Just Between Friends Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
Just Between Friends is a franchise running large pop-up consignment sale events for used children's and maternity items. Franchisees organize seasonal sales recruiting consignors and shoppers, earning a cut of items sold, without a permanent storefront.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Just Between Friends franchise requires a total initial investment of $67K – $98K, including a $25K franchise fee. Per the 2025 FDD, average unit revenue was $376K[2]. SBA 7(a) loans show a 0.0% charge-off rate across 10 loans[1]. FranchiseVerdict grade: A (Strongest tier), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified · figures per the 2025 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $67K – $98K
- 21st pct Education
- Avg gross sales
- $376K
- 14th pct Education
- Royalty
- N/A
- Units
- 151
- 69th pct Education
- SBA charge-off
- 0.0%
- % of SBA 7(a) loans not repaid · median varies by category
Quick verdict · Education · color = vs category peers
Green = favorable by >10% vs Education 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 $67K – $98K including a $25K franchise fee.
- RETURNSAverage unit revenue of $376K/year (median $240K).
- RISKVerdict A (Strongest tier), verdict score 94/100 (higher is better). SBA loan charge-off rate of 0.0% across 10 loans (well below the franchise average, based on all SBA 7(a) franchise lending, 2010–2025).
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- JUST BETWEEN FRIENDS FRANCHISE SYSTEM, INC.
- Parent company
- None
- CEO title
- Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
- Tracy Panase
- Incorporated in
- PA
- HQ
- 78 Grandview Blvd., Reading, PA 19609
- Auditor
- Standpoint Accounting, LLC (Tulsa, Oklahoma)
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $2.5M
- vs $2.7M prior year
Independent franchisee associations
- Franchise Advisory Council (FAC)
Franchisee-led councils or alliances disclosed in Item 20. Indicates operator voice.
Overview
About
- CEO
- Tracy Panase
- Headquarters
- PA
- Founded
- 2003
- FDD year
- 2025
- States available
- 30
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 88% below the typical education franchise.
Source: FDD 2025 · Items 5–7
FDD Item 7 · 2025 filing
Initial investment breakdown
| Cost component | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $25K | $25K |
| Working capital (3–6 mo) | $10K | $15K |
| Equipment, build-out, other | $32K | $57K |
| Total initial investment | $67K | $98K |
Source: Just Between Friends 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
- $67K – $98K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $10K – $15K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $25K – $25K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Royalty
- Greater of 3% of Gross Sales or annual minimum royalties …
- Ad fund
- 1.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 4.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Marketing / ad fund | 1.0% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $2K |
| Transfer fee | $8K |
| Renewal fee | $3K |
| Inventory (initial) | $5K – $5K |
| Total fee load | 4.0% of rev |
A 4.0% total fee load is unusually lean. More of each revenue dollar stays with the franchisee.
What do units actually make?
Average unit sales run 53% below the education norm.
Source: FDD 2025 · Item 19
Single-unit · estimated
Returns at a glance
Indicative numbers using FDD Item 7 / Item 19 inputs and category-benchmarked cost ratios. Full single-unit, 25-unit portfolio, and LBO models (with every input editable to stress-test your own scenario) live on the financials page.
Store EBITDA · annual
$60K
16.0% margin
Unlevered ROIC
63%
EBITDA / total invested capital
Payback
19 mo
cash-on-cash, unlevered
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. The target band for an attractive franchise is 30–60% ROIC. Below that and a passive index fund likely outperforms; above that and the franchisor has pricing power you're subsidizing.
Note: Item 19 revenue is what the franchisor discloses. It's the top line only. Operating costs below are category estimates. Override them to match your real lease quote, labor market, and build-out budget.
Returns model · single-unit ROIC
What would one Just Between Friends unit return on the cash you put in?
Unlevered ROIC · per unit
Estimated return on your total franchise investment, before any debt financing.
63%
Above the 30–60% band. Verify revenue is per-unit average
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%.
Levered LBO scenario · Yale Crease Capital framing
What would 25 Just Between Friends units return on equity?
Equity IRR · 5-yr
49.9%
7.57× MOIC
Year-1 DSCR
1.88×
EBITDA ÷ debt service
Equity required
$677K
on $3.4M purchase
Total debt
$2.7M
SBA $1.7M + senior + seller note
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
- Avg gross sales
- $376K
- Per unit, per year
- Median gross sales
- $240K
Gross sales are revenue before expenses — not profit. Actual owner earnings depend on rent, labor, royalties, marketing fees, and debt service.
- Item 19 type
- gross sales
- Range (low → high)
- $11K→$2.2M
- 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 204 Education brands
Revenue is 4.6x the investment midpoint. At typical franchise margins, this suggests a payback under 3 years.
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 $376K/year in gross sales. Median is $240K — top performers pull the average up, so a typical unit earns less. Revenue-to-investment ratio: 4.6x.
Fee burden
Total ongoing fee load of 4.0% — below the Education average of 10.6%.
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 contracting at -2.0% CAGR over 3 years. Investigate whether closures are franchisor-driven consolidation or franchisee exits.
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 Education averages
How Just Between Friends Compares
Is the system healthy?
Source: FDD 2025 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 151
- Opened
- 2
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 0
- Terminated
- 0
- Franchisor ended the franchise (per Item 20)
- Non-renewed
- 2
- Term expired, not renewed (per Item 20)
- Turnover rate
- 7.5%
- Company-owned
- 5
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 97%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (3-yr)
- +3.4%
- Net unit change over 3 years
- 3-yr CAGR
- -2.0%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Opened (3yr)
- 16
- Closed (3yr)
- 3
- Terminated (3yr)
- 3
- Non-renewed (3yr)
- 5
- Transfers (3yr)
- 43
- Reacquired (3yr)
- 12
- Franchisor bought back
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 12 · 30 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.
30
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
- 10
- Loan volume
- $1.3M
- Median loan
- $93K
- 50th percentile
- 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)
- 100.0%
- 5-yr charge-off
- N/A
- Loans approved 2021+
- Active lenders
- 7
- Defaults
- 0
- Typical loan rate
- 6.9%
- avg rate to borrowers
- Franchised industry avg
- 5.8%
- brand beats franchise avg ↓
- Jobs supported
- 24
- 1.9 per loan
- Lender concentration
- 20%
- top lender's share
Borrower mix: 67% went to startups / new businesses, 33% to established operators
Franchise vs independent — in used merchandise stores, franchised businesses charge off at 5.8% vs 19.5% for independents — franchising is associated with 70% lower SBA default risk in this category.
Top lenders financing Just Between Friends franchisees
Showing 3 of 7 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 Just Between Friends's SBA lending history: lender network, geographic footprint, interest rates, and more.
SBA Lending Report
- Principal loss rate and NAICS industry benchmark
- 7 lenders with concentration factor
- Per-state charge-off rates across 5 states
- Startup risk premium and job creation velocity
- 7-year lending trend
Instant access. No subscription.
With a 0.0% charge-off rate across 10 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
Minimal franchise system growth, undisclosed profitability metrics, and historical officer litigation present meaningful risk despite protected territories and modest initial investment.
Litigation (Item 3)
Two cases disclosed involving JBF officer Robert Petre in an unrelated prior role as CFO of Osage LLC; both dismissed with prejudice in 2016. No litigation involving JBF itself required to be disclosed.
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Standpoint Accounting, LLC (Tulsa, Oklahoma)
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
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 94 / 100 verdict
- 01MINORStagnant unit growth (0.7% YoY) suggests market saturation or franchisee dissatisfaction despite 151 existing locations
- 02MEDNet income not disclosed in Item 19 prevents ROI analysis; only average revenue ($376k) provided without profitability context
- 03MINORRoyalty structure with $5,250-$10,500 annual minimums creates fixed cost burden even during slow sales months, reducing franchisee flexibility
- 04HIGHOfficer litigation history (Robert Petre/Osage LLC) raises governance and financial management concerns, though cases dismissed
- 05MEDHigh initial investment ($66.6k-$97.5k) relative to disclosed revenue and unknown profitability creates recovery risk
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
What are you signing up for?
Ongoing fees run about 4.0% 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 | 5 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 5 years |
| Territory type | protected |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | No |
| Territory population | 100,000 |
| Online sales rightsℹ | Restricted |
| Franchisor can compete | No |
| Hire a manager? | Not allowed |
| Owner-operator | Required |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 3 years |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Curable defaultsℹ | 3 |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Arbitration location | Berks County, Pennsylvania |
| Jury trial waiver | No |
| Governing law | PA |
| Litigation count | 2 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
Two cases disclosed involving JBF officer Robert Petre in an unrelated prior role as CFO of Osage LLC; both dismissed with prejudice in 2016. No litigation involving JBF itself required to be disclosed.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 163 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 22 hrs
- Training location
- Online (pre-opening); JBF-designated Sales Event location (onsite apprenticeship)
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Franchisor financing
- Not offered
- Item 10
- POS system
- JBF System Technology
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: JBF System Technology
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
144 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
Just Between Friends · FDD (2025) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Just Between Friends franchise?
The total investment to open a Just Between Friends franchise ranges from $67K – $98K, 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 Between Friends franchise owners earn?
According to Item 19 of the Just Between Friends FDD, the average gross sales per unit is $376K. The median is $240K. Note: this is gross revenue, not profit. Actual owner earnings vary based on location, operating costs, and management.
What is Item 19 in the Just Between Friends 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 Between Friends FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is Just Between Friends's franchise failure rate?
Based on SBA 7(a) loan data, Just Between Friends has a charge-off rate of 0.0% across 10 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 Just Between Friends franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Just Between Friends has 151 total units in the United States, including 146 franchised units and 5 company-owned units. 2 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is Just Between Friends a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Just Between Friends as a A-grade franchise with a verdict score of 94 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?
If you represent Just Between Friends, you can request corrections or provide updated information.
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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.