CoreLife Eatery Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
- Investment
- $790K – $1.0M
- Disclosed sales
- not disclosed
- SBA charge-off
- 0.0%
- on 15 loans
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]. This franchisor makes no financial performance representation in Item 19 of its FDD. Item 19 is voluntary under the FTC Franchise Rule, and this filing states that it makes none, so no revenue or earnings figures are disclosed. Declining to publish one is lawful and is not evidence of how the outlets perform. It does mean that less about this brand can be verified from its filing, and the FranchiseVerdict grade - an editorial assessment, not investment advice - reflects that. 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 →
Sources, dates and evidence
FDD issued: · Data extracted: · Last cited check: · Staleness risk: high - issued more than two years ago
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 scored5 of 5 headline figures on this page cite a page of the filing.
Overview
- Investment
- $790K – $1.0M
- 88th pct Service Resta…
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- Royalty
- 5.0%
- 12th 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 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 $790K – $1.0M including a $35K franchise fee, 5.0% ongoing royalty.
- RETURNSThis franchisor makes no financial performance representation in Item 19 of its FDD. Item 19 is voluntary under the FTC Franchise Rule, and this filing states that it makes none, so no revenue or earnings figures are disclosed. Declining to publish one is lawful and is not evidence of how the outlets perform. It does mean that less about this brand can be verified from its filing, and the FranchiseVerdict grade - an editorial assessment, not investment advice - reflects that.
- 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).
- GROWTHNegative: net -2 franchised outlets in the latest year (1 opened, 3 closed); 2 signed but not yet open (Item 20).
- 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
- FDD Item 1, page 8 of the 2024 FDD
- 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 89% 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%
- 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 net sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 2.0% of net 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 makes no financial performance representation in Item 19 of its FDD - a voluntary item under the FTC Franchise Rule - so no unit revenue figures are disclosed. 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 CoreLife Eatery 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: 2024 FDD
Financial Performance
No financial performance representation
This franchisor makes no financial performance representation in Item 19 of its FDD. Item 19 is voluntary under the FTC Franchise Rule, and this filing states that it makes none, so no revenue or earnings figures are disclosed. Declining to publish one is lawful and is not evidence of how the outlets perform. It does mean that less about this brand can be verified from its filing, and the FranchiseVerdict grade - an editorial assessment, not investment advice - reflects that.
Item 20 of the FDD lists current and former franchisees; asking them directly is the standard way to fill this gap.
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 median).
Disclosure
This franchisor makes no financial performance representation in Item 19 of its FDD. Item 19 is voluntary under the FTC Franchise Rule, and this filing states that it makes none, so no revenue or earnings figures are disclosed. Declining to publish one is lawful and is not evidence of how the outlets perform. It does mean that less about this brand can be verified from its filing, and the FranchiseVerdict grade - an editorial assessment, not investment advice - reflects that. Item 20 of the FDD lists current and former franchisees; asking them directly is the standard way to fill this gap.
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 medians
How CoreLife Eatery 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 2024 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 49
- Opened
- 1
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 3
- Terminated
- 2
- Franchisor ended the franchise (per Item 20)
- Turnover rate
- 6.1%
- 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
Last fiscal year · Item 20 exits and transfers
- Terminated
- 2
- Reacquired
- 1
- Franchisor bought back
- Signed, not yet open
- 2
- 0.04 per open outlet · Item 20 Table 5
- Projected new
- 0
- Franchisor's next-year forecast
- 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.
Where the owners are · Item 20 owner list
0 current owners across 0 states; 15 former (terminated, transferred or not renewed) listed separately.
Counts only, from the list the franchisor prints in Item 20. 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
- 15
- Loan volume
- $11.8M
- Median loan
- $693K
- 50th percentile
- Charge-off rate
- 0.0%
- on 15 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)
- 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.
Lender network · 7(a) + 504
SBA Lending Report
Full lending analysis for CoreLife Eatery from SBA 7(a) FOIA data.
- Principal loss rate
- 0.0%
- Avg SBA guarantee
- 72%
- Avg interest rate
- 6.92%
- Lender concentration
- 26.7%
- Job velocity
- 4.2 per $100K
- Startup risk premium
- 0.0pp
- NAICS benchmark
- 8.7%
- NAICS 722513
- Jobs supported
- 496
Top SBA lendersTop lender holds 27% of loans
| # | Lender | Loans | Volume | Default % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Huntington National Bank | 4 | $1.7M | 0.0% |
| 2 | Live Oak Banking Company | 4 | $3.6M | 0.0% |
| 3 | Stearns Bank National Association | 2 | $1.3M | 0.0% |
| 4 | Dime Community Bank | 1 | $1.2M | N/A |
| 5 | Pinnacle Bank | 1 | $587K | N/A |
| 6 | Republic Bank & Trust Company | 1 | $1.1M | 0.0% |
| 7 | Genesee Regional Bank | 1 | $1.6M | N/A |
| 8 | VelocitySBA, LLC | 1 | $655K | N/A |
Geographic failure vector
| State | Loans | Defaults | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| TNTennessee | 3 | 0 | 0.0% |
| KYKentucky | 2 | 0 | 0.0% |
| NYNew York | 2 | 0 | -- |
| OHOhio | 2 | 0 | 0.0% |
| PAPennsylvania | 2 | 0 | 0.0% |
| FLFlorida | 1 | 0 | 0.0% |
| INIndiana | 1 | 0 | 0.0% |
| NCNorth Carolina | 1 | 0 | -- |
| VAVirginia | 1 | 0 | -- |
SBA 7(a) lending trend
Borrower profile
Source: SBA 7(a) + 504 FOIA loan-level data, matched by FranchiseVerdict
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.
Why this reads harsher than the B grade: the grade weighs financial health, unit economics, unit growth, scale, legal, and transparency across the whole filing, while this summary lists individual flags without that weighting. The flags are worth checking with current owners; neither is investment advice.
Litigation (Item 3)
Subject: officers or affiliates. The franchisor is not a named party in these cases.
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)
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.
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 territory |
| 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
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 makes no financial performance representation in Item 19 of its FDD - a voluntary item under the FTC Franchise Rule - so no unit revenue figures are disclosed. Declining to publish one is lawful and is not evidence of how the outlets perform. It does mean that less about this brand can be verified from its filing, and the FranchiseVerdict grade - an editorial assessment, not investment advice - reflects that. Item 20 of the FDD lists current and former franchisees; asking them directly is the standard way to fill this gap.
Who owns CoreLife Eatery?
CoreLife Eatery is franchised by CoreLife Eatery Franchisor, LLC. Its parent company is CoreLife Eatery, LLC. Source: FDD Item 1, 2024 filing.
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). 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
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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.