Garbanzo Mediterranean Fresh Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
- Investment
- $512K – $805K
- Disclosed sales
- $978K
- gross sales, not profit
- SBA charge-off
- Under 10 loans (3)
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
Garbanzo Mediterranean Fresh is a fast-casual franchise serving made-to-order Mediterranean bowls, pitas, and fresh hummus and falafel. Franchisees run the restaurants, managing food prep, staffing, and counter service.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Garbanzo Mediterranean Fresh franchise requires a total initial investment of $512K – $805K, including a $35K franchise fee and an ongoing 6.0% royalty[2]. Per the 2025 FDD, average unit revenue was $978K[2]. 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: medium - issued 12 to 24 months ago; a newer filing is likely on file
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 scored6 of 7 headline figures on this page cite a page of the filing; the rest are marked “Not cited” beside the figure.
Overview
- Investment
- $512K – $805K
- 77th pct Service Resta…
- Avg gross sales
- $978K
- Net sales18th pct Service Resta…
- Royalty
- 6.0%
- 48th pct Service Resta…
- Units
- 26
- 53rd pct Service Resta…
- SBA charge-off
- N/A
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 $512K – $805K including a $35K franchise fee, 6.0% ongoing royalty.
- RETURNSAverage unit revenue of $978K/year.
- RISKVerdict B (Above average), verdict score 61/100 (higher is better).
- GROWTHNegative: net -2 franchised outlets in the latest year (3 opened, 5 closed); 2 signed but not yet open (Item 20).
- FLAGBankruptcy history disclosed in the FDD. Review Item 4 for details before proceeding.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- Garbanzo Franchising Co., LLC
- Parent company
- Restaurant Co., LLC dba WOWorks
- FDD Item 1, page 7 of the 2025 FDD
- Ultimate parent
- CLP Dining, LLC
- FDD Item 1, page 7 of the 2025 FDD
- Predecessor
- Garbanzo Mediterranean Grill Franchising, LLC
- Prior franchisor entity
- CEO title
- Chief Executive Officer and President
- Bryan Kelly Roddy
- Incorporated in
- DE
- HQ
- 3135 1st Avenue N., Suite 15459, St. Petersburg, FL 33733
- Auditor
- Hill, Barth & King LLC
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $32.1M
- vs $34.8M prior year
Same owner · FDD Item 1, page 7
4 other brands on this site name CLP Dining, LLC as parent or ultimate parent in their own FDD.
Grouped by the owner's name as each filing prints it (this page: the 2025 FDD). Spelling variants of the same group may be listed apart; a brand is never grouped with an owner its filing does not name.
Overview
About
- CEO
- Bryan Kelly Roddy
- Headquarters
- FL
- Founded
- 2020
- FDD year
- 2025
- States available
- 14
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 36% above 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 | $35K | $35K |
| Working capital (3–6 mo) | $15K | $35K |
| Equipment, build-out, other | $462K | $735K |
| Total initial investment | $512K | $805K |
Source: Garbanzo Mediterranean Fresh 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
- $512K – $805K
- Bottom third — review vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $15K – $35K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $35K – $35K
- Middle of category vs category
- Royalty
- 6.0%
- typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 3.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 9.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 6.0% of net sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 3.0% of net sales |
| Technology fee | $605 |
| Training fee | $400 |
| Transfer fee | $18K |
| Renewal fee | $18K |
| Inventory (initial) | $8K – $12K |
| Total fee load | 9.0% of rev |
What do units actually make?
Average unit sales land near the quick-service restaurants norm.
Reported as net sales, not gross sales
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 Garbanzo Mediterranean Fresh 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
$683K
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 Garbanzo Mediterranean Fresh 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
Reported as net sales, not gross sales
- Avg gross sales
- $978K
- Per unit, per year
Gross sales are revenue before expenses — not profit. Actual owner earnings depend on rent, labor, royalties, marketing fees, and debt service.
- Item 19 type
- net sales
- Sample size
- 15 outlets
- vs category median 19
- Range (low → high)
- $111K→$2.7MCited, not corroborated — printed on page 48 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 $978K/year in gross sales. Revenue-to-investment ratio: 1.5x.
Fee burden
Total ongoing fee load of 9.0% — above the Quick-Service Restaurants median of 7.5%.
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 expanding at 5.9% CAGR over 3 years across 26 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 Quick-Service Restaurants medians
How Garbanzo Mediterranean Fresh 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
- 26
- Opened
- 3
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 5
- Terminated
- 5
- Franchisor ended the franchise (per Item 20)
- Non-renewed
- 0
- Term expired, not renewed (per Item 20)
- Turnover rate
- 19.2%
- Company-owned
- 8
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 69%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (3-yr)
- +5.9%
- Net unit change over 3 years
- 3-yr CAGR
- +5.9%
- Compounded over last 3 years
Last fiscal year · Item 20 exits and transfers
- Terminated
- 5
- Not renewed
- 0
- Transferred
- 0
- Reacquired
- 0
- Franchisor bought back
- Signed, not yet open
- 2
- 0.08 per open outlet · Item 20 Table 5
- Projected new
- 3
- Franchisor's next-year forecast
- Termination rate
- 19.2%
- Franchisor-initiated terminations
- Ceased ops
- 26.9%
- Units that stopped operating
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 12 · 14 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.
14
states with franchisees (per FDD Item 12)
SBA loan performance
Government records
SBA Loan Data
Aggregated from SBA loan disclosures. This brand has only 3 7(a) loans on file; statistical reliability is limited below 10 loans.
- Total loans
- 3
- Loan volume
- $1.5M
- Median loan
- $602K
- 50th percentile
- Charge-off rate
- Under 10 loans (3)
- Insufficient SBA coverage: 3 loans, rate hidden below 10
Historical SBA 7(a) lending data, not predictive of future performance. How SBA charge-off rates are calculated
- Repayment rate (PIF)
- Under 10 loans (3)
- 5-yr charge-off
- Under 10 loans (3)
- Loans approved 2021+
- Active lenders
- 3
- Defaults
- N/A
Explore lender portfolios on Bank Reports or regional data on State Reports.
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
Contracting franchise system with undisclosed profitability, prior litigation, and high capital requirements presents material risk despite protected territories.
Litigation (Item 3)
Subject: officers or affiliates. The franchisor is not a named party in these cases.
No current litigation for Garbanzo Franchising Co., LLC. Predecessor had one arbitration/action (Topper/GARBOCA, LLC) settled with $50,000 + $30,000 payments.
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
Subject: the company or an affiliate. Disclosed (Item 4 covers the last 10 years)
Predecessor Garbanzo Mediterranean Grill Franchising, LLC filed Chapter 11 on August 12, 2020 in the Eastern District of Missouri (Case No. 20-43964-399). Current franchisor acquired predecessor's assets December 21, 2020. Case closed February 19, 2021.
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Hill, Barth & King LLC
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Item 21 financials are the consolidated statements of Restaurant Co., LLC dba WOWorks (the franchisor's sole member/parent), not Garbanzo Franchising Co., LLC standalone. FY ended Sept 29, 2024. Total revenue of $32,134,573 comprises franchise and royalty $10,220,907, food and beverage $12,382,154, support and marketing fees $9,447,996, and rental income from subleases $83,516. Member's equity is a deficit of $(924,730). Most recent year audited by Hill, Barth & King LLC; prior year (FY2023) audited by Zapken & Loeb LLP, who later merged with HBK.
ⓘ These are the parent company's consolidated financials (the parent guarantees the franchisor), not this brand's standalone results — the figure reflects the whole corporate group, not this brand alone.
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 61 / 100 verdict
- 01MEDUnit count declined 10% YoY (26 units), indicating system contraction and potential market saturation or operational challenges
- 02HIGHPrior litigation and arbitration with founder David Topper over development obligations and unit closures suggests franchisor-franchisee relationship strain
- 03MINORHigh initial investment ($511.5k-$805k) with 6% royalties creates significant break-even burden in a declining unit system
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 |
| Territory type | Protected territory |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | No |
| 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 | 10 mi |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| RoFR response window | 30 days |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 15 days |
| Termination groundsℹ | 24 |
| Curable defaultsℹ | 9 |
| Mandatory arbitration | No |
| Arbitration location | Pennsylvania (Montgomery County / Eastern District of PA) |
| Jury trial waiver | No |
| Governing law | PA |
| Litigation count | 0 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
No current litigation for Garbanzo Franchising Co., LLC. Predecessor had one arbitration/action (Topper/GARBOCA, LLC) settled with $50,000 + $30,000 payments.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 15 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 80 hrs
- Training location
- Denver, CO / Virtual
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Field support
- 80 hrs/yr
- On-site visits per year
- Time to open
- 12 mo
- From signing to launch
- Site selection
- Franchisee with franchisor approval
- Franchisor financing
- Not offered
- Item 10
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
20 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 Garbanzo Mediterranean Fresh franchise?
The total investment to open a Garbanzo Mediterranean Fresh franchise ranges from $512K – $805K, 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 Garbanzo Mediterranean Fresh franchise owners earn?
According to Item 19 of the Garbanzo Mediterranean Fresh FDD, the average gross sales per unit is $978K. Important context: Reported as net sales, not gross sales. Note: this is gross revenue, not profit. Actual owner earnings vary based on location, operating costs, and management.
Who owns Garbanzo Mediterranean Fresh?
Garbanzo Mediterranean Fresh is franchised by Garbanzo Franchising Co., LLC. Its parent company is Restaurant Co., LLC dba WOWorks. The ultimate parent named in the FDD is CLP Dining, LLC. Source: FDD Item 1, 2025 filing.
What is Item 19 in the Garbanzo Mediterranean Fresh 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 Garbanzo Mediterranean Fresh FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is Garbanzo Mediterranean Fresh's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for Garbanzo Mediterranean Fresh (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 Garbanzo Mediterranean Fresh franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Garbanzo Mediterranean Fresh has 26 total units in the United States, including 18 franchised units and 8 company-owned units. 3 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is Garbanzo Mediterranean Fresh a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Garbanzo Mediterranean Fresh as a B-grade franchise with a verdict score of 61 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.