Kajiken RestaurantFranchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Kajiken Restaurant franchise requires a total initial investment of $521K – $831K, including a $50K franchise fee and an ongoing 4.0% royalty[2]. The 2024 FDD does not disclose unit-level revenue (no Item 19). Verdict grade: C. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified June 18, 2026 · figures per the 2024 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $521K – $831K
- 34th pct Service Resta…
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- 28th pct Service Resta…
- Royalty
- 4.0%
- 3rd pct Service Resta…
- Units
- 3
- 8th pct Service Resta…
- SBA default
- N/A
Quick verdict · Full-Service Restaurants · color = vs category peers
Green = >15% above Full-Service Restaurants avg · No shading = within ±15% · Red = >15% below avg · Source: FDD filings + SBA 7(a)
Data from public FDD filings and SBA records. Not financial advice. Methodology
The franchisor's auditor raised doubt about continued operations. This is a serious risk signal.
Bottom line
- Total investment $521K – $831K including a $50K franchise fee, 4.0% ongoing royalty.
- No Item 19 financial performance data disclosed. The franchisor chose not to publish revenue figures.
- Verdict C (Average) with a risk score of 65/100.
- Auditor 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
- Legal entity
- Kajiken International, Inc.
- Incorporated in
- CA
- HQ
- 112 B St., San Mateo, California 94401
- Auditor
- Ellsworth • Stout
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $39K
- vs $84K prior year
- ⚠ Going-concern note
- Disclosed in FDD 2024
- Status as of 2024; may have been resolved in a later filing we don't yet have.
Affiliated brands
- Kajiken
Other brands the franchisor or its parent operates (Item 1).
Overview
About
Franchisees operate Kajiken restaurants, likely specializing in Japanese cuisine or ramen-based dining based on the brand name. Daily operations include food preparation, inventory management, staffing, customer service, and point-of-sale management across a restaurant location within their protected territory. Franchisees pay 4% of gross sales as ongoing royalties plus must comply with brand standards and operational protocols.
- CEO
- Kenichi Kaji
- Headquarters
- CA
- Founded
- 2020
- FDD year
- 2024
- States available
- 3
FDD Item 7 · 2024 filing
Initial investment breakdown
| Cost component | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $50K | $50K |
| Working capital (3–6 mo) | $30K | $60K |
| Equipment, build-out, other | $441K | $721K |
| Total initial investment | $521K | $831K |
Source: Kajiken Restaurant 2024 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
- $521K – $831K
- Better than avg vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $30K – $60K
- Better than avg vs category
- Franchise fee
- $50K – $50K
- Better than avg vs category
- Royalty
- 4.0%
- Gross Sales · typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 0.8%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 4.8%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 4.0% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 0.8% of gross sales |
| Transfer fee | $35K |
| Renewal fee | $0 |
| Inventory (initial) | $9K – $18K |
| Total fee load | 4.8% of rev |
Financial Performance
This franchisor did not disclose financial performance representations in Item 19, or our extractor could not parse them.
vs Full-Service Restaurants averages
How Kajiken Restaurant Compares
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 3
- Opened
- 2
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 0
- Turnover rate
- 0.0%
- Company-owned
- 0
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 100%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (yr3)
- +200.0%
- Net unit change last year
3-year detail · Item 20
- Opened (3yr)
- 2
- Closed (3yr)
- 0
- Terminated (3yr)
- 0
- Non-renewed (3yr)
- 0
- Transfers (3yr)
- 0
- Reacquired (3yr)
- 0
- Franchisor bought back
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 4 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.
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.
No SBA loan data available for this brand.
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 5, 6, 12, 17
Risk & Legal
Kajiken presents meaningful risk due to micro-scale operations, undisclosed unit economics, high relative investment, and early-stage growth trajectory without proven profitability benchmarks.
Litigation (Item 3)
0 case reference(s): 0 pending, 0 settled.
Largest disclosed settlement: $50,000
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Ellsworth • Stout⚠ Going-concern note flagged
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
- Franchisor sells you products: No
- Must buy proprietary products: No
- Restricted to system-approved products: Yes
Score breakdown · what drove the 65 / 100 rating
- 01MINOROnly 3 units in system with 200% YoY growth suggests extremely early-stage franchise with minimal track record and data reliability
- 02MINORFranchise Disclosure Document (Item 19) does not disclose average unit volume, net income, or revenue—critical metrics for ROI assessment
- 03MINORHigh investment range ($520,500–$830,600) relative to system size creates disproportionate risk with no transparent earnings claims to justify cost
- 04MINORRapid 200% growth (1 to 3 units) may indicate aggressive expansion without proven business model sustainability or operational infrastructure
- 05MED10-year term with $50,000 franchise fee locks franchisees into young brand with unproven unit economics and limited exit data
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
FDD Items 5, 6, 12, 17 · continued from Risk & Legal
Contract & Territory Detail
| Initial term | 10 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 10 years |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 1 |
| Territory type | Radius |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Online sales rights | Granted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Required |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 2 years |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Curable defaultsℹ | 3 |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | California |
| Litigation count | 0 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
0 case reference(s): 0 pending, 0 settled.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 72 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 228 hrs
- Training location
- On-site and corporate
- Site selection
- joint
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
4 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
Kajiken Restaurant · FDD (2024) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Kajiken Restaurant franchise?
The total investment to open a Kajiken Restaurant franchise ranges from $521K – $831K, with an initial franchise fee of $50K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do Kajiken Restaurant franchise owners earn?
Kajiken Restaurant 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 Kajiken Restaurant's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for Kajiken Restaurant (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 Kajiken Restaurant franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Kajiken Restaurant has 3 total units in the United States, including 0 franchised units and 0 company-owned units. 2 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is Kajiken Restaurant a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Kajiken Restaurant as a C-grade franchise with a risk score of 65 out of 100, 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.
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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.