CoreLife Eatery Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
CoreLife Eatery is a fast-casual franchise serving grain bowls, greens, and broth bowls made with clean, whole-food ingredients. Franchisees run the restaurants, managing fresh prep, staffing, and counter service.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A CoreLife Eatery franchise requires a total initial investment of $790K – $1.0M, including a $35K franchise fee and an ongoing 5.0% royalty[2]. The 2024 FDD does not disclose unit-level revenue (no Item 19). SBA 7(a) loans show a 0.0% charge-off rate across 15 loans[1]. FranchiseVerdict grade: B (Above average), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified · figures per the 2024 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $790K – $1.0M
- 90th pct Service Resta…
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- Royalty
- 5.0%
- 11th pct Service Resta…
- Units
- 49
- 65th pct Service Resta…
- SBA charge-off
- 0.0%
- % 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 $790K – $1.0M including a $35K franchise fee, 5.0% ongoing royalty.
- RETURNSFranchisor total revenue of $1,283,217 for fiscal year ended December 24, 2023, disclosed in Item 8 narrative ($12,736, or 1%, derived from required franchisee purchases of blenders). Audited financial statements in Exhibit B (pages B-2 to B-27) are scanned images with no extractable text, so balance-sheet and income-statement figures and auditor identity could not be read.
- RISKVerdict B (Above average), verdict score 54/100 (higher is better). SBA loan charge-off rate of 0.0% across 15 loans (well below the franchise average, based on all SBA 7(a) franchise lending, 2010–2025).
- DECLINESystem contracting at -25.0% CAGR over 3 years. Investigate whether closures are franchisor-driven (consolidation) or franchisee-driven (economics).
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- CoreLife Eatery Franchisor, LLC
- Parent company
- CoreLife Eatery, LLC
- CEO title
- Chief Executive Officer
- Scott Davis
- Incorporated in
- NY
- HQ
- 3108 Vestal Parkway East, Suite #1, Vestal, New York 13850
- Auditor
- Piaker & Lyons, P.C.
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $1.3M
- vs $1.4M prior year
Affiliated brands
- CoreLife Trademarks
Other brands the franchisor or its parent operates (Item 1).
Overview
About
- CEO
- Scott Davis
- Headquarters
- NY
- Founded
- 2016
- FDD year
- 2024
- States available
- 9
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 39% above the typical quick-service restaurants franchise.
Source: FDD 2024 · Items 5–7
Full Item 7 breakdown20 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Feenot refundable | $35K | $35K | |
| Architect/Engineer and Architectural Design Review Feenot refundable | $13K | $16K | |
| Project Coordinatornot refundable | $0 | $2K | |
| Permits and Licensingnot refundable | $1K | $6K | |
| Leasehold Improvementsnot refundable | $310K | $390K | |
| Equipmentnot refundable | $195K | $205K | |
| Furniture and Fixturesnot refundable | $90K | $115K | |
| Small waresnot refundable | $20K | $23K | |
| Signage and Graphicsnot refundable | $23K | $43K | |
| Computer Equipment & Information / POS Systemsnot refundable | $14K | $19K | |
| Uniformsnot refundable | $3K | $4K | |
| Initial Inventory and Suppliesnot refundable | $12K | $18K | |
| Pre-Opening Advertisingnot refundable | $28K | $28K | |
| Grand Opening Food Giveawaynot refundable | $3K | $5K | |
| Insurance Deposits | $2K | $5K | |
| First Month's Rent / Security Deposit | $0 | $30K | |
| Initial Trainingnot refundable | $15K | $25K | |
| Miscellaneous Opening Costsnot refundable | $500 | $10K | |
| Professional Feesnot refundable | $1K | $5K | |
| Additional Funds - 3 Monthsnot refundable | $25K | $60K | |
| Total initial investment | $790K | $1.0M |
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
- $790K – $1.0M
- Bottom third — review vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $25K – $60K
- Middle of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $35K – $35K
- Middle of category vs category
- Royalty
- 5.0%
- percentage · typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 2.0%
- 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 | 2.0% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $130 |
| Training fee | $15K |
| Transfer fee | $18K |
| Renewal fee | $18K |
| Inventory (initial) | $12K – $18K |
| Total fee load | 7.0% of rev |
ROI & LBO modelsSingle-unit · 25-unit portfolio · editable
CoreLife Eatery did not disclose financial performance in FDD Item 19. The ROIC and return models require Item 19 revenue. Without it all inputs are estimates. You can still run the calculator with your own assumptions by entering an expected revenue figure.
Returns model · single-unit ROIC
What would one CoreLife Eatery unit return on the cash you put in?
Unlevered ROIC · per unit
Estimated return on your total franchise investment, before any debt financing.
12%
Below the 30–60% attractive-franchise band
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
Franchisor total revenue of $1,283,217 for fiscal year ended December 24, 2023, disclosed in Item 8 narrative ($12,736, or 1%, derived from required franchisee purchases of blenders). Audited financial statements in Exhibit B (pages B-2 to B-27) are scanned images with no extractable text, so balance-sheet and income-statement figures and auditor identity could not be read.
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 7.0% (near the Quick-Service Restaurants average).
Disclosure
Franchisor chose not to disclose financial performance representations. You will need to gather unit economics directly from existing franchisees.
Operator retention
System contracting at -25.0% CAGR over 3 years. Investigate whether closures are franchisor-driven consolidation or franchisee exits.
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 CoreLife Eatery Compares
Is the system healthy?
Source: FDD 2024 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 49
- Opened
- 1
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 2
- Turnover rate
- 8.3%
- Company-owned
- 25
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 49%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (3-yr)
- -25.0%
- Net unit change over 3 years
- 3-yr CAGR
- -25.0%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Opened (3yr)
- 1
- Closed (3yr)
- 0
- Terminated (3yr)
- 2
- Non-renewed (3yr)
- 0
- Transfers (3yr)
- 4
- Reacquired (3yr)
- 1
- Franchisor bought back
- Termination rate
- 6.7%
- Franchisor-initiated terminations
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 11 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.
- Total loans
- 15
- Loan volume
- $11.8M
- Median loan
- $693K
- 50th percentile
- Charge-off rate
- 0.0%
- 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)
- 100.0%
- 5-yr charge-off
- 0.0%
- Loans approved 2021+
- Active lenders
- 8
- Defaults
- 0
- Typical loan rate
- 6.9%
- avg rate to borrowers
- Franchised industry avg
- 10.8%
- brand beats franchise avg ↓
- Jobs supported
- 496
- 4.2 per loan
- Lender concentration
- 27%
- top lender's share
Borrower mix: 54% went to startups / new businesses, 46% 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 CoreLife Eatery franchisees
Showing 3 of 8 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 CoreLife Eatery's SBA lending history: lender network, geographic footprint, interest rates, and more.
SBA Lending Report
- Principal loss rate and NAICS industry benchmark
- 8 lenders with concentration factor
- Per-state charge-off rates across 9 states
- Startup risk premium and job creation velocity
- 6-year lending trend
Instant access. No subscription.
With a 0.0% charge-off rate across 15 loans, banks have historically viewed this brand favorably for lending.
What could kill this investment?
SBA loans charge off at 0.0% — 100% 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
CoreLife Eatery presents elevated risk due to unit contraction, missing financial disclosures, and high capital requirements without transparent profitability data.
Litigation (Item 3)
0 case reference(s): 3 pending, 0 settled.
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Piaker & Lyons, P.C.
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
- Franchisor sells you products: Yes
- Must buy proprietary products: Yes
- Restricted to system-approved products: Yes
- Can negotiate own supplier terms: No
Score breakdown · what drove the 54 / 100 verdict
- 01MEDUnit count declined 7.7% YoY (49 units) indicating system contraction and potential market saturation or operational challenges
- 02MINORNo average revenue or net income disclosure in FDD Item 19 prevents ROI validation and profitability assessment
- 03MEDHigh initial investment ($789.5K-$1.044M) combined with undisclosed earnings creates significant financial risk with no performance benchmarks
- 04MINORRelatively young franchise system with declining trajectory raises sustainability and franchisor support concerns
- 05MED5% royalty on net sales provides limited margin cushion in QSR segment where operating margins typically 6-9%
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 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 | 2 |
| Territory type | protected |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | No |
| Territory radius | 1 mi |
| 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 | Yes |
| RoFR response window | 150 days |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Curable defaultsℹ | 2 |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Arbitration location | Vestal, New York |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | state where franchisee's CoreLife Eatery is located |
| Litigation count | 0 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
0 case reference(s): 3 pending, 0 settled.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 26 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 124 hrs
- Training location
- Vestal, New York or a CoreLife Eatery operated by a franchisee or affiliate
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Time to open
- 9 mo
- From signing to launch
- Site selection
- franchisee
- Franchisor financing
- Not offered
- Item 10
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
15 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
CoreLife Eatery · FDD (2024) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a CoreLife Eatery franchise?
The total investment to open a CoreLife Eatery franchise ranges from $790K – $1.0M, with an initial franchise fee of $35K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do CoreLife Eatery franchise owners earn?
CoreLife Eatery 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 Item 19 in the CoreLife Eatery 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 CoreLife Eatery FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is CoreLife Eatery's franchise failure rate?
Based on SBA 7(a) loan data, CoreLife Eatery has a charge-off rate of 0.0% across 15 loans, meaning 0.0% 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 CoreLife Eatery franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, CoreLife Eatery has 49 total units in the United States, including 24 franchised units and 25 company-owned units. 1 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is CoreLife Eatery a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates CoreLife Eatery as a B-grade franchise with a verdict score of 54 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 CoreLife Eatery, 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.