Gloria Jean’s Coffees Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
- Investment
- $328K – $431K
- Disclosed sales
- not disclosed
- SBA charge-off
- Under 10 loans (6)
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
Gloria Jean's Coffees is a specialty coffee franchise serving espresso drinks, flavored coffees, and pastries. Franchisees run the cafes, managing baristas, inventory, and counter service, often in malls and high-traffic spots.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Gloria Jean’s Coffees franchise requires a total initial investment of $328K – $431K, including a $30K franchise fee and an ongoing 6.0% royalty[2]. This franchisor makes no financial performance representation in Item 19 of its FDD. Item 19 is voluntary under the FTC Franchise Rule, and this filing states that it makes none, so no revenue or earnings figures are disclosed. Declining to publish one is lawful and is not evidence of how the outlets perform. It does mean that less about this brand can be verified from its filing, and the FranchiseVerdict grade - an editorial assessment, not investment advice - reflects that. FranchiseVerdict grade: D (Below 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 scored5 of 5 headline figures on this page cite a page of the filing.
Overview
- Investment
- $328K – $431K
- 53rd pct Service Resta…
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- Royalty
- 6.0%
- 48th pct Service Resta…
- Units
- 37
- 60th 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 $328K – $431K including a $30K franchise fee, 6.0% ongoing royalty.
- RETURNSThis franchisor makes no financial performance representation in Item 19 of its FDD. Item 19 is voluntary under the FTC Franchise Rule, and this filing states that it makes none, so no revenue or earnings figures are disclosed. Declining to publish one is lawful and is not evidence of how the outlets perform. It does mean that less about this brand can be verified from its filing, and the FranchiseVerdict grade - an editorial assessment, not investment advice - reflects that.
- RISKVerdict D (Below average), verdict score 36/100 (higher is better).
- GROWTHNegative: net -3 franchised outlets in the latest year (1 opened, 4 closed); 4 signed but not yet open (Item 20).
- FLAGAuditor disclosed a going-concern note, which flagged doubt about the franchisor's ability to continue operations. Verify against the latest FDD.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- Gloria Jean's Gourmet Coffees Franchising Corp.
- Parent company
- Retail Food Group USA, Inc.
- FDD Item 1, page 8 of the 2025 FDD
- Ultimate parent
- Retail Food Group Limited
- FDD Item 1, page 8 of the 2025 FDD
- Predecessor
- but we have a number of affiliates that have offered franchises or that
- Prior franchisor entity
- CEO title
- Chief Executive Officer of RFG Ltd
- Matthew Marshall
- Incorporated in
- IL
- HQ
- 2155 W Belmont Ave. #1028, Chicago, IL 60618
- Auditor
- Porte Brown LLC
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $2.0M
- vs $2.8M prior year
- Management churn noted
- Frequent turnover
- Item 2 disclosed frequent executive changes
- ⚠ Going-concern note
- Disclosed in FDD 2025
- Auditor flagged doubt about continued operations. Verify against the latest FDD before deciding.
Independent franchisee associations
- Franchise Advisory Council (FAC)
Franchisee-led councils or alliances disclosed in Item 20. Indicates operator voice.
Overview
About
- CEO
- Matthew Marshall
- Headquarters
- IL
- Founded
- 1986
- FDD year
- 2025
- States available
- 13
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 22% below the typical quick-service restaurants franchise.
Source: FDD 2025 · Items 5–7
Full Item 7 breakdown13 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee | $30K | $30K | |
| Real Estate (Rent and Security Deposit) - Small Store | $7K | $12K | |
| Leasehold Improvements - Small Store | $140K | $174K | |
| Equipment, Furniture and Fixtures - Small Store | $82K | $105K | |
| Signage - Small Store | $8K | $10K | |
| Professional Design Fees - Small Store | $6K | $10K | |
| Point of Sale System - Small Store | $5K | $23K | |
| Initial Coffee Inventory - Small Store | $4K | $7K | |
| Other Initial Inventory and Supplies - Small Store | $5K | $6K | |
| Grand Opening Fee - Small Store | $10K | $10K | |
| Training Expenses - Small Store | $4K | $8K | |
| Miscellaneous Opening Costs - Small Store | $8K | $11K | |
| Additional Funds - 3 months - Small Store | $20K | $26K | |
| Total initial investment | $328K | $431K |
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
- $328K – $431K
- Middle of category vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $20K – $26K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $30K – $30K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Royalty
- 6.0%
- typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 2.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 8.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 6.0% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 2.0% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $150 |
| Transfer fee | $5K |
| Renewal fee | $15K |
| Inventory (initial) | $4K – $7K |
| Total fee load | 8.0% of rev |
ROI & LBO modelsSingle-unit · 25-unit portfolio · editable
Gloria Jean’s Coffees makes no financial performance representation in Item 19 of its FDD - a voluntary item under the FTC Franchise Rule - so no unit revenue figures are disclosed. 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 Gloria Jean’s Coffees 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: 2025 FDD
Financial Performance
No financial performance representation
This franchisor makes no financial performance representation in Item 19 of its FDD. Item 19 is voluntary under the FTC Franchise Rule, and this filing states that it makes none, so no revenue or earnings figures are disclosed. Declining to publish one is lawful and is not evidence of how the outlets perform. It does mean that less about this brand can be verified from its filing, and the FranchiseVerdict grade - an editorial assessment, not investment advice - reflects that.
Item 20 of the FDD lists current and former franchisees; asking them directly is the standard way to fill this gap.
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 8.0% (near the Quick-Service Restaurants median).
Disclosure
This franchisor makes no financial performance representation in Item 19 of its FDD. Item 19 is voluntary under the FTC Franchise Rule, and this filing states that it makes none, so no revenue or earnings figures are disclosed. Declining to publish one is lawful and is not evidence of how the outlets perform. It does mean that less about this brand can be verified from its filing, and the FranchiseVerdict grade - an editorial assessment, not investment advice - reflects that. Item 20 of the FDD lists current and former franchisees; asking them directly is the standard way to fill this gap.
Operator retention
System contracting at -21.3% CAGR over 3 years. Investigate whether closures are franchisor-driven consolidation or franchisee exits.
Multi-unit rate
Only 25% 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 Gloria Jean’s Coffees 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
- 37
- Opened
- 1
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 4
- Terminated
- 3
- Franchisor ended the franchise (per Item 20)
- Non-renewed
- 0
- Term expired, not renewed (per Item 20)
- Turnover rate
- 10.8%
- Company-owned
- 0
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 100%
- vs corporate-owned
- Multi-unit owners
- 25.0%
- Net growth (3-yr)
- -21.3%
- Net unit change over 3 years
- 3-yr CAGR
- -21.3%
- Compounded over last 3 years
Last fiscal year · Item 20 exits and transfers
- Terminated
- 3
- Not renewed
- 0
- Transferred
- 1
- Reacquired
- 0
- Franchisor bought back
- Signed, not yet open
- 4
- 0.11 per open outlet · Item 20 Table 5
- Projected new
- 4
- Franchisor's next-year forecast
- Termination rate
- 22.5%
- Franchisor-initiated terminations
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 13 states with active franchisees
The Territory Map
Derived from franchisee contact records. Shows states with at least one current operator. Not where the franchisor is registered to sell new units (that data is re-extracting in a future refresh).
States derived from franchisee contact records (FDD Item 20). Shows states with at least one current operator on file. Full state registration data (Item 12) will appear on a future FDD refresh.
Where the owners are · Item 20 owner list
38 current owners across 13 states; 5 former (terminated, transferred or not renewed) listed separately.
- IL 14
- TX 4
- WI 4
- NY 3
- PA 3
- NC 2
- NJ 2
- CA 1
- FL 1
- ME 1
- MO 1
- ND 1
- +1 more states
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 loan disclosures. This brand has only 6 7(a) loans on file; statistical reliability is limited below 10 loans.
- Total loans
- 6
- Loan volume
- $2.1M
- Median loan
- $350K
- 50th percentile
- Charge-off rate
- Under 10 loans (6)
- Insufficient SBA coverage: 6 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 (6)
- 5-yr charge-off
- Under 10 loans (6)
- Loans approved 2021+
- Active lenders
- 4
- Defaults
- N/A
Explore lender portfolios on Bank Reports or regional data on State Reports.
What could kill this investment?
The auditor flagged going-concern doubt (Item 21) — the single biggest risk here.
Source: SBA 7(a) FOIA · FDD Items 3, 21
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 4, 8, 16, 21
Risk & Legal
Litigation (Item 3)
Subject: the franchisor is a named party (defendant).
1) ACCC v. Retail Food Group Limited et al (Australia, settled Dec 2022, no admission, RFG paid ~AUD 8M to franchisees and AUD 500K costs). 2) Devi Trimuryani v. Retail Food Group Limited et al (Australia, class action by Michel's Patisserie franchisees, settled May 2024, no payment by respondents).
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Porte Brown LLC⚠ Going-concern note flagged
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Item 21 references audited consolidated financial statements of affiliate Retail Food Group USA, Inc. (RFG USA) and subsidiaries as of June 28, 2024, June 30, 2023, July 1, 2022, plus unaudited consolidated balance sheet as of April 25, 2025. Franchisor's own statements are not included; RFG USA guarantees performance. The actual statement figures (Exhibit 11) are not present in the provided text.
ⓘ 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 36 / 100 verdict
- 01MINORUnit count declining 7.5% YoY (37 units) indicates contracting franchise system with potential viability concerns
- 02HIGHTwo concluded litigation cases against parent RFG Ltd regarding unconscionable behavior and forced franchise model changes signal franchisor-franchisee relationship deterioration and potential systemic issues
- 03MED6% royalty on undisclosed gross sales creates opacity around true profitability and cash flow obligations
- 04HIGHGoing concern status suggests financial stress at corporate level, raising questions about franchisor support and system stability
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
What are you signing up for?
Ongoing fees run about 8.0% 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 territory |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | No |
| Online sales rightsℹ | Restricted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Not allowed |
| Owner-operator | Required |
| 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 | 30 days |
| Curable defaultsℹ | 5 |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Arbitration location | Illinois (county where Franchisor has principal place of business) |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | IL |
| Litigation count | 2 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
1) ACCC v. Retail Food Group Limited et al (Australia, settled Dec 2022, no admission, RFG paid ~AUD 8M to franchisees and AUD 500K costs). 2) Devi Trimuryani v. Retail Food Group Limited et al (Australia, class action by Michel's Patisserie franchisees, settled May 2024, no payment by respondents).
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 40 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 50 hrs
- Training location
- Chicago, IL area or online, or at a designated GJC Store
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Time to open
- 2 mo
- From signing to launch
- Site selection
- Franchisee proposes; Franchisor approves
- Franchisor financing
- Not offered
- Item 10
- POS system
- TASK POS System (Task Retail Technology LLC)
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: TASK POS System (Task Retail Technology LLC)
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
43 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 Gloria Jean’s Coffees franchise?
The total investment to open a Gloria Jean’s Coffees franchise ranges from $328K – $431K, with an initial franchise fee of $30K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do Gloria Jean’s Coffees franchise owners earn?
Gloria Jean’s Coffees makes no financial performance representation in Item 19 of its FDD - a voluntary item under the FTC Franchise Rule - so no unit revenue figures are disclosed. Declining to publish one is lawful and is not evidence of how the outlets perform. It does mean that less about this brand can be verified from its filing, and the FranchiseVerdict grade - an editorial assessment, not investment advice - reflects that. Item 20 of the FDD lists current and former franchisees; asking them directly is the standard way to fill this gap.
Who owns Gloria Jean’s Coffees?
Gloria Jean’s Coffees is franchised by Gloria Jean's Gourmet Coffees Franchising Corp.. Its parent company is Retail Food Group USA, Inc.. The ultimate parent named in the FDD is Retail Food Group Limited. Source: FDD Item 1, 2025 filing.
What is Item 19 in the Gloria Jean’s Coffees 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 Gloria Jean’s Coffees FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is Gloria Jean’s Coffees's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for Gloria Jean’s Coffees (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 Gloria Jean’s Coffees franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Gloria Jean’s Coffees has 37 total units in the United States, including 37 franchised units and 0 company-owned units. 1 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is Gloria Jean’s Coffees a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Gloria Jean’s Coffees as a D-grade franchise with a verdict score of 36 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.