Clean Eatz Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
Clean Eatz is a fast-casual franchise serving healthy, macro-friendly meals plus grab-and-go meal-prep programs. Franchisees run a cafe-and-kitchen managing meal production, dine-in, and weekly meal-plan subscriptions.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Clean Eatz franchise requires a total initial investment of $354K – $798K, including a $50K franchise fee and an ongoing 6.0% royalty[2]. Per the 2024 FDD, average unit revenue was $1.1M[2]. SBA 7(a) loans show a 4.3% charge-off rate across 69 loans[1]. FranchiseVerdict grade: A (Strongest tier), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified · figures per the 2024 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $354K – $798K
- 59th pct Service Resta…
- Avg gross sales
- $1.1M
- 17th pct Service Resta…
- Royalty
- 6.0%
- 46th pct Service Resta…
- Units
- 98
- 76th pct Service Resta…
- SBA charge-off
- 4.3%
- % of SBA 7(a) loans not repaid · median varies by category
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 $354K – $798K including a $50K franchise fee, 6.0% ongoing royalty.
- RETURNSAverage unit revenue of $1.1M/year (median $977K), with an estimated 15% cash-on-cash return (based on EBTIDA (less owner/manager salary) [sic - the filing misspells EBITDA]).
- RISKVerdict A (Strongest tier), verdict score 93/100 (higher is better). SBA loan charge-off rate of 4.3% across 69 loans (well below the franchise average, based on all SBA 7(a) franchise lending, 2010–2025).
- GROWTHSystem growing at 44.8% CAGR over 3 years with 98 total units. Strong expansion trajectory.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- Clean Eatz Franchising LLC
- Parent company
- V&V Holdings, LLC
- CEO title
- CEO, Co-Founder, Member
- Don Varady
- Incorporated in
- NC
- HQ
- 4389 Oleander Drive, Wilmington NC, 28403
- Auditor
- Earney & Company, L.L.P.
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $7.9M
- vs $6.7M prior year
Overview
About
- CEO
- Don Varady
- Headquarters
- NC
- Founded
- 2015
- FDD year
- 2024
- States available
- 20
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 13% below the typical quick-service restaurants franchise.
Source: FDD 2024 · Items 5–7
Full Item 7 breakdown13 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Feenot refundable | $50K | $50K | |
| Travel and Living Expenses | $500 | $2K | |
| Rent or Real Estate | $3K | $18K | |
| Cafe Construction | $200K | $483K | |
| Furniture | $0 | $5K | |
| Signage | $5K | $12K | |
| Miscellaneous Opening Costs | $4K | $10K | |
| Initial Inventory | $10K | $12K | |
| Equipment | $49K | $144K | |
| Advertising/Marketing (3 months) | $2K | $7K | |
| Insurance (Yearly basis) | $3K | $5K | |
| Technology Package | $9K | $11K | |
| Additional Funds for Initial three (3) Months | $20K | $40K | |
| Total initial investment | $354K | $798K |
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
- $354K – $798K
- Middle of category vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $20K – $40K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $50K – $50K
- Bottom third — review vs category
- Royalty
- 6.0%
- percentage · typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 2.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 8.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
- Payback period
- 6.8 yrs
- From FDD / Item 19
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 6.0% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 2.0% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $150 |
| Transfer fee | $5K |
| Renewal fee | $2K |
| Inventory (initial) | $10K – $12K |
| Total fee load | 8.0% of rev |
What do units actually make?
Average unit sales run 10% below the quick-service restaurants norm.
Source: FDD 2024 · 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
$152K
14.0% margin
Unlevered ROIC
25%
EBITDA / total invested capital
Payback
4.0 yrs
cash-on-cash, unlevered
ROI & LBO modelsSingle-unit · 25-unit portfolio · editable
FDD-reported earnings vs. model
The FDD reports $153K as EBTIDA (less owner/manager salary) [sic - the filing misspells EBITDA]. Our model estimates $152K SLEBITDA from the same revenue using category-average cost assumptions. These numbers differ because EBTIDA (less owner/manager salary) [sic - the filing misspells EBITDA] deducts different expense categories than our model.
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 Clean Eatz unit return on the cash you put in?
Unlevered ROIC · per unit
Estimated return on your total franchise investment, before any debt financing.
25%
Below 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 Clean Eatz units return on equity?
Equity IRR · 5-yr
49.9%
7.57× MOIC
Year-1 DSCR
1.88×
EBITDA ÷ debt service
Equity required
$1.5M
on $7.6M purchase
Total debt
$6.1M
SBA $3.8M + 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: 2024 FDD
Financial Performance
- Avg gross sales
- $1.1M
- Per unit, per year
- Median gross sales
- $977K
- Avg ebtida (less owner/manager salary) [sic - the filing misspells ebitda]
- $153K
- Reported as EBTIDA (less owner/manager salary) [sic - the filing misspells EBITDA] in FDD Item 19
- Cash-on-cash
- 14.6%
- Based on EBTIDA (less owner/manager salary) [sic - the filing misspells EBITDA] / investment midpoint
Gross sales are revenue before expenses — not profit. Actual owner earnings depend on rent, labor, royalties, marketing fees, and debt service.
- Item 19 type
- gross sales and income statement
- Sample size
- 67
- vs category median 20 · large
- Range (low → high)
- $406K→$2.4M
- Cohort dispersion (min → max)
- Quartile band
- $616K→$1.7M
- Bottom 25% → top 25%
- Transparency tier
- full
- Categorical assessment of disclosure depth
- Reporting year
- 2023
- Fiscal year the figures cover
- Source filing
- FDD 2024
- Disclosed in the 2024 filing, covering 2023
- Transparency
- 10 / 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 $1.1M/year in gross sales. Revenue-to-investment ratio: 1.9x.
Fee burden
Total ongoing fee load of 8.0% (near the Quick-Service Restaurants average).
Disclosure
Transparency score 10/10 — this franchisor discloses detailed breakdowns (quartiles, segments, or cohort data). Buyers can model unit economics with higher confidence.
Operator retention
System expanding at 44.8% CAGR over 3 years across 98 units — operators are staying and new ones are joining.
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 Clean Eatz Compares
Is the system healthy?
Source: FDD 2024 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 98
- Opened
- 21
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 8
- Terminated
- 0
- Franchisor ended the franchise (per Item 20)
- Non-renewed
- 0
- Term expired, not renewed (per Item 20)
- Turnover rate
- 8.2%
- Company-owned
- 1
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 99%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (3-yr)
- +44.8%
- Net unit change over 3 years
- 3-yr CAGR
- +44.8%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Opened (3yr)
- 21
- Closed (3yr)
- 8
- Terminated (3yr)
- 0
- Non-renewed (3yr)
- 0
- Transfers (3yr)
- 2
- Reacquired (3yr)
- 0
- Franchisor bought back
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
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)
Fast growth in a small system. Newer franchisors expanding quickly may not yet have the support infrastructure of larger systems.
SBA loan performance
Government records
SBA Loan Data
Aggregated from SBA 7(a) and 504 loan disclosures, public data unique to FranchiseVerdict.
- Total loans
- 69
- Loan volume
- $28.4M
- Median loan
- $437K
- 50th percentile
- Charge-off rate
- 4.3%
- rates vary by category · see methodology
Historical SBA 7(a) lending data, not predictive of future performance. How SBA charge-off rates are calculated
- Repayment rate (PIF)
- 95.7%
- 5-yr charge-off
- 28.6%
- Loans approved 2021+
- Active lenders
- 33
- Defaults
- 3
- Typical loan rate
- 8.4%
- avg rate to borrowers
- Franchised industry avg
- 10.8%
- brand beats franchise avg ↓
- Jobs supported
- 1,147
- 4.0 per loan
- Lender concentration
- 20%
- top lender's share
Borrower mix: 93% went to startups / new businesses, 7% to established operators
Franchise vs independent — in limited-service restaurants, franchised businesses charge off at 10.8% vs 10.0% for independents — franchising is associated with 8% higher SBA default risk in this category.
Top lenders financing Clean Eatz franchisees
Showing 3 of 33 lenders. The full breakdown — every lender, state distribution, interest rates & risk ratings — is in the SBA Lending Report below.
Explore lender portfolios on Bank Reports or regional data on State Reports.
Premium insight
SBA Lending Report
Deep-dive into Clean Eatz's SBA lending history: lender network, geographic footprint, interest rates, and more.
SBA Lending Report
- Principal loss rate and NAICS industry benchmark
- 10 lenders with concentration factor
- Per-state charge-off rates across 15 states
- Startup risk premium and job creation velocity
- 8-year lending trend
Instant access. No subscription.
What could kill this investment?
SBA loans charge off at 4.3% — 73% below the 16.0% national norm, i.e. lower lender-observed risk.
Source: SBA 7(a) FOIA · FDD Items 3, 21
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 4, 8, 16, 21
Risk & Legal
Clean Eatz presents moderate-to-cautious risk: unverified revenue claims, modest growth trajectory, and tight margins require thorough validation with existing franchisees before committing $350K–$800K.
Litigation (Item 3)
0 case reference(s): 0 pending, 0 settled.
Largest disclosed settlement: $49,500
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Earney & Company, L.L.P.
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
Score breakdown · what drove the 93 / 100 verdict
- 01MINORModest unit growth of 12.8% YoY suggests market saturation or slower-than-expected expansion momentum
- 02MINORHigh investment range ($353K–$798K) with 6% royalty creates breakeven pressure on units generating below $1.09M
- 03MEDNet income margin of ~14% ($153K on $1.09M) leaves limited cushion for underperforming locations or economic downturns
- 04MINORGoing concern status is 'False' (not explicitly stated as a going concern issue), but lack of transparency on franchisor financial health is concerning
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
What are you signing up for?
Ongoing fees run about 8.0% of sales (royalty + ad fund), before rent and labor.
Source: FDD 2024 · 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 radius | 5 mi |
| Territory population | 100,000 |
| 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 | 20 mi |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Termination groundsℹ | 1 |
| Curable defaultsℹ | 1 |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Arbitration location | New Hanover County, North Carolina |
| Jury trial waiver | No |
| Governing law | NC |
| Litigation count | 0 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
0 case reference(s): 0 pending, 0 settled.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 36 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 77 hrs
- Training location
- Regional Training Store (corporate headquarters Wilmington, NC or designated franchise)
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Time to open
- 9 mo
- From signing to launch
- Site selection
- franchisee with franchisor approval
- Franchisor financing
- Not offered
- Item 10
- POS system
- Brink POS
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: Brink POS
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
95 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
Clean Eatz · FDD (2024) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Clean Eatz franchise?
The total investment to open a Clean Eatz franchise ranges from $354K – $798K, with an initial franchise fee of $50K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do Clean Eatz franchise owners earn?
According to Item 19 of the Clean Eatz FDD, the average gross sales per unit is $1.1M. The median is $977K. Note: this is gross revenue, not profit. Actual owner earnings vary based on location, operating costs, and management.
What is Item 19 in the Clean Eatz 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 Clean Eatz FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is Clean Eatz's franchise failure rate?
Based on SBA 7(a) loan data, Clean Eatz has a charge-off rate of 4.3% across 69 loans, meaning 4.3% of franchise loans were charged off. Charge-off rates are one proxy for franchise risk, though they do not capture all closures. This data comes from FOIA-sourced SBA lending records.
How many Clean Eatz franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Clean Eatz has 98 total units in the United States, including 97 franchised units and 1 company-owned units. 21 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is Clean Eatz a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Clean Eatz as a A-grade franchise with a verdict score of 93 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 Clean Eatz, 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.