FilterShine USA, Inc. Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
- Investment
- $195K – $275K
- Disclosed sales
- not extracted
- SBA charge-off
- Not SBA-matched
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 on file does not yield a unit-revenue figure we can publish. FranchiseVerdict grade: B (Above average), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Run a live ROI scan →
Limited operating history: franchising since 2024. A system this young has fewer than three years of Item 20 outlet history and rarely enough SBA loans for a charge-off rate, so its grade rests on less evidence than an established system's. Read its Item 20 tables and talk to its first franchisees before relying on the grade. Other new franchisors
Sources, dates and evidence
FDD issued: 2023 filing · Data extracted: · Last cited check: · Staleness risk: high - figures are from a filing two or more years old
Evidence: partial✓ 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 scored4 of 5 headline figures on this page cite a page of the filing; the rest are marked “Not cited” beside the figure.
Overview
- Investment
- $195K – $275K
- 69th pct Cleaning & Ma…
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- Royalty
- 5.0%
- 8th pct Cleaning & Ma…
- Units
- 28
- 33rd pct Cleaning & Ma…
- SBA charge-off
- N/A
Quick verdict · Cleaning & Maintenance · color = vs category peers
Green = favorable by >10% vs Cleaning & Maintenance 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 $195K – $275K including a $50K franchise fee, 5.0% ongoing royalty.
- RETURNSNo Item 19 revenue figure is on file for this brand. We have not established what its FDD discloses.
- RISKVerdict B (Above average), verdict score 60/100 (higher is better).
- GROWTHPositive: net +12 franchised outlets in the latest year (12 opened, 0 closed) (Item 20).
- 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 39% above the typical cleaning & maintenance franchise.
Source: FDD 2023 · Items 5–7
The cited filing prints no Item 7 chart: Item 7 consists of explanatory notes only, and the $195,000 to $275,000 range is the filing's own stated total (cover page). No line-item breakdown is available from this document.
FDD Item 7 · 2023 filing
Initial investment breakdown
| Cost component | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $50K | $50K |
| Working capital (3–6 mo) | $80K | $80K |
| Equipment, build-out, other | $65K | $145K |
| Total initial investment | $195K | $275K |
Source: FilterShine USA, Inc. 2023 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
- $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%
- 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
No Item 19 revenue figure for FilterShine USA, Inc. is on file. 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 FilterShine USA, Inc. 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: 2023 FDD
Financial Performance
We have not established what this franchisor's Item 19 says. The FDD on file either has no locatable Item 19 or could not be read, so no figure is published here.
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 median of 8.3%.
Disclosure
No Item 19 revenue figure is on file, and we have not established what this brand's FDD discloses. Item 20 lists current and former franchisees, the usual source for unit economics.
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 medians
How FilterShine USA, Inc. Compares
Category median of published Cleaning & Maintenance 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 2023 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 28
- Opened
- 12
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 0
- Turnover rate
- N/A
- 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
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)
Subject: officers or affiliates. The franchisor is not a named party in these cases.
0 case reference(s): 0 pending, 0 settled.
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
No audited financials on file
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
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.
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 60 / 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 territory |
| 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?
No average owner earnings figure for FilterShine USA, Inc. is on file. Item 19 — where a franchisor may disclose what its outlets earn — is voluntary under the FTC Franchise Rule, and we have not established what this brand's FDD says. Item 20 of the FDD lists current and former franchisees; asking them directly is the standard way to fill this gap.
Who owns FilterShine USA, Inc.?
FilterShine USA, Inc. is franchised by FilterShine USA, Inc.. Source: FDD Item 1, 2023 filing.
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 B-grade franchise with a verdict score of 60 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.