Clean Juice Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
- Investment
- $241K – $418K
- Disclosed sales
- partial, no system average
- SBA charge-off
- 14.3%
- on 88 loans
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
Clean Juice is an organic juice bar franchise serving cold-pressed juices, smoothies, acai bowls, and cleanses. Franchisees run the shops, managing fresh prep, inventory, and counter service.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A CLEAN JUICE franchise requires a total initial investment of $241K – $418K, including a $15K – $30K franchise fee and an ongoing 6.0% royalty[2]. The 2026 FDD on file does not yield a unit-revenue figure we can publish. SBA 7(a) loans show a 14.3% charge-off rate across 88 loans[1]. FranchiseVerdict grade: B (Above average), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Run a live ROI scan →
Sources, dates and evidence
FDD issued: · Data extracted: · Last cited check: · Staleness risk: low - issued within the last 12 months
Evidence: strong✓ Investment (Item 7)✓ Item 19 status✓ Units and owners (Item 20)✓ SBA loan coverage✓ Litigation (Item 3)✓ Financial statements (Item 21)✓ Franchisor identityhow this is scored6 of 6 headline figures on this page cite a page of the filing.
Overview
- Investment
- $241K – $418K
- 34th pct Service Resta…
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- Outlet subsetNet sales
- Royalty
- 6.0%
- 48th pct Service Resta…
- Units
- 55
- 67th pct Service Resta…
- SBA charge-off
- 14.3%
- % 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 median · 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 $241K – $418K including a $30K franchise fee, 6.0% ongoing royalty.
- RETURNSItem 19 figures reflect unaudited Gross Revenue (sales) information only, reported by franchisees and not independently verified; they exclude costs and expenses, so no inference about profitability can be drawn.
- RISKVerdict B (Above average), verdict score 49/100 (higher is better). SBA loan charge-off rate of 14.3% across 88 loans (above the 16% franchise average, based on all SBA 7(a) franchise lending, 2010–2025).
- GROWTHNegative: net -14 franchised outlets in the latest year (1 opened, 15 closed); 5 signed but not yet open (Item 20).
- DATAItem 19 reports outlet revenue, but not in a form that yields a per-outlet average we can compare across brands. Ask franchisees directly for full unit-level revenue.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- CJ Fresh Holdings FC, LLC
- Parent company
- CJ Fresh Holdings, LLC
- FDD Item 1, page 8 of the 2026 FDD
- Ultimate parent
- Legacy Brands International, LLC
- FDD Item 1, page 8 of the 2026 FDD
- Predecessor
- Clean Juice Holdings, LLC
- Prior franchisor entity
- CEO title
- Chief Executive Officer
- Sherif Mityas
- Incorporated in
- Texas
- HQ
- 14860 Montfort Drive, Suite 150 PMB 34, Dallas, Texas 75254
- Auditor
- AG LLP
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $1.7M
- vs $1.2M prior year
Affiliated brands
- Souper Salad FC
- Humble Ds FC
- Orange Leaf FC
- Smoothie Holdings FC
- Red Mango FC
- CJ Fresh Distribution
Other brands the franchisor or its parent operates (Item 1).
Same owner · FDD Item 1, page 8
2 other brands on this site name Legacy Brands International, LLC as parent or ultimate parent in their own FDD.
Grouped by the owner's name as each filing prints it (this page: the 2026 FDD). Spelling variants of the same group may be listed apart; a brand is never grouped with an owner its filing does not name.
Overview
About
- CEO
- Sherif Mityas
- Headquarters
- Texas
- FDD year
- 2026
- States available
- 17
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 32% below the typical quick-service restaurants franchise.
Source: FDD 2026 · Items 5–7
Full Item 7 breakdown15 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee | $30K | $30K | |
| Lease Deposits & Rent | $4K | $9K | |
| Design and Construction Fee | $0 | $3K | |
| Architect; Engineer; Drawings | $8K | $15K | |
| Permits | $2K | $3K | |
| Interior Improvements, General Contractor; Electrical; Millwork; Tile, Plumbing, HVAC | $108K | $180K | |
| Signage Package | $8K | $12K | |
| Smallwares; Furniture; Interior Graphics; Fixtures; Digital Menu Boards; Equipment | $53K | $110K | |
| POS System | $5K | $6K | |
| Inventory; Uniforms | $4K | $10K | |
| Pre-opening training expenses | $3K | $7K | |
| New Store Marketing Plan Fee | $5K | $5K | |
| Insurance - Liability & Workers compensation (initial deposit) | $1K | $3K | |
| Professional Fees | $2K | $6K | |
| Additional Funds (3 months) | $10K | $20K | |
| Total initial investment | $241K | $418K |
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
- $241K – $418K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $10K – $20K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $15K – $30K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Royalty
- 6.0%
- typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 2.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 8.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 6.0% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 2.0% |
| Technology fee | $150 |
| Transfer fee | $2K |
| Renewal fee | $15K |
| Inventory (initial) | $4K – $10K |
| Total fee load | 8.0% of rev |
What do units actually make?
Source: FDD 2026 · Item 19
ROI & LBO modelsSingle-unit · 25-unit portfolio · editable
No Item 19 revenue figure for CLEAN JUICE 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 CLEAN JUICE 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 figures reflect unaudited Gross Revenue (sales) information only, reported by franchisees and not independently verified; they exclude costs and expenses, so no inference about profitability can be drawn.
Reported for a subset of outlets rather than the whole system
Reported as net sales, not gross sales
- Item 19 type
- Average and median unit volume for the top 25% and the bottom 25% of CLEAN JUICE Stores, drawn from the 54 franchised Traditional Stores open at least 11 months in 2025 (of 55 franchised, zero non-traditional) - top quartile (13 of 54 Stores) average unit volume $506,313, median $486,053, highest $724,422, lowest $425,632; bottom quartile (14 of 54 Stores) average unit volume $254,005, median $268,412, highest $286,537, lowest $178,523. The filing prints no all-system average or median, the middle 27 Stores are not represented at all, and the disclosed measure is the defined term Gross Revenue, which is stated net of sales taxes and authorized discounts.
- Sample size
- 54
- vs category median 19 · large
- Range (low → high)
- $179K→$724KCited, not corroborated — printed on page 54 of the 2026 FDD. Nothing else in our record independently restates or re-derives it.
- Cohort dispersion (min → max)
- Quartile band
- $254K→$506K
- Bottom 25% → top 25%
- Reporting year
- 2025
- Fiscal year the figures cover
- Source filing
- FDD 2026
- Disclosed in the 2026 filing, covering 2025
Compared against 781 Quick-Service Restaurants brands
Item 19 · by group
What the filing does disclose
Item 19 of this FDD reports performance in more than one group. We publish no single average for this brand; the groups the filing does disclose are listed below, quoted from its own Item 19 table.
Each row below is quoted from the FDD's own Item 19 table. Gross sales are not profit.
Outlet subsetNet salesItem 19 detail
Item 19 figures reflect unaudited Gross Revenue (sales) information only, reported by franchisees and not independently verified; they exclude costs and expenses, so no inference about profitability can be drawn.
By quartile
| Segment | Sample | Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Top 25% of Stores | 13 | $506K |
| Bottom 25% of Stores | 14 | $254K |
Operator outlook
What the numbers say
Data-driven interpretation of this brand's financial disclosures, fee structure, and system trajectory.
Fee burden
Total ongoing fee load of 8.0% (near the Quick-Service Restaurants median).
Disclosure
Item 19 reports outlet revenue, but not in a form that yields a per-outlet average we can compare across brands.
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 medians
How Clean Juice Compares
Category median of published Quick-Service Restaurants brands that report the figure; the middle half spans the 25th to 75th percentile and n counts the brands behind it. Medians are used because a few very large systems pull an average far from the typical brand. Revenue is disclosed gross sales, not profit.
Is the system healthy?
Source: FDD 2026 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 55
- Opened
- 1
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 15
- Terminated
- 0
- Franchisor ended the franchise (per Item 20)
- Non-renewed
- 0
- Term expired, not renewed (per Item 20)
- Turnover rate
- 27.3%
- Company-owned
- 0
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 100%
- vs corporate-owned
Last fiscal year · Item 20 exits and transfers
- Terminated
- 0
- Not renewed
- 0
- Transferred
- 6
- Reacquired
- 0
- Franchisor bought back
- Signed, not yet open
- 5
- 0.09 per open outlet · Item 20 Table 5
- Projected new
- 3
- Franchisor's next-year forecast
- Transfer rate
- 15.2%
- Owners selling to other franchisees
- Ceased ops
- 16.5%
- Units that stopped operating
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 12 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.
Available to sell in · Item 12
- Virginia
- Washington
States where the franchisor is registered to sell new franchises (FDD registration filings).
Where the owners are · Item 20 owner list
19 current owners across 12 states.
- FL 4
- CA 3
- AZ 2
- SC 2
- AL 1
- GA 1
- IL 1
- NC 1
- NH 1
- TN 1
- TX 1
- WI 1
Counts only, from the list the franchisor prints in Item 20; 65 entries carry no state. Names and phone numbers are for your own due diligence and are not shown here.
SBA loan performance
Government records
SBA Loan Data
Aggregated from SBA 7(a) and 504 loan disclosures, public data unique to FranchiseVerdict.
- Total loans
- 88
- Loan volume
- $26.0M
- Median loan
- $317K
- 50th percentile
- Charge-off rate
- 14.3%
- on 88 loans · 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)
- 85.7%
- 5-yr charge-off
- 15.2%
- Loans approved 2021+
- Active lenders
- 34
- Defaults
- 7
- Typical loan rate
- 7.0%
- avg rate to borrowers
- Franchised industry avg
- 10.6%
- brand above franchise avg ↑
- Jobs supported
- 1,747
- 7.7 per loan
- Lender concentration
- 19%
- top lender's share
Borrower mix: 94% went to startups / new businesses, 6% to established operators
Franchise vs independent — in snack and nonalcoholic beverage bars, franchised businesses charge off at 10.6% vs 8.9% for independents — franchising is associated with 19% higher SBA default risk in this category.
Vintage analysis
Clean Juice charge-off rate by loan vintage
Top lenders financing Clean Juice franchisees
Showing 3 of 34 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.
Lender network · 7(a) + 504
SBA Lending Report
Full lending analysis for Clean Juice from SBA 7(a) FOIA data.
- Principal loss rate
- 5.8%
- Avg SBA guarantee
- 75%
- Avg interest rate
- 7.03%
- Avg chargeoff amount
- $187K
- Lender concentration
- 18.7%
- Job velocity
- 7.7 per $100K
- Startup risk premium
- +15.0pp
- NAICS benchmark
- 7.0%
- NAICS 722515
- Jobs supported
- 1,747
Top SBA lendersTop lender holds 19% of loans
| # | Lender | Loans | Volume | Default % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Stearns Bank National Association | 14 | $3.5M | 8.3% |
| 2 | The Huntington National Bank | 13 | $2.8M | 50.0% |
| 3 | Newtek Small Business Finance, Inc. | 5 | $1.5M | 0.0% |
| 4 | Citizens Bank | 4 | $1.3M | 25.0% |
| 5 | Paragon Bank | 3 | $727K | 0.0% |
| 6 | The Bancorp Bank National Association | 3 | $1.1M | 0.0% |
| 7 | Manufacturers and Traders Trust Company | 3 | $707K | 0.0% |
| 8 | United Community Bank | 3 | $1.5M | 0.0% |
| 9 | Centennial Bank | 2 | $569K | 0.0% |
| 10 | Truist Bank | 2 | $589K | 0.0% |
Geographic failure vector
| State | Loans | Defaults | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| TXTexas | 12 | 2 | 28.6% |
| NCNorth Carolina | 11 | 1 | 10.0% |
| FLFlorida | 9 | 2 | 33.3% |
| CACalifornia | 6 | 0 | 0.0% |
| GAGeorgia | 6 | 1 | 33.3% |
| OHOhio | 5 | 0 | 0.0% |
| MIMichigan | 4 | 0 | 0.0% |
| PAPennsylvania | 3 | 0 | 0.0% |
| SCSouth Carolina | 3 | 0 | 0.0% |
| ALAlabama | 2 | 0 | 0.0% |
SBA 7(a) lending trend
Borrower profile
Source: SBA 7(a) + 504 FOIA loan-level data, matched by FranchiseVerdict
What could kill this investment?
SBA loans charge off at 14.3% — 11% 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
Litigation (Item 3)
Subject: the franchisor is a named party (defendant).
Item 3 discloses four concluded/pending matters: two franchisee mediation/termination disputes (A3 Management, Inc.; DMW Whole Organics, LLC); an SEC enforcement action against CEO Sherif Mityas individually (2012, unrelated to franchise operations); and a former franchisee lawsuit (CHNC I, LLC v. Clean Juice Franchising, LLC et al.) alleging FDD disclosure deficiencies, dismissed with prejudice against CJ Fresh Holdings, LLC in April 2025.
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · AG LLP
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
- Franchisor sells you products: Yes
- 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 49 / 100 verdict
- 01MINORCEO has 2012 SEC final judgment for securities law violations—indicates potential pattern of misrepresentation at corporate level
- 02HIGHPending litigation (CHNC I, LLC) specifically alleges inaccurate financial representations and failure to update FDD disclosures—core franchisor duty violation
- 03MINORMultiple settled termination disputes indicate franchisor-franchisee relationship problems and potential operational or support deficiencies
- 04MEDHigh initial investment ($176.5K–$419K) combined with 6% royalty on undisclosed revenue creates profitability uncertainty
- 05MEDNo average revenue or net income disclosed despite 69 units operating—suggests either poor performance or deliberate withholding of Item 19 data
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 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 |
| Territory type | Protected territory |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | No |
| Online sales rightsℹ | Restricted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Required |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 2 years |
| Non-compete (miles)ℹ | 1 mi |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Termination groundsℹ | 28 |
| Curable defaultsℹ | 2 |
| Mandatory arbitration | No |
| Arbitration location | Dallas, Texas |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | Texas |
| Litigation count | 4 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
Item 3 discloses four concluded/pending matters: two franchisee mediation/termination disputes (A3 Management, Inc.; DMW Whole Organics, LLC); an SEC enforcement action against CEO Sherif Mityas individually (2012, unrelated to franchise operations); and a former franchisee lawsuit (CHNC I, LLC v. Clean Juice Franchising, LLC et al.) alleging FDD disclosure deficiencies, dismissed with prejudice against CJ Fresh Holdings, LLC in April 2025.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 21 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 42 hrs
- Training location
- Corporate office and designated certified training Store, Dallas, Texas
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Time to open
- 10 mo
- From signing to launch
- Site selection
- franchisee_with_franchisor_approval
- Franchisor financing
- Not offered
- Item 10
- POS system
- Toast POS (with Lunchbox loyalty/online-ordering platform)
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: Toast POS (with Lunchbox loyalty/online-ordering platform)
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
84 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a CLEAN JUICE franchise?
The total investment to open a CLEAN JUICE franchise ranges from $241K – $418K, 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 CLEAN JUICE franchise owners earn?
Item 19 of the CLEAN JUICE FDD discloses outlet figures from $179K to $724K but no single average across all outlets. These are gross sales figures, not profit; the Revenue section shows what the filing reports and on what basis. Item 20 of the FDD lists current and former franchisees; asking them directly is the standard way to fill this gap.
Who owns CLEAN JUICE?
CLEAN JUICE is franchised by CJ Fresh Holdings FC, LLC. Its parent company is CJ Fresh Holdings, LLC. The ultimate parent named in the FDD is Legacy Brands International, LLC. Source: FDD Item 1, 2026 filing.
What is Item 19 in the CLEAN JUICE 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 JUICE FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is CLEAN JUICE's franchise failure rate?
Based on SBA 7(a) loan data, CLEAN JUICE has a charge-off rate of 14.3% across 88 loans, meaning 14.3% 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 JUICE franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, CLEAN JUICE has 55 total units in the United States, including 55 franchised units and 0 company-owned units. 1 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is CLEAN JUICE a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates CLEAN JUICE as a B-grade franchise with a verdict score of 49 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
Are you the franchisor?
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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.