CoreLife EateryFranchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
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]. Verdict grade: C. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified June 18, 2026 · figures per the 2024 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $790K – $1.0M
- 40th pct Service Resta…
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- 28th pct Service Resta…
- Royalty
- 5.0%
- 7th pct Service Resta…
- Units
- 49
- 36th pct Service Resta…
- SBA default
- 0.0%
- system-wide median varies by category
Quick verdict · Full-Service Restaurants · color = vs category peers
Green = >15% above Full-Service Restaurants 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
Only 0.0% of 15 SBA loans charged off, well below the 16% franchise average.
Franchised units fell from 26 to 24 over 3 years. Investigate why operators are leaving.
The franchisor's auditor raised doubt about continued operations. This is a serious risk signal.
Bottom line
- Total investment $790K – $1.0M including a $35K franchise fee, 5.0% ongoing royalty.
- No Item 19 financial performance data disclosed. The franchisor chose not to publish revenue figures.
- Verdict C (Average) with a risk score of 69/100. SBA loan charge-off rate of 0.0% across 15 loans (well below the franchise average, based on all SBA 7(a) franchise lending, 2010–2024).
- Auditor disclosed a going-concern note, which flagged doubt about the franchisor's ability to continue operations. Verify against the latest FDD.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
- Legal entity
- CoreLife Eatery Franchisor, LLC
- Parent company
- CoreLife Eatery, LLC
- Incorporated in
- NY
- HQ
- 3108 Vestal Parkway East, Suite #1, Vestal, New York 13850
- Auditor
- Piaker & Lyons, P.C.
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $1.5M
- vs $1.4M prior year
- ⚠ Going-concern note
- Disclosed in FDD 2024
- Status as of 2024; may have been resolved in a later filing we don't yet have.
Affiliated brands
- CoreLife Trademarks
Other brands the franchisor or its parent operates (Item 1).
Overview
About
CoreLife Eatery franchisees operate fast-casual health-focused restaurants featuring salads, bowls, and prepared meals with an emphasis on fresh, locally-sourced ingredients. Day-to-day operations include managing food preparation, staff scheduling, inventory management, customer service, and maintaining brand standards across menu consistency and restaurant cleanliness.
- CEO
- Scott Davis
- Headquarters
- NY
- Founded
- 2016
- FDD year
- 2024
- States available
- 9
FDD Item 7 · 2024 filing · 20 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
- Near category avg vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $25K – $60K
- Better than avg vs category
- Franchise fee
- $30K – $35K
- Better than avg vs category
- Royalty
- 5.0%
- Gross Sales · 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 | $62 |
| Transfer fee | $18K |
| Renewal fee | $18K |
| Inventory (initial) | $12K – $18K |
| Total fee load | 7.0% of rev |
Financial Performance
This franchisor did not disclose financial performance representations in Item 19, or our extractor could not parse them.
vs Full-Service Restaurants averages
How CoreLife Eatery Compares
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 49
- Opened
- 1
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 2
- Turnover rate
- 4.1%
- Company-owned
- 25
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 49%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (yr3)
- -7.7%
- Net unit change last year
- 3-yr CAGR
- -25.0%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Closed (3yr)
- 0
- Terminated (3yr)
- 4
- Non-renewed (3yr)
- 0
- Transfers (3yr)
- 4
- Reacquired (3yr)
- 2
- 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
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.
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 5, 6, 12, 17
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.⚠ Going-concern note flagged
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
- Franchisor sells you products: No
- Must buy proprietary products: Yes
- Restricted to system-approved products: No
Score breakdown · what drove the 69 / 100 rating
- 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
FDD Items 5, 6, 12, 17 · continued from Risk & Legal
Contract & Territory Detail
| Initial term | 10 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 10 years |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 2 |
| Territory type | Radius |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Territory sizeℹ | 50,000 people |
| Online sales rights | Restricted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Optional |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 2 years |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| RoFR response window | 150 days |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Curable defaultsℹ | 3 |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | state of location |
| 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
- On-site and corporate
- Site selection
- franchisee
- Franchisor financing
- 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 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 26 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 C-grade franchise with a risk score of 69 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.
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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.