Deli Delicious Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
- Investment
- $227K – $474K
- Disclosed sales
- $549K
- gross sales, not profit
- SBA charge-off
- 18.8%
- on 21 loans
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
Deli Delicious is a quick-service franchise serving made-to-order deli sandwiches, wraps, and salads. Franchisees run the shops, managing food prep, staffing, and counter service.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Deli Delicious franchise requires a total initial investment of $227K – $474K, including a $25K – $30K franchise fee and an ongoing 6.0% royalty[2]. Per the 2025 FDD, average unit revenue was $549K[2]. SBA 7(a) loans show a 18.8% charge-off rate across 21 loans[1]. FranchiseVerdict grade: D (Below average), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Run a live ROI scan →
Sources, dates and evidence
FDD issued: 2025 filing · Data extracted: · Last cited check: · Staleness risk: medium - a newer filing may exist
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 scored7 of 8 headline figures on this page cite a page of the filing; the rest are marked “Not cited” beside the figure.
Overview
- Investment
- $227K – $474K
- 31st pct Service Resta…
- Avg gross sales
- $549K
- 5th pct Service Resta…
- Royalty
- 6.0%
- 48th pct Service Resta…
- Units
- 42
- 63rd pct Service Resta…
- SBA charge-off
- 18.8%
- % 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 $227K – $474K including a $25K franchise fee, 6.0% ongoing royalty.
- RETURNSAverage unit revenue of $549K/year (median $551K).
- RISKVerdict D (Below average), verdict score 31/100 (higher is better). SBA loan charge-off rate of 18.8% across 21 loans (above the 16% franchise average, based on all SBA 7(a) franchise lending, 2010–2025).
- GROWTHNegative: net -2 franchised outlets in the latest year (2 opened, 5 closed) (Item 20).
- DECLINESystem contracting at -13.7% 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
- Deli Delicious Franchising, Inc.
- Predecessor
- Deli Delicious (sole proprietorship, Mohammad Hobab, est. 1996)
- Prior franchisor entity
- CEO title
- President, Secretary and Director
- Hesam Hobab
- Incorporated in
- CA
- HQ
- 2495 West Shaw Ave., Fresno, California 93711
- Auditor
- Kawana & Gong, LLP
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $1.9M
- vs $2.0M prior year
Overview
About
- CEO
- Hesam Hobab
- Headquarters
- CA
- Founded
- 2008
- FDD year
- 2025
- States available
- 2
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 28% below the typical quick-service restaurants franchise.
Source: FDD 2025 · Items 5–7
FDD Item 7 · 2025 filing
Initial investment breakdown
| Cost component | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $25K | $25K |
| Working capital (3–6 mo) | $21K | $42K |
| Equipment, build-out, other | $181K | $407K |
| Total initial investment | $227K | $474K |
Source: Deli Delicious 2025 FDD, Items 5 and 7[2]. “Equipment, build-out, other” is computed as total minus disclosed line items above.
Item 7 · what it costs to open + operate
The Vitals
- Total investment
- $227K – $474K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $21K – $42K
- Middle of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $25K – $30K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Royalty
- 6.0%
- typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 2.5%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 8.5%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 6.0% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 2.5% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $300 |
| Transfer fee | $8K |
| Renewal fee | $15K |
| Inventory (initial) | $3K – $6K |
| Total fee load | 8.5% of rev |
What do units actually make?
Average unit sales run 44% below the quick-service restaurants norm.
Source: FDD 2025 · Item 19
Single-unit · not modelled
Returns at a glance
An FDD discloses gross sales, not profit, and the operating costs that turn one into the other are in no filing. We publish no modelled return for Deli Delicious until someone supplies them — yours, in the models below.
—
Not modelled yet
An FDD discloses gross sales, not profit. We hold no sourced figure for 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.
Total invested capital · disclosed
$382K
Item 7 initial investment plus working capital, as filed — the one figure here that needs no assumption.
ROI & LBO modelsSingle-unit · 25-unit portfolio · editable
What one unit earns on your invested capital
Model A · Single-Unit Return
Computes unlevered return on invested capital (ROIC) for a single franchise unit, read against the 30–60% reference band · Yale SOM, Post-MBA Path Exhibit 2 (2023). Below that band a passive index fund likely outperforms; above it the franchisor has pricing power you're subsidizing.
Note: Item 19 revenue is what the franchisor discloses, and it is the top line only — gross sales are not profit. No FDD discloses the operating costs that turn one into the other, so those fields start empty and nothing is modelled until you supply them from your own lease quote, labor market and build-out budget.
Returns model · single-unit ROIC
What would one Deli Delicious 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 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.
What 25 units return when you use SBA financing
Model B · Return on Equity: Debt-Financed Acquisition
Models a 25-unit portfolio acquisition financed with an SBA 7(a) loan. Shows equity IRR (your return on cash invested), DSCR (how safely the cash flow covers debt service), and the capital stack (SBA + seller + equity breakdown).
This is the “search fund” or “entrepreneurship through acquisition” scenario: you buy an existing multi-unit operator, use leverage to amplify returns, and either operate or hire management. The 25-unit size is the typical minimum for an SBA-backed franchise portfolio acquisition to pencil as a full-time income.
What “return on equity” means here: if you put in $500K of your own cash and the business generates enough EBITDA to pay down debt and grow, your equity IRR is the annual return on that $500K, including the value created when you eventually sell. Target IRR for a search fund is typically 25–35%.
Not modelled yet
An FDD discloses gross sales, not profit. We hold no sourced figure for 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.
A 25-unit return is built on a per-unit EBITDA. Fill in the operating costs in Model A above and this model runs on that figure, or take the whole scenario to the full ROI workbench, where the portfolio and LBO models accept your own per-unit economics directly.
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
- Avg gross sales
- $549K
- Per unit, per year
- Median gross sales
- $551K
Gross sales are revenue before expenses — not profit. Actual owner earnings depend on rent, labor, royalties, marketing fees, and debt service.
- Sample size
- 42 outlets
- vs category median 19 · large
- Range (low → high)
- $298K→$891KCited, not corroborated — printed on page 56 of the 2025 FDD. Nothing else in our record independently restates or re-derives it.
- Cohort dispersion (min → max)
- Reporting year
- 2024
- Fiscal year the figures cover
- Source filing
- FDD 2025
- Disclosed in the 2025 filing, covering 2024
- Transparency
- 4 / 10
- vs category median 4 / 10 · typical
Compared against 781 Quick-Service Restaurants brands
Operator outlook
What the numbers say
Data-driven interpretation of this brand's financial disclosures, fee structure, and system trajectory.
Unit economics
Average unit generates $549K/year in gross sales. Revenue-to-investment ratio: 1.6x.
Fee burden
Total ongoing fee load of 8.5% (near the Quick-Service Restaurants median).
Disclosure
Transparency score 4/10 — this franchisor discloses detailed breakdowns (quartiles, segments, or cohort data). Buyers can model unit economics with higher confidence.
Operator retention
System contracting at -13.7% CAGR over 3 years. Investigate whether closures are franchisor-driven consolidation or franchisee exits.
Multi-unit rate
Only 20% of franchisees own multiple units. Could indicate challenging economics or a young system where operators haven't had time to expand.
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 Deli Delicious 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 2025 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 42
- Opened
- 2
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 5
- Terminated
- 1
- Franchisor ended the franchise (per Item 20)
- Non-renewed
- 1
- Term expired, not renewed (per Item 20)
- Turnover rate
- 29.5%
- Company-owned
- 0
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 100%
- vs corporate-owned
- Multi-unit owners
- 20.0%
- Net growth (3-yr)
- -13.7%
- Net unit change over 3 years
- 3-yr CAGR
- -13.7%
- Compounded over last 3 years
Last fiscal year · Item 20 exits and transfers
- Terminated
- 1
- Not renewed
- 1
- Transferred
- 0
- Reacquired
- 0
- Franchisor bought back
- Signed, not yet open
- 0
- 0.00 per open outlet · Item 20 Table 5
- Projected new
- 0
- Franchisor's next-year forecast
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 12 · 2 states 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.
2
states with franchisees (per FDD Item 12)
Where the owners are · Item 20 owner list
33 current owners across 1 state.
- CA 33
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
- 21
- Loan volume
- $6.5M
- Median loan
- $228K
- 50th percentile
- Charge-off rate
- 18.8%
- on 21 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)
- 81.3%
- 5-yr charge-off
- N/A
- Loans approved 2021+
- Active lenders
- 9
- Defaults
- 3
- Typical loan rate
- 6.5%
- avg rate to borrowers
- Franchised industry avg
- 10.8%
- brand above franchise avg ↑
- Jobs supported
- 325
- 5.0 per loan
- Lender concentration
- 33%
- top lender's share
Borrower mix: 33% went to startups / new businesses, 67% 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.
Vintage analysis
Deli Delicious charge-off rate by loan vintage
Top lenders financing Deli Delicious franchisees
Showing 3 of 9 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 Deli Delicious from SBA 7(a) FOIA data.
- Principal loss rate
- 2.0%
- Avg SBA guarantee
- 77%
- Avg interest rate
- 6.45%
- Avg chargeoff amount
- $43K
- Lender concentration
- 33.3%
- Job velocity
- 5.0 per $100K
- NAICS benchmark
- 8.7%
- NAICS 722513
- Jobs supported
- 325
Top SBA lendersTop lender holds 33% of loans
| # | Lender | Loans | Volume | Default % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | UMB Bank, National Association | 7 | $1.4M | 33.3% |
| 2 | Community West Bank | 6 | $1.3M | 0.0% |
| 3 | JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association | 2 | $463K | 0.0% |
| 4 | FFB Bank | 1 | $290K | 100.0% |
| 5 | Citizens Business Bank National Association | 1 | $270K | 0.0% |
| 6 | Citizens Bank | 1 | $508K | 0.0% |
| 7 | CalPrivate Bank | 1 | $225K | N/A |
| 8 | Port 51 Lending LLC | 1 | $1.7M | N/A |
| 9 | Newtek Small Business Finance, Inc. | 1 | $400K | 0.0% |
Geographic failure vector
| State | Loans | Defaults | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| CACalifornia | 21 | 3 | 18.8% |
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 18.8% — 17% above the 16.0% national norm, i.e. higher 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
Deli Delicious presents meaningful investment risk due to shrinking unit base, undisclosed profitability data, recent litigation, and franchisor financial concerns despite moderate average unit volumes.
Litigation (Item 3)
Subject: the franchisor is a named party (defendant).
Six cases disclosed: (1) Tim Campbell v. DDF et al. (defamation, interference; pending trial Sept 2022); (2) DDF v. Namdarian/Akoo (bread vendor compliance; settled Feb 2022); (3) DDF v. Misaghi (bread/signage compliance; cross-complaint pending arbitration); (4) Sanches v. DDF (false advertising; trial Feb 2023); (5) DDF v. Hadi Hobab (defamation; dismissed 2021); (6) DDF v. Kharazi et al. (breach of fiduciary duty by former attorneys; pending).
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Kawana & Gong, LLP
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
FY2021 audited (year ended Dec 31, 2021): Franchise royalties $1,434,088 + Advertising income $541,633 = total sales $1,975,721. Audited by Kawana & Gong, LLP (Exhibit 9). Stockholder's equity is a deficit of -$307,208.
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 31 / 100 verdict
- 01MINORUnit count declining 4.5% YoY indicates system contraction and potential franchisee dissatisfaction
- 02MEDNet income not disclosed in Item 19 prevents accurate ROI assessment despite $548,705 average revenue
- 03HIGHTwo litigation cases (one settled for $60,000) suggest operational or compliance issues within the system
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
What are you signing up for?
Ongoing fees run about 8.5% 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 | 15 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 15 years |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 1 |
| Territory type | Protected territory |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | No |
| Territory radius | 2 mi |
| Online sales rightsℹ | Restricted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Required |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 5 years |
| Non-compete (miles)ℹ | 25 mi |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Curable defaultsℹ | 3 |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Arbitration location | Fresno County, California |
| Jury trial waiver | No |
| Governing law | CA |
| Litigation count | 6 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
Six cases disclosed: (1) Tim Campbell v. DDF et al. (defamation, interference; pending trial Sept 2022); (2) DDF v. Namdarian/Akoo (bread vendor compliance; settled Feb 2022); (3) DDF v. Misaghi (bread/signage compliance; cross-complaint pending arbitration); (4) Sanches v. DDF (false advertising; trial Feb 2023); (5) DDF v. Hadi Hobab (defamation; dismissed 2021); (6) DDF v. Kharazi et al. (breach of fiduciary duty by former attorneys; pending).
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 43 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 90 hrs
- Training location
- Corporate headquarters, Fresno, California
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Field support
- 5 hrs/yr
- On-site visits per year
- Site selection
- Franchisor must approve site; franchisee selects with approval
- Franchisor financing
- Not offered
- Item 10
- POS system
- Approved POS system (specifications provided by franchisor)
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: Approved POS system (specifications provided by franchisor)
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
33 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 Deli Delicious franchise?
The total investment to open a Deli Delicious franchise ranges from $227K – $474K, with an initial franchise fee of $25K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do Deli Delicious franchise owners earn?
According to Item 19 of the Deli Delicious FDD, the average gross sales per unit is $549K. The median is $551K. Note: this is gross revenue, not profit. Actual owner earnings vary based on location, operating costs, and management.
Who owns Deli Delicious?
Deli Delicious is franchised by Deli Delicious Franchising, Inc.. Source: FDD Item 1, 2025 filing.
What is Item 19 in the Deli Delicious 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 Deli Delicious FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is Deli Delicious's franchise failure rate?
Based on SBA 7(a) loan data, Deli Delicious has a charge-off rate of 18.8% across 21 loans, meaning 18.8% 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 Deli Delicious franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Deli Delicious has 42 total units in the United States, including 42 franchised units and 0 company-owned units. 2 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is Deli Delicious a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Deli Delicious as a D-grade franchise with a verdict score of 31 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.