franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Buck's Pizza has 11 total units in the United States, including 9 franchised units and 2 company-owned units.
Is Buck's Pizza a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Buck's Pizza as a C-grade franchise with a verdict score of 43 out of 100 (higher is better). The grade is a deterministic score built from six weighted dimensions — financial health, unit economics, unit growth, scale, legal, and transparency — then calibrated against SBA loan charge-off rates and FDD age. Transparency is one of the six, so a filing that discloses less scores lower on that dimension than one that discloses more. 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.