Buns on Fire Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
Buns on Fire is a fast-casual franchise serving smash burgers alongside boba tea in a cafe format. Franchisees run the restaurants, managing food and drink prep, staffing, and counter service.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Buns on Fire franchise requires a total initial investment of $255K – $462K, including a $40K – $60K franchise fee and an ongoing 6.0% royalty[2]. The 2025 FDD does not disclose unit-level revenue (no Item 19). FranchiseVerdict grade: D (Below average), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified · figures per the 2025 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $255K – $462K
- 39th pct Service Resta…
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- 2 outlets
- Royalty
- 6.0%
- 46th pct Service Resta…
- Units
- 2
- 9th 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 $255K – $462K including a $40K franchise fee, 6.0% ongoing royalty.
- RETURNSNo Item 19 financial performance data disclosed. The franchisor chose not to publish revenue figures.
- RISKVerdict D (Below average), verdict score 31/100 (higher is better).
- DATANo Item 19 financial performance representation. Without franchisor-disclosed revenue data, you'll need to gather unit economics directly from existing franchisees.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- SMYA Ventures LLC
- CEO title
- Chief Executive Officer & President
- Sohaib Mohammed
- Incorporated in
- IL
- HQ
- 258 Town Center Lane, Glendale Heights, Illinois 60139
Overview
About
- CEO
- Sohaib Mohammed
- Headquarters
- IL
- Founded
- 2021
- FDD year
- 2025
- States available
- 1
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 46% below the typical quick-service restaurants franchise.
Source: FDD 2025 · Items 5–7
Full Item 7 breakdown14 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee | $40K | $60K | |
| Travel Expenses to Attend Training | $2K | $10K | |
| Real Property | $3K | $10K | |
| Build-Out/Construction | $150K | $250K | |
| Fixture Package | $20K | $40K | |
| Initial Inventory | $8K | $15K | |
| Marketing Supplies | $2K | $7K | |
| Signage | $5K | $10K | |
| Computer Hardware, Software, and POS System | $4K | $6K | |
| Insurance | $6K | $10K | |
| Licenses, Permits | $1K | $3K | |
| Grand Opening Campaign | $1K | $5K | |
| Legal & Accounting | $3K | $6K | |
| Additional Funds - 3 Months | $10K | $30K | |
| Total initial investment | $255K | $462K |
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
- $255K – $462K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $10K – $30K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $40K – $60K
- Middle of category vs category
- Royalty
- 6.0%
- percentage · typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 1.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 7.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 6.0% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 1.0% of gross sales |
| Training fee | $25 |
| Transfer fee | $25K |
| Renewal fee | $13K |
| Inventory (initial) | $8K – $15K |
| Total fee load | 7.0% of rev |
ROI & LBO modelsSingle-unit · 25-unit portfolio · editable
Buns on Fire 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 Buns on Fire unit return on the cash you put in?
Unlevered ROIC · per unit
Estimated return on your total franchise investment, before any debt financing.
30%
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
This franchisor did not disclose financial performance representations in Item 19, or our extractor could not parse them.
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 average).
Disclosure
Franchisor chose not to disclose financial performance representations. You will need to gather unit economics directly from existing franchisees.
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 Buns on Fire Compares
Is the system healthy?
Source: FDD 2025 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 2
- 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
- 2
- 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
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 12 · 1 state 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.
1
states with franchisees (per FDD Item 12)
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.
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
Buns on Fire presents HIGH RISK due to an extremely underdeveloped franchise system (2 units), complete financial non-disclosure, false going concern status, and a substantial investment requirement without proven unit economics.
Litigation (Item 3)
0 case reference(s): 3 pending, 0 settled.
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
No audited financials on file
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
- Can negotiate own supplier terms: No
Score breakdown · what drove the 31 / 100 verdict
- 01MINOROnly 2 existing units indicates an extremely early-stage or stalled franchise system with no demonstrated scalability
- 02MEDNo Item 19 financial disclosure (Avg Revenue and Net Income not disclosed) prevents validation of ROI claims and profitability
- 03HIGHGoing Concern status is False, suggesting potential financial instability or operational viability questions at corporate level
- 04MINORHigh initial investment range ($255K-$462K) paired with zero financial transparency creates severe downside risk exposure
- 05MEDMinimal franchise network provides insufficient peer support infrastructure and limited proven operating procedures
- 06MED6% royalty on undisclosed revenue makes it impossible to model actual profit margins or break-even timelines
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 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 |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 1 |
| Territory type | protected |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Territory radius | 5 mi |
| Online sales rightsℹ | Restricted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Not allowed |
| Owner-operator | Required |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 2 years |
| Non-compete (miles)ℹ | 100 mi |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Mandatory arbitration | No |
| Arbitration location | New York |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | NY |
| Litigation count | 0 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
0 case reference(s): 3 pending, 0 settled.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 19 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 76 hrs
- Training location
- Franchise restaurant; Company restaurant; Zoom
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Time to open
- 6 mo
- From signing to launch
- Site selection
- Franchisee with franchisor approval
- Franchisor financing
- Not offered
- Item 10
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
1 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
Buns on Fire · FDD (2025) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Buns on Fire franchise?
The total investment to open a Buns on Fire franchise ranges from $255K – $462K, with an initial franchise fee of $40K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do Buns on Fire franchise owners earn?
Buns on Fire 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 Buns on Fire 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 Buns on Fire FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is Buns on Fire's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for Buns on Fire (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 Buns on Fire franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Buns on Fire has 2 total units in the United States, including 0 franchised units and 2 company-owned units.
Is Buns on Fire a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Buns on Fire as a D-grade franchise with a verdict score of 31 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 Buns on Fire, you can request corrections or provide updated information.
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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.