Caribou Coffee Kiosk Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Caribou Coffee Kiosk franchise requires a total initial investment of $281K – $712K, including a $15K franchise fee and an ongoing 6.0% royalty[2]. The 2026 FDD on file does not yield a unit-revenue figure we can publish. FranchiseVerdict grade: A (Strongest tier), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified · figures per the 2026 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $281K – $712K
- 45th pct Service Resta…
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- 0 outlets
- Royalty
- 6.0%
- 48th pct Service Resta…
- Units
- N/A
- 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 $281K – $712K including a $15K franchise fee, 6.0% ongoing royalty.
- RETURNSItem 19 presents three tables (Table 1: 130 non-traditional Kiosk franchises; Table 2: 12 traditional franchise locations; Tables 3-4: 116 company-owned Drive-Thru Chalet and 65 company-owned Cabin locations, all for FY2025) as Gross Sales distribution charts and Cash Flow % of Gross Sales, but the actual numeric distribution/percentage values were rendered as embedded chart images and could not be recovered from the extracted text, so no dollar figures could be captured.
- RISKVerdict A (Strongest tier), verdict score 76/100 (higher is better).
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- Caribou Coffee Development Company, Inc.
- Parent company
- Caribou Coffee Company, Inc.
- Ultimate parent
- JAB Holding Company
- Predecessor
- Caribou Coffee Company, Inc.
- Prior franchisor entity
- CEO title
- Chief Executive Officer
- Scott Kennedy
- Incorporated in
- Minnesota
- HQ
- 3900 Lakebreeze Avenue N., Minneapolis, Minnesota 55429
- Auditor
- Grant Thornton LLP
- Audited financials
Overview
About
- CEO
- Scott Kennedy
- Headquarters
- Minnesota
- Founded
- 1992
- FDD year
- 2026
- States available
- 20
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 25% below the typical quick-service restaurants franchise.
Source: FDD 2026 · Items 5–7
FDD Item 7 · 2026 filing
Initial investment breakdown
| Cost component | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $15K | $15K |
| Working capital (3–6 mo) | $17K | $65K |
| Equipment, build-out, other | $249K | $632K |
| Total initial investment | $281K | $712K |
Source: Caribou Coffee Kiosk 2026 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
- $281K – $712K
- Middle of category vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $17K – $65K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $15K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Royalty
- 6.0%
- typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 3.0%
- typical 3–5%
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 6.0% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 3.0% of gross sales |
| Inventory (initial) | $10K – $20K |
ROI & LBO modelsSingle-unit · 25-unit portfolio · editable
No Item 19 revenue figure for Caribou Coffee Kiosk is on file. 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 Caribou Coffee Kiosk 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: 2026 FDD
Financial Performance
Item 19 presents three tables (Table 1: 130 non-traditional Kiosk franchises; Table 2: 12 traditional franchise locations; Tables 3-4: 116 company-owned Drive-Thru Chalet and 65 company-owned Cabin locations, all for FY2025) as Gross Sales distribution charts and Cash Flow % of Gross Sales, but the actual numeric distribution/percentage values were rendered as embedded chart images and could not be recovered from the extracted text, so no dollar figures could be captured.
vs Quick-Service Restaurants averages
How Caribou Coffee Kiosk Compares
Is the system healthy?
Source: FDD 2026 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- N/A
- Opened
- 2
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 0
- Terminated
- 4
- Franchisor ended the franchise (per Item 20)
- Non-renewed
- 6
- Term expired, not renewed (per Item 20)
- Turnover rate
- 6.9%
- % franchised
- 29%
- vs corporate-owned
3-year detail · Item 20
- Opened (3yr)
- 2
- Closed (3yr)
- 0
- Terminated (3yr)
- 4
- Non-renewed (3yr)
- 6
- Transfers (3yr)
- 0
- Reacquired (3yr)
- 0
- Franchisor bought back
Last reporting year only, multi-year history not disclosed in this brand's FDD.
Item 12 · 20 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.
20
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
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Grant Thornton 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
What are you signing up for?
Ongoing fees run about 9.0% of sales (royalty + ad fund), before rent and labor.
Source: FDD 2026 · 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 |
| Exclusive territory | No |
| Territory sizeℹ | Varies (Protected Territory not guaranteed; size based on nearby businesses, drive times, demographics, and trade area characteristics; no minimum area) |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Owner-operator | Optional |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 2 years |
| Non-compete (miles)ℹ | 5 mi |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Mandatory arbitration | No |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | Minnesota |
| Litigation count | 0 |
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- On-the-job training
- 72 hrs
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Site selection
- franchisee, with franchisor site-selection guidelines, counseling, and approval
- Franchisor financing
- Not offered
- Item 10
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Caribou Coffee Kiosk franchise?
The total investment to open a Caribou Coffee Kiosk franchise ranges from $281K – $712K, with an initial franchise fee of $15K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do Caribou Coffee Kiosk franchise owners earn?
No average owner earnings figure for Caribou Coffee Kiosk is on file. Item 19 — where a franchisor may disclose what its outlets earn — is voluntary under the FTC Franchise Rule, and we have not established what this brand's FDD says. Item 20 of the FDD lists current and former franchisees; asking them directly is the standard way to fill this gap.
What is Item 19 in the Caribou Coffee Kiosk 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 Caribou Coffee Kiosk FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is Caribou Coffee Kiosk's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for Caribou Coffee Kiosk (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 Caribou Coffee Kiosk a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Caribou Coffee Kiosk as a A-grade franchise with a verdict score of 76 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
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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.