Chefs For SeniorsFranchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Chefs For Seniors franchise requires a total initial investment of $17K – $37K, including a $10K franchise fee and an ongoing 8.0% royalty[2]. The 2026 FDD does not disclose unit-level revenue (no Item 19). Verdict grade: A. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified June 18, 2026 · figures per the 2026 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $17K – $37K
- 0th pct Senior Care
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- 77th pct Senior Care
- Royalty
- 8.0%
- 58th pct Senior Care
- Units
- 101
- 65th pct Senior Care
- SBA default
- N/A
Quick verdict · Senior Care · color = vs category peers
Green = >15% above Senior Care 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
Franchised units fell from 100 to 87 over 3 years. Investigate why operators are leaving.
Bottom line
- Total investment $17K – $37K including a $10K franchise fee, 8.0% ongoing royalty.
- Item 19 discloses "Average Service Pricing" rather than annual gross sales, so unit revenue is not directly comparable.
- Verdict A (Top Quintile) with a risk score of 33/100.
- Item 19 reports "Average Service Pricing" instead of annual gross sales. Ask franchisees directly for full unit-level revenue.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
- Legal entity
- Chefs For Seniors Franchising, LLC
- Parent company
- Chefs For Seniors, Inc.
- Incorporated in
- WI
- HQ
- 2169 Southern Ct., Cottage Grove, WI 53527
- Auditor
- Muhammad Zubairy, CPA PC
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $898K
- vs $1.1M prior year
Overview
About
Franchisees operate a senior meal delivery and in-home dining service, preparing and delivering nutritionally balanced meals to elderly clients. Daily operations include meal planning, food procurement, cooking, delivery logistics, and client relationship management. The model relies on local marketing, direct client acquisition, and managing recurring weekly or bi-weekly meal subscriptions.
- CEO
- Barrett E. Allman
- Headquarters
- WI
- Founded
- 2013
- FDD year
- 2026
- States available
- 36
FDD Item 7 · 2026 filing
Initial investment breakdown
| Cost component | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $10K | $10K |
| Working capital (3–6 mo) | $500 | $2K |
| Equipment, build-out, other | $7K | $25K |
| Total initial investment | $17K | $37K |
Source: Chefs For Seniors 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
- $17K – $37K
- Better than avg vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $500 – $2K
- Better than avg vs category
- Franchise fee
- $10K – $17K
- Better than avg vs category
- Royalty
- 8.0%
- Gross Revenues · typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- -n/d
- Total fee load
- 8.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 8.0% of gross sales |
| Transfer fee | $3K |
| Renewal fee | $1K |
| Total fee load | 8.0% of rev |
Financial Performance
This brand's FDD disclosed "Average Service Pricing" in Item 19 rather than annual gross sales. This metric cannot be directly compared across brands, so we omit it from rankings.
vs Senior Care averages
How Chefs For Seniors Compares
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 101
- Opened
- 18
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 2
- Terminated
- 3
- Franchisor ended the franchise (per Item 20)
- Non-renewed
- 4
- Term expired, not renewed (per Item 20)
- Turnover rate
- 2.0%
- Company-owned
- 1
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 99%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (yr3)
- +9.9%
- Net unit change last year
- 3-yr CAGR
- +14.9%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Transfers (3yr)
- 4
- Transfer rate
- 4.0%
- Owners selling to other franchisees
- Continuity rate
- 91.7%
- Units that stayed open
- Termination rate
- 6.9%
- Franchisor-initiated terminations
- Ceased ops
- 2.0%
- Units that stopped operating
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 23 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.
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
This franchise presents material risk due to complete lack of financial transparency, weak unit growth trajectory, and short contract terms that prevent informed investment decisions.
Litigation (Item 3)
No litigation required to be disclosed
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Muhammad Zubairy, CPA PC
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
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 33 / 100 rating
- 01MEDNo Item 19 financial disclosure (average unit revenue and net income not disclosed) — impossible to validate ROI claims or unit economics
- 02MEDSlow unit growth of 9.9% YoY with only 101 units suggests limited brand traction or market saturation concerns
- 03MEDHigh royalty rate of 8% combined with undisclosed profitability makes break-even analysis impossible for prospective franchisees
- 04MINORShort 3-year term creates uncertainty in business planning and may indicate franchisor confidence issues or high turnover rates
- 05MINORLow initial investment ($17,425–$36,500) may mask significant working capital needs or inadequate support infrastructure
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 | 5 years |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 2 |
| Territory type | Senior Population |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | Yes |
| Territory population | 50,000 |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Not allowed |
| Owner-operator | Required |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 1.5 years |
| Non-compete (miles)ℹ | 30 mi |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Mandatory arbitration | No |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | Wisconsin |
| Litigation count | 0 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
No litigation required to be disclosed
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 21 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 8 hrs
- Training location
- On-site and at franchisor location
- POS system
- Jobber
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: Jobber
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
34 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
Chefs For Seniors · FDD (2026) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Chefs For Seniors franchise?
The total investment to open a Chefs For Seniors franchise ranges from $17K – $37K, with an initial franchise fee of $10K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do Chefs For Seniors franchise owners earn?
Chefs For Seniors 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 Chefs For Seniors's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for Chefs For Seniors (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 Chefs For Seniors franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Chefs For Seniors has 101 total units in the United States, including 100 franchised units and 1 company-owned units. 18 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is Chefs For Seniors a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Chefs For Seniors as a A-grade franchise with a risk score of 33 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.