Chopt Creative Salad Company® Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
Chopt is a fast-casual franchise serving creative, chopped salads and grain bowls made to order from fresh ingredients. Franchisees run restaurants managing prep, assembly-line service, and staffing.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A CHOPT CREATIVE SALAD COMPANY® franchise requires a total initial investment of $815K – $2.6M, including a $30K franchise fee and an ongoing 5.0% royalty[2]. Per the 2026 FDD, average unit revenue was $3.2M[2]. FranchiseVerdict grade: C (Average), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified · figures per the 2026 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $815K – $2.6M
- 91st pct Service Resta…
- Avg gross sales
- $3.2M
- Outlet subset33rd pct Service Resta…
- Royalty
- 5.0%
- 11th pct Service Resta…
- Units
- 4
- 19th 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 $815K – $2.6M including a $30K franchise fee, 5.0% ongoing royalty.
- RETURNSAverage unit revenue of $3.2M/year (median $3.2M) (reported for a subset of outlets rather than the whole system).
- RISKVerdict C (Average), verdict score 40/100 (higher is better).
- EARLYEmerging franchise: only 3 years of franchising with 4 units. Early-stage systems carry higher risk but may offer better territory availability.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- Chopt Creative Salad Company Franchising, LLC
- Parent company
- Founders Table Franchising, LLC / Founders Table Restaurant Group, LLC (FTRG)
- Ultimate parent
- Founders Table Restaurant Group, LLC (FTRG)
- CEO title
- Chief Executive Officer
- Nicholas Marsh
- Incorporated in
- Delaware
- HQ
- 800 Westchester Avenue, Suite N-321, Rye Brook, New York 10573
- Auditor
- BDO USA, P.C.
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $91K
- vs $469K prior year
Overview
About
- CEO
- Nicholas Marsh
- Headquarters
- New York
- Founded
- 2022
- FDD year
- 2026
- States available
- 1
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 158% above 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 | $30K | $30K |
| Working capital (3–6 mo) | $10K | $50K |
| Equipment, build-out, other | $775K | $2.5M |
| Total initial investment | $815K | $2.6M |
Source: CHOPT CREATIVE SALAD COMPANY® 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
- $815K – $2.6M
- Bottom third — review vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $10K – $50K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $30K – $30K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Royalty
- 5.0%
- percentage · 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% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $2K |
| Training fee | $200 |
| Transfer fee | $10K |
| Renewal fee | $5K |
| Inventory (initial) | $15K – $20K |
| Total fee load | 7.0% of rev |
What do units actually make?
Average unit sales run 162% above the quick-service restaurants norm.
Reported for a subset of outlets rather than the whole system
Source: FDD 2026 · Item 19
Single-unit · estimated
Returns at a glance
Indicative numbers using FDD Item 7 / Item 19 inputs and category-benchmarked cost ratios. Full single-unit, 25-unit portfolio, and LBO models (with every input editable to stress-test your own scenario) live on the financials page.
Store EBITDA · annual
$538K
17.0% margin
Unlevered ROIC
31%
EBITDA / total invested capital
Payback
3.2 yrs
cash-on-cash, unlevered
ROI & LBO modelsSingle-unit · 25-unit portfolio · editable
What one unit earns on your invested capital
Model A · Single-Unit Return
Computes unlevered return on invested capital (ROIC) for a single franchise unit. The target band for an attractive franchise is 30–60% ROIC. Below that and a passive index fund likely outperforms; above that and the franchisor has pricing power you're subsidizing.
Note: Item 19 revenue is what the franchisor discloses. It's the top line only. Operating costs below are category estimates. Override them to match your real lease quote, labor market, and build-out budget.
Returns model · single-unit ROIC
What would one CHOPT CREATIVE SALAD COMPANY® unit return on the cash you put in?
Unlevered ROIC · per unit
Estimated return on your total franchise investment, before any debt financing.
31%
Within the 30–60% "attractive franchise" band
What 25 units return when you use SBA financing
Model B · Return on Equity: Debt-Financed Acquisition
Models a 25-unit portfolio acquisition financed with an SBA 7(a) loan. Shows equity IRR (your return on cash invested), DSCR (how safely the cash flow covers debt service), and the capital stack (SBA + seller + equity breakdown).
This is the “search fund” or “entrepreneurship through acquisition” scenario: you buy an existing multi-unit operator, use leverage to amplify returns, and either operate or hire management. The 25-unit size is the typical minimum for an SBA-backed franchise portfolio acquisition to pencil as a full-time income.
What “return on equity” means here: if you put in $500K of your own cash and the business generates enough EBITDA to pay down debt and grow, your equity IRR is the annual return on that $500K, including the value created when you eventually sell. Target IRR for a search fund is typically 25–35%.
Levered LBO scenario · Yale Crease Capital framing
What would 25 CHOPT CREATIVE SALAD COMPANY® units return on equity?
Equity IRR · 5-yr
25.5%
3.11× MOIC
Year-1 DSCR
3.28×
EBITDA ÷ debt service
Equity required
$17.2M
on $31.7M purchase
Total debt
$14.5M
SBA $5.0M + senior + seller note
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
Reported for a subset of outlets rather than the whole system
- Avg gross sales
- $3.2M
- Per unit, per year
- Median gross sales
- $3.2M
Gross sales are revenue before expenses — not profit. Actual owner earnings depend on rent, labor, royalties, marketing fees, and debt service.
- Item 19 type
- historical average/median/high/low Gross Sales for a limited cohort of mature non-traditional Restaurants; Food Cost and Hourly Labor margins for affiliate-owned mature Restaurants
- Sample size
- 4 outlets
- vs category median 20 · small
- Range (low → high)
- $2.3M→$4.0M
- Cohort dispersion (min → max)
- Reporting year
- 2025
- Fiscal year the figures cover
- Source filing
- FDD 2026
- Disclosed in the 2026 filing, covering 2025
- Transparency
- 7 / 10
- vs category median 4 / 10 · above
Compared against 782 Quick-Service Restaurants brands
Operator outlook
What the numbers say
Data-driven interpretation of this brand's financial disclosures, fee structure, and system trajectory.
Unit economics
Average unit generates $3.2M/year in gross sales. Revenue-to-investment ratio: 1.9x. Reported for a subset of outlets rather than the whole system.
Fee burden
Total ongoing fee load of 7.0% (near the Quick-Service Restaurants average).
Disclosure
Transparency score 7/10 — this franchisor discloses detailed breakdowns (quartiles, segments, or cohort data). Buyers can model unit economics with higher confidence. Sample size of 4 outlets — treat as directional only.
Multi-unit rate
Only 14% of franchisees own multiple units. Could indicate challenging economics or a young system where operators haven't had time to expand.
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 Chopt Creative Salad Company® Compares
Is the system healthy?
Source: FDD 2026 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 4
- Opened
- 1
- 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
- 3
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 25%
- vs corporate-owned
- Multi-unit owners
- 13.6%
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
- Projected new
- 13
- Franchisor's next-year forecast
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
Undisclosed profitability metrics, parent company going concern issues, active litigation history, and stagnant unit growth create significant due diligence gaps and financial transparency concerns.
Litigation (Item 3)
No litigation is required to be disclosed in Item 3.
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · BDO USA, P.C.
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: No
- 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 40 / 100 verdict
- 01HIGHGoing Concern status is FALSE — indicates parent company financial distress or accounting irregularities
- 02MEDNet Income not disclosed in Item 19 — prevents accurate ROI analysis and profitability verification
- 03HIGHDeceptive marketing litigation (2022-2023) with confidential settlement — reputational risk and undisclosed terms
- 04MINORUnit count stagnant at 94 with unknown growth trajectory — suggests market saturation or underperformance
- 05MED5% royalty on gross sales (not net) — ongoing fees reduce already-undisclosed margins
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 2026 · 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 |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | No |
| Territory sizeℹ | varies by Host Venue |
| Online sales rightsℹ | Restricted |
| 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 | No |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Curable defaultsℹ | 4 |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Arbitration location | Rye Brook, New York (within 10 miles of franchisor's then-current principal business address) |
| Jury trial waiver | No |
| Governing law | Delaware |
| Litigation count | 0 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
No litigation is required to be disclosed in Item 3.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 25 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 255 hrs
- Training location
- Affiliate-owned CHOPT Restaurant in New York, plus virtual/distance learning
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Time to open
- 6 mo
- From signing to launch
- Site selection
- franchisee (franchisor approves site/lease)
- Franchisor financing
- Not offered
- Item 10
- POS system
- Toast POS
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: Toast POS
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
1 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
CHOPT CREATIVE SALAD COMPANY® · FDD (2026) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a CHOPT CREATIVE SALAD COMPANY® franchise?
The total investment to open a CHOPT CREATIVE SALAD COMPANY® franchise ranges from $815K – $2.6M, with an initial franchise fee of $30K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do CHOPT CREATIVE SALAD COMPANY® franchise owners earn?
According to Item 19 of the CHOPT CREATIVE SALAD COMPANY® FDD, the average gross sales per unit is $3.2M. The median is $3.2M. Important context: Reported for a subset of outlets rather than the whole system. Note: this is gross revenue, not profit. Actual owner earnings vary based on location, operating costs, and management.
What is Item 19 in the CHOPT CREATIVE SALAD COMPANY® 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 CHOPT CREATIVE SALAD COMPANY® FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is CHOPT CREATIVE SALAD COMPANY®'s franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for CHOPT CREATIVE SALAD COMPANY® (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 CHOPT CREATIVE SALAD COMPANY® franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, CHOPT CREATIVE SALAD COMPANY® has 4 total units in the United States, including 1 franchised units and 3 company-owned units. 1 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is CHOPT CREATIVE SALAD COMPANY® a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates CHOPT CREATIVE SALAD COMPANY® as a C-grade franchise with a verdict score of 40 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 CHOPT CREATIVE SALAD COMPANY®, 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.