Cork and Candles Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
Cork and Candles is a retail franchise selling premium candles, home fragrance, and home decor. Franchisees run the shops, managing inventory, merchandising, and sales.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Cork and Candles franchise requires a total initial investment of $284K – $378K, including a $50K franchise fee and an ongoing 7.0% royalty[2]. The 2025 FDD does not disclose unit-level revenue (no Item 19). FranchiseVerdict grade: D (Below average), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified · figures per the 2025 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $284K – $378K
- 33rd pct Retail
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- Company-owned onlyn=2
- Royalty
- 7.0%
- 26th pct Retail
- Units
- 4
- 5th pct Retail
- SBA charge-off
- N/A
Quick verdict · Retail · color = vs category peers
Green = favorable by >10% vs Retail 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 $284K – $378K including a $50K franchise fee, 7.0% ongoing royalty.
- RETURNSFY ended June 30, 2025 total revenues of $48,930 comprised brand development fund $34,511, royalties $10,944, initial franchise fees $2,400, and other income $1,075. Prior period (July 13, 2023 to June 30, 2024) total revenues were $18,400, all initial franchise fees.
- RISKVerdict D (Below average), verdict score 34/100 (higher is better).
- DATAItem 19 reports affiliate outlet financials rather than annual gross sales, so unit revenue is not directly comparable. Ask franchisees directly for full unit-level revenue.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- Cork and Candles Franchising LLC
- Parent company
- Cork and Candles Inc.
- CEO title
- Founder and Chief Executive Officer
- David Straub
- CEO experience
- 12 yrs
- Years in role or industry
- Founder active
- Yes
- Original founder still leading the business
- Incorporated in
- PA
- HQ
- 640 Thorncroft Drive, West Chester, Pennsylvania 19380
- Auditor
- Metwally CPA PLLC
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $49K
- vs $18K prior year
Overview
About
- CEO
- David Straub
- Headquarters
- PA
- Founded
- 2023
- FDD year
- 2025
- States available
- 1
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 20% below the typical retail franchise.
Source: FDD 2025 · Items 5–7
Full Item 7 breakdown30 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee | $50K | $50K | |
| Your Training Expenses | $1K | $3K | |
| Premises deposits | $14K | $21K | |
| Leasehold Improvements, Construction and/or Remodeling | $20K | $50K | |
| Furniture and Fixtures | $110K | $115K | |
| Exterior & Interior Signage | $3K | $10K | |
| Equipment | $8K | $14K | |
| Computer Systems | $5K | $5K | |
| Initial Inventory to Begin Operating | $14K | $17K | |
| Supplies | $2K | $3K | |
| Professional Fees | $18K | $28K | |
| Grand Opening Advertising | $3K | $4K | |
| Business Licenses and Permits | $800 | $5K | |
| Insurance | $3K | $5K | |
| Additional Funds - 3 months | $33K | $48K | |
| Development Fee (Multi-Unit - 3 outlets) | $135K | $135K | |
| Your Training Expenses (Multi-Unit) | $1K | $3K | |
| Premises deposits (Multi-Unit) | $14K | $21K | |
| Leasehold Improvements, Construction and/or Remodeling (Multi-Unit) | $20K | $50K | |
| Furniture and Fixtures (Multi-Unit) | $110K | $115K | |
| Total initial investment | $653K | $840K |
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
- $284K – $378K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $33K – $48K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $50K – $50K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Royalty
- 7.0%
- percentage · typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 2.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 9.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 7.0% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 2.0% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $0 |
| Transfer fee | $25K |
| Renewal fee | $10K |
| Inventory (initial) | $14K – $17K |
| Total fee load | 9.0% of rev |
What do units actually make?
Source: FDD 2025 · Item 19
ROI & LBO modelsSingle-unit · 25-unit portfolio · editable
Cork and Candles 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 Cork and Candles 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: 2025 FDD
Financial Performance
FY ended June 30, 2025 total revenues of $48,930 comprised brand development fund $34,511, royalties $10,944, initial franchise fees $2,400, and other income $1,075. Prior period (July 13, 2023 to June 30, 2024) total revenues were $18,400, all initial franchise fees.
Company-owned outlets only - not franchisee performance
Based on a sample of only 2
- Item 19 type
- affiliate outlet financials
- Sample size
- 2
- vs category median 47 · small
- Range (low → high)
- $443K→$845K
- Cohort dispersion (min → max)
- Source filing
- FDD 2025
- The FDD edition these figures were read from
- Transparency
- 6 / 10
- vs category median 3 / 10 · above
Compared against 278 Retail brands
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 9.0% (near the Retail average).
Disclosure
Item 19 reports affiliate outlet financials rather than annual gross sales, so unit revenue is not directly comparable.
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 Retail averages
How Cork and Candles Compares
Is the system healthy?
Source: FDD 2025 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 4
- Opened
- 1
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 0
- Terminated
- 0
- Franchisor ended the franchise (per Item 20)
- Non-renewed
- 0
- Term expired, not renewed (per Item 20)
- Turnover rate
- 0.0%
- Company-owned
- 3
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 25%
- vs corporate-owned
3-year detail · Item 20
- Opened (3yr)
- 1
- Closed (3yr)
- 0
- Terminated (3yr)
- 0
- Non-renewed (3yr)
- 0
- Transfers (3yr)
- 0
- Reacquired (3yr)
- 0
- Franchisor bought back
- Projected new
- 2
- Franchisor's next-year forecast
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 12 · 1 state 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.
1
states with franchisees (per FDD Item 12)
SBA loan performance
Government records
SBA Loan Data
Aggregated from SBA 7(a) and 504 loan disclosures, public data unique to FranchiseVerdict.
No SBA loan data available for this brand.
What could kill this investment?
Source: SBA 7(a) FOIA · FDD Items 3, 21
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 4, 8, 16, 21
Risk & Legal
Cork and Candles presents HIGH RISK due to going concern warnings, stalled unit growth (4 units only), unverified financial claims, and marginal ROI economics that don't justify the investment scale or royalty burden.
Litigation (Item 3)
No litigation required to be disclosed in Item 3.
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Metwally CPA PLLC
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
- Franchisor sells you products: No
- 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 34 / 100 verdict
- 01HIGHGoing Concern status is FALSE — indicates material doubt about franchisor's ability to continue operations
- 02MINOROnly 4 units with unknown growth trajectory — suggests stalled or contracting system with minimal scale
- 03MINORHigh investment-to-net-income ratio — $283k-$378k investment yields only ~$190k net income (51-67% ROI over 10 years, ~5-6.7% annual)
- 04MINOR7% royalty on gross revenue is aggressive relative to candle/home décor industry norms (typically 4-6%)
- 05MINORMinimal franchise fee ($49,500) relative to total investment suggests franchisor relies heavily on royalties rather than sustainable unit growth
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
What are you signing up for?
Ongoing fees run about 9.0% of sales (royalty + ad fund), before rent and labor.
Source: FDD 2025 · 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 | 4 mi |
| Territory population | 100,000 |
| 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 | 20 mi |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| RoFR response window | 30 days |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 5 days |
| Curable defaultsℹ | 1 |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Arbitration location | Pennsylvania (at franchisor's headquarters) |
| Jury trial waiver | No |
| Governing law | PA |
| Litigation count | 0 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
No litigation required to be disclosed in Item 3.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 28 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 52 hrs
- Training location
- Philadelphia, PA Area (headquarters and/or affiliate-owned outlet)
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Field support
- 3 hrs/yr
- On-site visits per year
- Time to open
- 9 mo
- From signing to launch
- Site selection
- Franchisee selects, franchisor approves
- Franchisor financing
- Not offered
- Item 10
- POS system
- Toast POS (Toast Flex and Toast Handheld)
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: Toast POS (Toast Flex and Toast Handheld)
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Cork and Candles franchise?
The total investment to open a Cork and Candles franchise ranges from $284K – $378K, 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 Cork and Candles franchise owners earn?
Cork and Candles 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 Cork and Candles 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 Cork and Candles FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is Cork and Candles's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for Cork and Candles (fewer than 10 loans on file). Charge-off rates are one way to gauge franchise risk, but not all franchise loans go through the SBA program. We recommend reviewing turnover and closure data in the FDD and speaking with current franchisees.
How many Cork and Candles franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Cork and Candles has 4 total units in the United States, including 1 franchised units and 3 company-owned units. 1 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is Cork and Candles a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Cork and Candles as a D-grade franchise with a verdict score of 34 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
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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.