Huckleberry’s Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
Huckleberry's, from Heritage Restaurant Brands, is a full-service franchise serving breakfast, brunch, and lunch. Franchisees run the restaurants, managing the kitchen, table service, and staffing.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Huckleberry’s franchise requires a total initial investment of $482K – $1.6M, including a $35K franchise fee and an ongoing 6.0% royalty[2]. The 2024 FDD does not disclose unit-level revenue (no Item 19). SBA 7(a) loans show a 0.0% charge-off rate across 12 loans[1]. FranchiseVerdict grade: A (Strongest tier), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified · figures per the 2024 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $482K – $1.6M
- 23rd pct Service Resta…
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- Incl. company outlets
- Royalty
- 6.0%
- 24th pct Service Resta…
- Units
- 35
- 25th pct Service Resta…
- SBA charge-off
- 0.0%
- % of SBA 7(a) loans not repaid · median varies by category
Quick verdict · Full-Service Restaurants · color = vs category peers
Green = favorable by >10% vs Full-Service Restaurants 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 $482K – $1.6M including a $35K franchise fee, 6.0% ongoing royalty.
- RETURNSTotal revenue of $4,388,361 for fiscal year ending December 31, 2023 (franchisor revenue; includes $1,198,279 in rebates from required franchisee purchases)
- RISKVerdict A (Strongest tier), verdict score 69/100 (higher is better). SBA loan charge-off rate of 0.0% across 12 loans (well below the franchise average, based on all SBA 7(a) franchise lending, 2010–2025).
- 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
- Heritage Restaurant Brands, LP
- Parent company
- Heritage Restaurant Brands, LLC
- Predecessor
- BRG Franchising, Inc. (formerly Dynaco Franchising, Inc.)
- Prior franchisor entity
- CEO title
- C.E.O.
- Gregory Graber
- Founder active
- Yes
- Original founder still leading the business
- Incorporated in
- CA
- HQ
- 810 Fiero Lane, Suite 100, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
- Auditor
- Glenn Burdette Attest Corporation
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $4.4M
- vs $3.9M prior year
Overview
About
- CEO
- Gregory Graber
- Headquarters
- CA
- Founded
- 2016
- FDD year
- 2024
- States available
- 2
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 9% below the typical full-service restaurants franchise.
Source: FDD 2024 · Items 5–7
Full Item 7 breakdown14 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee | $35K | $35K | |
| Your Training Expenses | $15K | $55K | |
| Lease & Utilities deposits | $15K | $40K | |
| Leasehold Improvements, Construction and/or Remodeling | $175K | $850K | |
| Furniture, Fixtures and Equipment | $100K | $400K | |
| Signage | $10K | $40K | |
| Business Licenses and Permits | $15K | $17K | |
| POS/Computer System | $25K | $35K | |
| Initial Inventory | $20K | $30K | |
| Professional Fees | $40K | $80K | |
| Grand Opening Advertising | $2K | $5K | |
| Insurance | $5K | $10K | |
| Operating Expenses / Additional Funds - 3 months | $25K | $50K | |
| Development Fee (Multi-Unit Development Business) | $53K | $53K | |
| Total initial investment | $535K | $1.7M |
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
- $482K – $1.6M
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $25K – $50K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $35K – $35K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Royalty
- 6.0%
- percentage · typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- Brand Fund not yet established; currently not assessed
- Total fee load
- 6.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 6.0% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $0 |
| Transfer fee | $25K |
| Renewal fee | $10K |
| Inventory (initial) | $20K – $30K |
| Total fee load | 6.0% of rev |
What do units actually make?
Source: FDD 2024 · Item 19
ROI & LBO modelsSingle-unit · 25-unit portfolio · editable
Huckleberry’s 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 Huckleberry’s unit return on the cash you put in?
Unlevered ROIC · per unit
Estimated return on your total franchise investment, before any debt financing.
6%
Below 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: 2024 FDD
Financial Performance
Total revenue of $4,388,361 for fiscal year ending December 31, 2023 (franchisor revenue; includes $1,198,279 in rebates from required franchisee purchases)
Includes company-owned outlets
- Item 19 type
- gross sales
- Sample size
- 31
- vs category median 18
- Range (low → high)
- $1.1M→$3.0M
- Cohort dispersion (min → max)
- Reporting year
- 2023
- Fiscal year the figures cover
- Source filing
- FDD 2024
- Disclosed in the 2024 filing, covering 2023
- Transparency
- 4 / 10
- vs category median 3 / 10 · above
Compared against 805 Full-Service Restaurants brands
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 Full-Service Restaurants average of 7.6%.
Disclosure
Item 19 reports outlet revenue, but not in a form that yields a per-outlet average we can compare across brands.
Operator retention
System expanding at 61.9% CAGR over 3 years across 35 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 Full-Service Restaurants averages
How Huckleberry’s Compares
Is the system healthy?
Source: FDD 2024 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 35
- Opened
- 3
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 0
- Terminated
- 0
- Franchisor ended the franchise (per Item 20)
- Non-renewed
- 0
- Term expired, not renewed (per Item 20)
- Turnover rate
- 0.0%
- Company-owned
- 1
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 97%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (3-yr)
- +61.9%
- Net unit change over 3 years
- 3-yr CAGR
- +61.9%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Opened (3yr)
- 3
- Closed (3yr)
- 0
- Terminated (3yr)
- 0
- Non-renewed (3yr)
- 0
- Transfers (3yr)
- 0
- Reacquired (3yr)
- 0
- Franchisor bought back
- Projected new
- 6
- 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)
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.
- Total loans
- 12
- Loan volume
- $8.4M
- Median loan
- $697K
- average
- Charge-off rate
- 0.0%
- 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)
- N/A
- 5-yr charge-off
- 0.0%
- Loans approved 2021+
- Active lenders
- 8
- Defaults
- 0
- Typical loan rate
- 8.1%
- avg rate to borrowers
- vs industry
- N/A
- Jobs supported
- 299
- Lender concentration
- N/A
Borrower mix: 70% went to startups / new businesses, 30% to established operators
Top lenders financing Huckleberry’s franchisees
Showing 3 of 8 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.
Premium insight
SBA Lending Report
Deep-dive into Huckleberry’s's SBA lending history: lender network, geographic footprint, interest rates, and more.
SBA Lending Report
- Principal loss rate and NAICS industry benchmark
- 5 lenders with concentration factor
- Per-state charge-off rates across 3 states
- Startup risk premium and job creation velocity
- 9-year lending trend
Instant access. No subscription.
With a 0.0% charge-off rate across 12 loans, banks have historically viewed this brand favorably for lending.
What could kill this investment?
SBA loans charge off at 0.0% — 100% below the 16.0% national norm, i.e. lower 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
Huckleberry's presents elevated caution risk due to undisclosed profitability data, concerning Going Concern status, sluggish unit growth, and lack of net income transparency needed to validate the investment thesis.
Litigation (Item 3)
No litigation disclosed in Item 3
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
Disclosed in last 7 years
Predecessor Dynaco, Inc. filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy on November 21, 2011 (Case No. 11-62472-A-11, Eastern District of California); plan confirmed November 30, 2012; final decree August 15, 2013; completed December 31, 2015.
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Glenn Burdette Attest Corporation
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
- Franchisor sells you products: No
- 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 69 / 100 verdict
- 01HIGHGoing Concern status is FALSE — indicates potential franchisor financial distress or viability questions
- 02MEDSlow unit growth of 9.7% YoY with only 35 total units — suggests limited market demand or franchisee satisfaction issues
- 03MINORWide investment range ($482K-$1.647M) without clear ROI metrics — high capital requirement with unclear payback period
- 04MINOR6% royalty on gross volume is non-standard and punitive during low-revenue months — franchisee cash flow risk
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 2024 · 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 | exclusive |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | Yes |
| Territory radius | 2 mi |
| 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 | 5 days |
| Curable defaultsℹ | 1 |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Arbitration location | San Luis Obispo County, California |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | CA |
| Litigation count | 0 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
No litigation disclosed in Item 3
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 0 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 246 hrs
- Training location
- Existing Huckleberry's restaurant (affiliate- or franchised-owned outlet in San Luis Obispo, CA)
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Field support
- 112 hrs/yr
- On-site visits per year
- Time to open
- 7 mo
- From signing to launch
- Site selection
- franchisee with franchisor approval
- Franchisor financing
- Not offered
- Item 10
- POS system
- Aloha
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: Aloha
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
1 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
Huckleberry’s · FDD (2024) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Huckleberry’s franchise?
The total investment to open a Huckleberry’s franchise ranges from $482K – $1.6M, 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 Huckleberry’s franchise owners earn?
Huckleberry’s 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 Huckleberry’s 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 Huckleberry’s FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is Huckleberry’s's franchise failure rate?
Based on SBA 7(a) loan data, Huckleberry’s has a charge-off rate of 0.0% across 12 loans, meaning 0.0% 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 Huckleberry’s franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Huckleberry’s has 35 total units in the United States, including 34 franchised units and 1 company-owned units. 3 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is Huckleberry’s a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Huckleberry’s as a A-grade franchise with a verdict score of 69 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?
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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.