Kitchen Solvers Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
Kitchen Solvers is a kitchen remodeling franchise specializing in cabinet refacing, new cabinetry, and countertops. Franchisees run local operations, handling in-home consultations, sales, and installation crews within a territory.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A KITCHEN SOLVERS franchise requires a total initial investment of $102K – $149K, including a $60K franchise fee. The 2026 FDD does not disclose unit-level revenue (no Item 19). SBA 7(a) loans show a 18.2% charge-off rate across 11 loans[1]. FranchiseVerdict grade: B (Above average), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified · figures per the 2026 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $102K – $149K
- 6th pct Service Resta…
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- Outlet subset
- Royalty
- N/A
- Units
- 58
- 68th pct Service Resta…
- SBA charge-off
- 18.2%
- % of SBA 7(a) loans not repaid · median varies by category
Quick verdict · Quick-Service Restaurants · color = vs category peers
Green = favorable by >10% vs Quick-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 $102K – $149K including a $60K franchise fee.
- RETURNSKitchen Solvers discloses CY2025 Gross Revenue PER FRANCHISE OWNER, not per outlet, and only for a compliance-screened subset. Of 58 franchised outlets at December 31, 2025 (each outlet is one franchised territory), 15 had not operated a full year and 1 is in Canada, leaving 42 surveyed; 22 owners covering 36 outlets responded. Item 19 Table 1 covers the 18 COMPLIANT OWNERS - those compliant with System reporting and marketing requirements - who between them hold 32 outlets: average Gross Revenue $983,203, median $614,665, highest $3,286,702, lowest $270,061, with 28 percent meeting or exceeding the average. Because each compliant owner holds about 1.78 territories, the same money across 32 outlets is roughly $553,000 per outlet. Table 2 splits the 18 owners into thirds - top $1,796,409, middle $618,678, bottom $399,521 - and their weighted mean is $938,203, which does not match Table 1's $983,203; the filing contains both figures. Table 3 covers the 4 NONCOMPLIANT OWNERS separately: average Gross Revenue $262,544, median $233,729, high $476,217, low $126,500. Item 19 also reports average Materials Expenses $367,667 (42.6 percent of revenue), Installation Expenses $183,778 (20.4 percent) and Adjusted Gross Revenue $362,844 (37.0 percent) - a gross margin, NOT profit: the franchisor states royalty fees and marketing expenses are not included, and no owner compensation, rent, overhead, interest, depreciation or tax is deducted. All figures are self-reported and unaudited.
- RISKVerdict B (Above average), verdict score 56/100 (higher is better). SBA loan charge-off rate of 18.2% across 11 loans (above the 16% franchise average, based on all SBA 7(a) franchise lending, 2010–2025).
- GROWTHSystem growing at 16.0% CAGR over 3 years with 58 total units. Strong expansion trajectory.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- KS La Crosse Investments, LLC
- Predecessor
- Kitchen Solvers (franchising since 1987 under predecessors)
- Prior franchisor entity
- CEO title
- President & Managing Member
- Thomas Miskowski
- Incorporated in
- WI
- HQ
- 528 Loomis Street, La Crosse, Wisconsin 54603
- Auditor
- Hancock & Robinson CPAs
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $2.3M
- vs $2.2M prior year
Overview
About
- CEO
- Thomas Miskowski
- Headquarters
- WI
- Founded
- 2010
- FDD year
- 2026
- States available
- 22
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 81% below the typical quick-service restaurants franchise.
Source: FDD 2026 · Items 5–7
FDD Item 7 · 2026 filing
Initial investment breakdown
| Cost component | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $60K | $60K |
| Working capital (3–6 mo) | $20K | $30K |
| Equipment, build-out, other | $22K | $59K |
| Total initial investment | $102K | $149K |
Source: KITCHEN SOLVERS 2026 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
- $102K – $149K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $20K – $30K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $60K – $60K
- Bottom third — review vs category
- Royalty
- Greater of: (i) Monthly Minimum Fee ($0 for months 0-6, $…
- Ad fund
- 1.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 3.5%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Marketing / ad fund | 1.0% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $317 |
| Transfer fee | $5K |
| Renewal fee | $0 |
| Total fee load | 3.5% of rev |
What do units actually make?
Source: FDD 2026 · Item 19
ROI & LBO modelsSingle-unit · 25-unit portfolio · editable
KITCHEN SOLVERS 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 KITCHEN SOLVERS unit return on the cash you put in?
Unlevered ROIC · per unit
Estimated return on your total franchise investment, before any debt financing.
75%
Above the 30–60% band. Verify revenue is per-unit average
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: 2026 FDD
Financial Performance
Kitchen Solvers discloses CY2025 Gross Revenue PER FRANCHISE OWNER, not per outlet, and only for a compliance-screened subset. Of 58 franchised outlets at December 31, 2025 (each outlet is one franchised territory), 15 had not operated a full year and 1 is in Canada, leaving 42 surveyed; 22 owners covering 36 outlets responded. Item 19 Table 1 covers the 18 COMPLIANT OWNERS - those compliant with System reporting and marketing requirements - who between them hold 32 outlets: average Gross Revenue $983,203, median $614,665, highest $3,286,702, lowest $270,061, with 28 percent meeting or exceeding the average. Because each compliant owner holds about 1.78 territories, the same money across 32 outlets is roughly $553,000 per outlet. Table 2 splits the 18 owners into thirds - top $1,796,409, middle $618,678, bottom $399,521 - and their weighted mean is $938,203, which does not match Table 1's $983,203; the filing contains both figures. Table 3 covers the 4 NONCOMPLIANT OWNERS separately: average Gross Revenue $262,544, median $233,729, high $476,217, low $126,500. Item 19 also reports average Materials Expenses $367,667 (42.6 percent of revenue), Installation Expenses $183,778 (20.4 percent) and Adjusted Gross Revenue $362,844 (37.0 percent) - a gross margin, NOT profit: the franchisor states royalty fees and marketing expenses are not included, and no owner compensation, rent, overhead, interest, depreciation or tax is deducted. All figures are self-reported and unaudited.
Reported for a subset of outlets rather than the whole system
- Item 19 type
- gross revenue per compliant owner
- Sample size
- 18 franchisees
- vs category median 20
- Reporting year
- 2025
- Fiscal year the figures cover
- Source filing
- FDD 2026
- Disclosed in the 2026 filing, covering 2025
- Transparency
- 6 / 10
- vs category median 4 / 10 · above
Compared against 782 Quick-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 3.5% — below the Quick-Service Restaurants average of 7.9%.
Disclosure
Item 19 reports gross revenue per compliant owner rather than annual gross sales, so unit revenue is not directly comparable.
Operator retention
System expanding at 16.0% CAGR over 3 years across 58 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 Quick-Service Restaurants averages
How Kitchen Solvers Compares
Is the system healthy?
Source: FDD 2026 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 58
- Opened
- 16
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 7
- Turnover rate
- 12.1%
- Company-owned
- 0
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 100%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (3-yr)
- -1.7%
- Net unit change over 3 years
- 3-yr CAGR
- +16.0%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Opened (3yr)
- 6
- Closed (3yr)
- 2
- Terminated (3yr)
- 4
- Non-renewed (3yr)
- 1
- Transfers (3yr)
- 2
- Reacquired (3yr)
- 0
- Franchisor bought back
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 5 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.
SBA loan performance
Government records
SBA Loan Data
Aggregated from SBA 7(a) and 504 loan disclosures, public data unique to FranchiseVerdict.
- Total loans
- 11
- Loan volume
- $1.3M
- Median loan
- $150K
- 50th percentile
- Charge-off rate
- 18.2%
- 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)
- 81.8%
- 5-yr charge-off
- 0.0%
- Loans approved 2021+
- Active lenders
- 6
- Defaults
- 2
- Typical loan rate
- 7.7%
- avg rate to borrowers
- Franchised industry avg
- 17.1%
- brand above franchise avg ↑
- Jobs supported
- 62
- 4.9 per loan
- Lender concentration
- 36%
- top lender's share
Borrower mix: 88% went to startups / new businesses, 12% to established operators
Franchise vs independent — in residential remodelers, franchised businesses charge off at 17.1% vs 22.4% for independents — franchising is associated with 24% lower SBA default risk in this category.
Top lenders financing Kitchen Solvers franchisees
Showing 3 of 6 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 Kitchen Solvers's SBA lending history: lender network, geographic footprint, interest rates, and more.
SBA Lending Report
- Principal loss rate and NAICS industry benchmark
- 6 lenders with concentration factor
- Per-state charge-off rates across 9 states
- Startup risk premium and job creation velocity
- 8-year lending trend
Instant access. No subscription.
What could kill this investment?
SBA loans charge off at 18.2% — 14% 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
KITCHEN SOLVERS presents moderate-to-cautious risk: solid financials and growth rate are offset by lack of Item 19 disclosure, tiered royalty burden, and questions about whether average performance is achievable for median franchisees.
Litigation (Item 3)
No litigation is required to be disclosed in this Item.
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Hancock & Robinson CPAs
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
- Franchisor sells you products: Yes
- Must buy proprietary products: Yes
- Restricted to system-approved products: Yes
Score breakdown · what drove the 56 / 100 verdict
- 01MINORRoyalty structure tiered up to 6% with minimum monthly fees, creating variable cost burden during slow months
- 02MINOR59 units with 18% YoY growth suggests modest scale; unit growth rate alone doesn't guarantee sustainability
- 03MINORTerritory protection is positive but may limit expansion opportunities and market density benefits
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
What are you signing up for?
Ongoing fees run about 3.5% of sales (royalty + ad fund), before rent and labor.
Source: FDD 2026 · 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 | protected |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | No |
| 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 | 25 mi |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Curable defaultsℹ | 5 |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Arbitration location | La Crosse, Wisconsin |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | WI |
| Litigation count | 0 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
No litigation is required to be disclosed in this Item.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 49 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 8 hrs
- Training location
- La Crosse, Wisconsin (virtual and in-person)
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Time to open
- 4 mo
- From signing to launch
- Site selection
- Franchisee selects, franchisor approves
- Franchisor financing
- Not offered
- Item 10
- POS system
- ServiceMinder
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: ServiceMinder
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
6 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
KITCHEN SOLVERS · FDD (2026) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a KITCHEN SOLVERS franchise?
The total investment to open a KITCHEN SOLVERS franchise ranges from $102K – $149K, with an initial franchise fee of $60K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do KITCHEN SOLVERS franchise owners earn?
KITCHEN SOLVERS 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 KITCHEN SOLVERS 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 KITCHEN SOLVERS FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is KITCHEN SOLVERS's franchise failure rate?
Based on SBA 7(a) loan data, KITCHEN SOLVERS has a charge-off rate of 18.2% across 11 loans, meaning 18.2% 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 KITCHEN SOLVERS franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, KITCHEN SOLVERS has 58 total units in the United States, including 58 franchised units and 0 company-owned units. 16 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is KITCHEN SOLVERS a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates KITCHEN SOLVERS as a B-grade franchise with a verdict score of 56 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.