Just A Buck Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
- Investment
- $176K – $298K
- Disclosed sales
- $484K
- gross sales, not profit
- SBA charge-off
- 44.4%
- on 27 loans
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
Just A Buck is a dollar-store retail franchise selling closeout merchandise, household goods, and seasonal items at low price points. Franchisees run the stores, managing inventory, merchandising, and sales.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Just A Buck franchise requires a total initial investment of $176K – $298K, including a $25K franchise fee and an ongoing 4.0% royalty[2]. Per the 2024 FDD, average unit revenue was $484K[2]. SBA 7(a) loans show a 44.4% charge-off rate across 27 loans[1]. 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: high - issued more than two years ago
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 scored7 of 8 headline figures on this page cite a page of the filing; the rest are marked “Not cited” beside the figure.
Overview
- Investment
- $176K – $298K
- 19th pct Retail
- Avg gross sales
- $484K
- Company-owned only
- Royalty
- 4.0%
- 3rd pct Retail
- Units
- 10
- 10th pct Retail
- SBA charge-off
- 44.4%
- % of SBA 7(a) loans not repaid · median varies by category
Quick verdict · Retail · color = vs category peers
Green = favorable by >10% vs Retail 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 $176K – $298K including a $25K franchise fee, 4.0% ongoing royalty.
- RETURNSAverage unit revenue of $484K/year (median $511K) (company-owned outlets only - not franchisee performance).
- RISKVerdict D (Below average), verdict score 31/100 (higher is better). SBA loan charge-off rate of 44.4% across 27 loans (well above the 16% franchise average, based on all SBA 7(a) franchise lending, 2010–2025).
- GROWTHNegative: net -1 franchised outlets in the latest year (0 opened, 1 closed) (Item 20).
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- Just A Buck Licensing, Inc.
- CEO title
- President and Director
- Michael Conners
- Incorporated in
- NY
- HQ
- 563 Temple Hill Road, New Windsor, NY 12553
- Auditor
- Henry A. Gleich, CPA, P.C.
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $245K
- vs $281K prior year
Overview
About
- CEO
- Michael Conners
- Headquarters
- NY
- Founded
- 1992
- FDD year
- 2024
- States available
- 4
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 29% below the typical retail franchise.
Source: FDD 2024 · Items 5–7
Full Item 7 breakdown19 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee | $25K | $25K | |
| Site Development Fee | $8K | $8K | |
| Turnkey Services Fee | $0 | $10K | |
| Lease Deposit | $500 | $10K | |
| Leasehold Improvements | $9K | $50K | |
| Architectural Plans | $0 | $5K | |
| Training Fee | $4K | $4K | |
| Racks/Displays | $11K | $19K | |
| Cash Register System | $1K | $2K | |
| Office Supplies & Miscellaneous Equipment | $3K | $4K | |
| Computer and Proprietary Software | $4K | $4K | |
| Equipment & Store Supplies | $3K | $4K | |
| Security Systems | $1K | $2K | |
| Permits and Licenses | $125 | $1K | |
| Interior Graphics and Signage | $8K | $10K | |
| Prepaid Insurance Premium | $5K | $6K | |
| Utility and Telephone Deposits | $500 | $1K | |
| Initial Inventory | $65K | $85K | |
| Additional Funds | $30K | $50K | |
| Total initial investment | $176K | $298K |
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
- $176K – $298K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $30K – $50K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $25K – $25K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Royalty
- 4.0%
- typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 0.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 6.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 4.0% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 0.0% |
| Technology fee | $460 |
| Training fee | $4K |
| Transfer fee | $5K |
| Inventory (initial) | $65K – $85K |
| Total fee load | 6.0% of rev |
A 6.0% total fee load is unusually lean. More of each revenue dollar stays with the franchisee.
What do units actually make?
Average unit sales run 40% below the retail norm.
Company-owned outlets only - not franchisee performance
Source: FDD 2024 · 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 Just A Buck 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
$277K
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 Just A Buck 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: 2024 FDD
Financial Performance
Company-owned outlets only - not franchisee performance
- Avg gross sales
- $484K
- Per unit, per year
- Median gross sales
- $511K
Gross sales are revenue before expenses — not profit. Actual owner earnings depend on rent, labor, royalties, marketing fees, and debt service.
- Item 19 type
- affiliate store sales
- Sample size
- 3 outlets
- vs category median 46 · small
- Range (low → high)
- $367K→$575KCited, not corroborated — printed on page 31 of the 2024 FDD. Nothing else in our record independently restates or re-derives it.
- Cohort dispersion (min → max)
- Reporting year
- 2023
- Fiscal year the figures cover
- Source filing
- FDD 2024
- Disclosed in the 2024 filing, covering 2023
- Transparency
- 6 / 10
- vs category median 3 / 10 · above
Compared against 278 Retail 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 $484K/year in gross sales. Median ($511K) exceeds the average — distribution is bottom-heavy but most units perform well. Revenue-to-investment ratio: 2.0x. Company-owned outlets only - not franchisee performance.
Fee burden
Total ongoing fee load of 6.0% — below the Retail median of 8.0%.
Disclosure
Transparency score 6/10 — this franchisor discloses detailed breakdowns (quartiles, segments, or cohort data). Buyers can model unit economics with higher confidence. Sample size of 3 outlets — treat as directional only.
Operator retention
System shrank 36.4% over 3 years — 1 closures. Ask existing franchisees about local market conditions.
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 Retail medians
How Just A Buck Compares
Category median of published Retail 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 2024 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 10
- Opened
- 0
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 1
- Terminated
- 0
- Franchisor ended the franchise (per Item 20)
- Non-renewed
- 0
- Term expired, not renewed (per Item 20)
- Turnover rate
- 10.0%
- Company-owned
- 3
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 100%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (3-yr)
- -36.4%
- Net unit change over 3 years
- 3-yr CAGR
- -36.4%
- Compounded over last 3 years
Last fiscal year · Item 20 exits and transfers
- Terminated
- 0
- Not renewed
- 0
- Transferred
- 1
- Reacquired
- 0
- Franchisor bought back
- Signed, not yet open
- 0
- 0.00 per open outlet · Item 20 Table 5
- Projected new
- 2
- Franchisor's next-year forecast
- Continuity rate
- 87.5%
- Units that stayed open
- Ceased ops
- 14.3%
- Units that stopped operating
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 12 · 4 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.
4
states with franchisees (per FDD Item 12)
SBA loan performance
Government records
SBA Loan Data
Aggregated from SBA 7(a) and 504 loan disclosures, public data unique to FranchiseVerdict.
- Total loans
- 27
- Loan volume
- $4.0M
- Median loan
- $148K
- average
- Charge-off rate
- 44.4%
- on 27 loans · 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
- N/A
- Loans approved 2021+
- Active lenders
- 9
- Defaults
- 8
Vintage analysis
Just A Buck charge-off rate by loan vintage
Top lenders financing Just A Buck franchisees
Showing 3 of 9 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.
Lender network · 7(a) + 504
SBA Lending Report
Full lending analysis for Just A Buck from SBA 7(a) FOIA data.
Top SBA lenders
| # | Lender | Loans | Volume | Default % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Readycap Lending, LLC | 16 | $2.8M | 53.8% |
| 2 | GE Capital Small Business Finance Corporation | 2 | $290K | 0.0% |
| 3 | TD Bank, National Association | 2 | $200K | N/A |
| 4 | Webster Bank National Association | 2 | $150K | 0.0% |
| 5 | The Huntington National Bank | 1 | $40K | N/A |
| 6 | Manufacturers and Traders Trust Company | 1 | $150K | N/A |
| 7 | Bank of America, National Association | 1 | $60K | 100.0% |
| 8 | Valley National Bank | 1 | $167K | N/A |
| 9 | CIT Group, Inc., The (NJ) | 1 | $145K | 0.0% |
Geographic failure vector
| State | Loans | Defaults | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| NJNew Jersey | 8 | 1 | 20.0% |
| NYNew York | 6 | 1 | 33.3% |
| CTConnecticut | 5 | 2 | 50.0% |
| FLFlorida | 2 | 2 | 100.0% |
| OHOhio | 2 | 0 | 0.0% |
| AZArizona | 1 | 1 | 100.0% |
| CACalifornia | 1 | 1 | 100.0% |
| MEMaine | 1 | 0 | 0.0% |
| PAPennsylvania | 1 | 0 | -- |
Source: SBA 7(a) + 504 FOIA loan-level data, matched by FranchiseVerdict
A 44.4% charge-off rate means roughly 1 in 2 franchisees failed to repay their SBA loan. Investigate what changed.
What could kill this investment?
SBA loans charge off at 44.4% — 177% above the 16.0% national norm, i.e. higher 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
Rapidly contracting 10-unit system with missing profitability data and unclear unit economics poses meaningful investment risk despite protected territory and low litigation.
Litigation (Item 3)
Subject: officers or affiliates. The franchisor is not a named party in these cases.
No litigation is required to be disclosed
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Henry A. Gleich, CPA, P.C.
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
FY2023 franchisor total revenue of $244,940.83 disclosed in Item 8 narrative (not from Item 21 audited statements, which were image-only in the source text); $28,779.50 of this was for Sale of Products for Inventory.
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
- Franchisor sells you products: Yes
- Kickbacks from required suppliers: No
- Must buy proprietary products: Yes
- Restricted to system-approved products: Yes
- Can negotiate own supplier terms: No
Score breakdown · what drove the 31 / 100 verdict
- 01MEDUnit count declined 12.5% year-over-year (10 units remaining) suggests system contraction and potential franchisee dissatisfaction
- 02MEDNet income not disclosed in FDD Item 19 makes ROI impossible to validate; only gross revenue ($484K avg) provided without profitability metrics
- 03MINOR4% royalty on $484K average revenue yields only ~$19,360 annual royalty per unit, creating sustainability concerns for franchisor support
- 04MEDInvestment range of $176-298K against undisclosed net income creates high uncertainty on payback period and break-even timeline
- 05MINOR10-unit system is extremely small, raising questions about franchisor viability, marketing leverage, and supply chain economies of scale
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 | 2 |
| Territory type | Exclusive territory |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | Yes |
| Territory radius | 1 mi |
| Territory population | 75,000 |
| Online sales rights | Restricted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Required |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 20 years |
| Non-compete (miles)ℹ | 25 mi |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Arbitration location | New York |
| Jury trial waiver | No |
| Governing law | NY |
| Litigation count | 0 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
No litigation is required to be disclosed
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 140 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 140 hrs
- Training location
- New Windsor, NY and affiliate store locations (Kingston NY, Poughkeepsie NY, Pine Bush NY, Greenville NY); on-site at franchisee's store
- Ongoing training
- Optional
- Time to open
- 9 mo
- From signing to launch
- Site selection
- Mutual agreement of franchisee and franchisor
- POS system
- Sharp Cash Register (model XE-A407)
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: Sharp Cash Register (model XE-A407)
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
12 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 Just A Buck franchise?
The total investment to open a Just A Buck franchise ranges from $176K – $298K, with an initial franchise fee of $25K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do Just A Buck franchise owners earn?
According to Item 19 of the Just A Buck FDD, the average gross sales per unit is $484K. The median is $511K. Important context: Company-owned outlets only - not franchisee performance. Note: this is gross revenue, not profit. Actual owner earnings vary based on location, operating costs, and management.
Who owns Just A Buck?
Just A Buck is franchised by Just A Buck Licensing, Inc.. Source: FDD Item 1, 2024 filing.
What is Item 19 in the Just A Buck 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 Just A Buck FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is Just A Buck's franchise failure rate?
Based on SBA 7(a) loan data, Just A Buck has a charge-off rate of 44.4% across 27 loans, meaning 44.4% 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 Just A Buck franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Just A Buck has 10 total units in the United States, including 7 franchised units and 3 company-owned units.
Is Just A Buck a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Just A Buck as a D-grade franchise with a verdict score of 31 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.