CaliFriesFranchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A CaliFries franchise requires a total initial investment of $156K – $252K, including a $38K franchise fee. The 2025 FDD does not disclose unit-level revenue (no Item 19). Verdict grade: D. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified June 18, 2026 · figures per the 2025 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $156K – $252K
- 21st pct Service Resta…
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- 59th pct Service Resta…
- Royalty
- N/A
- Units
- 0
- 0th pct Service Resta…
- SBA default
- N/A
Quick verdict · Quick-Service Restaurants · color = vs category peers
Green = >15% above Quick-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
Started franchising in 2025. Newer systems carry more uncertainty but may offer better territories.
Bottom line
- Total investment $156K – $252K including a $38K franchise fee.
- No Item 19 financial performance data disclosed. The franchisor chose not to publish revenue figures.
- Verdict D (Below Average) with a risk score of 75/100.
- No 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
- Legal entity
- Cali Fries Franchise, Inc.
- Incorporated in
- CA
- HQ
- 3018 #B Alvarado Street, San Leandro, California 94577
- Auditor
- Kezos & Dunlavy
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $0
- vs $0 prior year
Overview
About
CaliFries franchisees operate fast-casual fry restaurants or kiosks, likely focused on specialty potato-based products with potential complementary items. Day-to-day operations involve inventory management, food preparation, point-of-sale transactions, staff supervision, and customer service in a high-volume retail environment.
- CEO
- James Zeng
- Headquarters
- CA
- Founded
- 2024
- FDD year
- 2025
- States available
- 0
FDD Item 7 · 2025 filing
Initial investment breakdown
| Cost component | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $38K | $38K |
| Working capital (3–6 mo) | $10K | $30K |
| Equipment, build-out, other | $108K | $184K |
| Total initial investment | $156K | $252K |
Source: CaliFries 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
- $156K – $252K
- Better than avg vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $10K – $30K
- Better than avg vs category
- Franchise fee
- $38K – $38K
- Near category avg vs category
- Royalty
- $600 Monthly
- Ad fund
- 2.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 2.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Marketing / ad fund | 2.0% of gross sales |
| Transfer fee | $5K |
| Renewal fee | $5K |
| Total fee load | 2.0% of rev |
Financial Performance
This franchisor did not disclose financial performance representations in Item 19, or our extractor could not parse them.
vs Quick-Service Restaurants averages
How CaliFries Compares
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 0
- Opened
- 0
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 0
- Company-owned
- 0
- Corporate units in the system
3-year detail · Item 20
- Transfers (3yr)
- 0
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
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
CaliFries presents extreme risk: zero operating units, missing financial disclosures, going concern warning, and weak unit economics suggest a pre-revenue or failing franchise system.
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Kezos & Dunlavy
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Score breakdown · what drove the 75 / 100 rating
- 01MINORZero operating units despite established franchise model—suggests system collapse, failed rollout, or severely understated opportunity
- 02MEDNo average revenue or net income disclosed (missing Item 19)—impossible to validate ROI on $156K–$251K investment
- 03HIGHGoing concern status is FALSE—indicates material doubt about franchisor's financial viability or ability to support franchisees
- 04MINORUnprotected territory with only 3-year term—high cannibalization risk and vulnerability to franchisor opening competing units
- 05MINORLow $600/month royalty relative to $38K franchise fee suggests unsustainable unit economics or franchisor cash flow crisis
- 06MINORUnknown growth trajectory with zero franchises operating—no proof of concept, replicable model, or franchisee success
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 |
| Territory type | Population or Radius |
| 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 | No |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | California |
| Litigation count | 0 |
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 3 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 54 hrs
- Training location
- On-site and corporate
- POS system
- Windows XP PRO or Windows 7 Professional PC system
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: Windows XP PRO or Windows 7 Professional PC system
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
6 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
CaliFries · FDD (2025) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a CaliFries franchise?
The total investment to open a CaliFries franchise ranges from $156K – $252K, with an initial franchise fee of $38K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do CaliFries franchise owners earn?
CaliFries 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 CaliFries's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for CaliFries (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.
Is CaliFries a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates CaliFries as a D-grade franchise with a risk score of 75 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.
For franchisors
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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.