FilterShine USA, Inc. Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
FilterShine is a commercial kitchen services franchise that cleans and services restaurant exhaust hood and kitchen filters. Franchisees run route-based operations, managing service technicians and recurring restaurant accounts.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A FilterShine USA, Inc. franchise requires a total initial investment of $195K – $275K, including a $50K franchise fee and an ongoing 5.0% royalty[2]. The 2023 FDD does not disclose unit-level revenue (no Item 19). FranchiseVerdict grade: C (Average), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified · figures per the 2023 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $195K – $275K
- 70th pct Cleaning & Ma…
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- Royalty
- 5.0%
- 5th pct Cleaning & Ma…
- Units
- 28
- 34th pct Cleaning & Ma…
- SBA charge-off
- N/A
Quick verdict · Cleaning & Maintenance · color = vs category peers
Green = favorable by >10% vs Cleaning & Maintenance 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 $195K – $275K including a $50K franchise fee, 5.0% ongoing royalty.
- RETURNSInaugural year franchisor; no audited financial statements available. Item 21 states audited statements to be prepared no later than calendar year 2025, with unaudited statements beginning 2024.
- RISKVerdict C (Average), verdict score 45/100 (higher is better).
- GROWTHSystem growing at 133.3% CAGR over 3 years with 28 total units. Strong expansion trajectory.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- FilterShine USA, Inc.
- Predecessor
- FilterShine USA, LLC.
- Prior franchisor entity
- CEO title
- Co-President
- Jason Wellman
- Incorporated in
- DE
- HQ
- 1501 Commerce Drive, Elgin, Illinois 60123
Affiliated brands
- and of our predecessor is P
Other brands the franchisor or its parent operates (Item 1).
Overview
About
- CEO
- Jason Wellman
- Headquarters
- IL
- Founded
- 2023
- FDD year
- 2023
- States available
- 0
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 25% below the typical cleaning & maintenance franchise.
Source: FDD 2023 · Items 5–7
Full Item 7 breakdown11 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Feenot refundable | $50K | $50K | |
| Real Estate/Storage Unit | $18K | $60K | |
| Utility Deposits | — | — | |
| Office Equipment/Supplies | — | — | |
| Service Tools, Equipment and Operational Cost (AEE) | $150K | $225K | |
| Computer & Software | — | — | |
| Webpage Creationnot refundable | — | — | |
| Training | — | — | |
| Vehicle | — | — | |
| Signage | — | — | |
| Insurance | — | — | |
| Total initial investment | $218K | $335K |
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
- $195K – $275K
- Bottom third — review vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $80K – $80K
- Bottom third — review vs category
- Franchise fee
- $50K – $50K
- Middle of category vs category
- Royalty
- 5.0%
- percentage · typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 1.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 6.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 5.0% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 1.0% of gross sales |
| Transfer fee | $15K |
| Renewal fee | $0 |
| Total fee load | 6.0% of rev |
ROI & LBO modelsSingle-unit · 25-unit portfolio · editable
FilterShine USA, Inc. 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 FilterShine USA, Inc. unit return on the cash you put in?
Unlevered ROIC · per unit
Estimated return on your total franchise investment, before any debt financing.
31%
Within 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: 2023 FDD
Financial Performance
Inaugural year franchisor; no audited financial statements available. Item 21 states audited statements to be prepared no later than calendar year 2025, with unaudited statements beginning 2024.
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 6.0% — below the Cleaning & Maintenance average of 9.7%.
Disclosure
Franchisor chose not to disclose financial performance representations. You will need to gather unit economics directly from existing franchisees.
Operator retention
System expanding at 133.3% CAGR over 3 years across 28 units — operators are staying and new ones are joining.
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 Cleaning & Maintenance averages
How FilterShine USA, Inc. Compares
Is the system healthy?
Source: FDD 2023 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 28
- Opened
- 12
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 0
- Turnover rate
- 0.0%
- Company-owned
- 0
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 100%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (3-yr)
- +133.3%
- Net unit change over 3 years
- 3-yr CAGR
- +133.3%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Opened (3yr)
- 12
- Closed (3yr)
- 0
- Terminated (3yr)
- 0
- Non-renewed (3yr)
- 0
- Transfers (3yr)
- 0
- Reacquired (3yr)
- 0
- Franchisor bought back
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Fast growth in a small system. Newer franchisors expanding quickly may not yet have the support infrastructure of larger systems.
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
Going concern status combined with undisclosed financials and small system size presents significant profitability and corporate stability risks that cannot be adequately mitigated.
Litigation (Item 3)
0 case reference(s): 0 pending, 0 settled.
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
No audited financials on file
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
- Franchisor sells you products: Yes
- Kickbacks from required suppliers: Yes
- Must buy proprietary products: Yes
- Restricted to system-approved products: Yes
- Can negotiate own supplier terms: No
Score breakdown · what drove the 45 / 100 verdict
- 01HIGHGoing Concern designation indicates material financial instability at corporate level
- 02MEDNo disclosed average revenue or net income (Item 19 missing) — impossible to assess profitability
- 03MINORFranchise fee ($50K) plus investment ($195K-$275K) is substantial relative to unknown returns
- 04MINORSmall unit base (28 units) limits system stability and support infrastructure
- 05MINOR33.3% YoY growth is positive but could mask recent contraction or be inflated by low baseline
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
What are you signing up for?
Ongoing fees run about 6.0% of sales (royalty + ad fund), before rent and labor.
Source: FDD 2023 · Items 11, 12, 17
FDD Items 12, 15, 17 · continued from Risk & Legal
Contract & Territory Detail
| Initial term | 5 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 5 years |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 4 |
| Territory type | exclusive |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | Yes |
| Online sales rightsℹ | Restricted |
| Franchisor can compete | No |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Required |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 3 years |
| Non-compete (miles)ℹ | 50 mi |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| RoFR response window | 30 days |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 180 days |
| Termination groundsℹ | 1 |
| Curable defaultsℹ | 1 |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Arbitration location | Delaware, New Castle County |
| Jury trial waiver | No |
| Governing law | DE |
| Litigation count | 0 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
0 case reference(s): 0 pending, 0 settled.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 59 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 32 hrs
- Training location
- Ohio, Pennsylvania, or other location of franchisor's choosing
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Time to open
- 4 mo
- From signing to launch
- Site selection
- Franchisee with franchisor approval
- Franchisor financing
- Offered
- Item 10
- POS system
- QuickBooks
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: QuickBooks
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a FilterShine USA, Inc. franchise?
The total investment to open a FilterShine USA, Inc. franchise ranges from $195K – $275K, 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 FilterShine USA, Inc. franchise owners earn?
FilterShine USA, Inc. 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 FilterShine USA, Inc. 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 FilterShine USA, Inc. FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is FilterShine USA, Inc.'s franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for FilterShine USA, Inc. (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 FilterShine USA, Inc. franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, FilterShine USA, Inc. has 28 total units in the United States, including 28 franchised units and 0 company-owned units. 12 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is FilterShine USA, Inc. a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates FilterShine USA, Inc. as a C-grade franchise with a verdict score of 45 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 FilterShine USA, Inc., 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.