KPOT Hot Pot & BarbecueFranchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Formerly known as KPOT Korean BBQ & Hot Pot
Data from FDD filing
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A KPOT Hot Pot & Barbecue franchise requires a total initial investment of $733K – $1.9M, including a $50K franchise fee and an ongoing 5.0% royalty[2]. The 2024 FDD does not disclose unit-level revenue (no Item 19). Verdict grade: A. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified June 18, 2026 · figures per the 2024 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $733K – $1.9M
- 40th pct Service Resta…
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- 28th pct Service Resta…
- Royalty
- 5.0%
- 7th pct Service Resta…
- Units
- 54
- 37th 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 system grew 457% year-over-year. Fast growth means demand, but can strain support.
Bottom line
- Total investment $733K – $1.9M including a $50K franchise fee, 5.0% ongoing royalty.
- No Item 19 financial performance data disclosed. The franchisor chose not to publish revenue figures.
- Verdict A (Top Quintile) with a risk score of 44/100.
- System growing at 1000.0% CAGR over 3 years with 54 total units. Strong expansion trajectory.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
- Legal entity
- KPOT FRANCHISE LLC
- Parent company
- KPOT Enterprises, LLC
- Incorporated in
- NJ
- HQ
- 19 Quail Run, Randolph, New Jersey 07869
- Auditor
- Wei, Wei & Co., LLP
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $647K
- vs $3.1M prior year
Affiliated brands
- Snap Back Holding
- KPot
- Corigo Express
- KPOT Distribution
Other brands the franchisor or its parent operates (Item 1).
Overview
About
Franchisees operate full-service hot pot and Korean BBQ table-cooking restaurants where customers cook meat, seafood, and vegetables in individual broths/grills at their tables. Day-to-day operations include managing 80-150+ seat dining rooms, hiring/training servers experienced in guiding table-cooking experiences, maintaining ingredient freshness, handling specialty supply chains, managing peak dinner crowds, and balancing labor-intensive service models with food cost controls.
- CEO
- Su Li
- Headquarters
- NJ
- Founded
- 2021
- FDD year
- 2024
- States available
- 17
FDD Item 7 · 2024 filing
Initial investment breakdown
| Cost component | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $50K | $50K |
| Working capital (3–6 mo) | $75K | $150K |
| Equipment, build-out, other | $608K | $1.7M |
| Total initial investment | $733K | $1.9M |
Source: KPOT Hot Pot & Barbecue 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
- $733K – $1.9M
- Better than avg vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $75K – $150K
- Near category avg vs category
- Franchise fee
- $20K – $50K
- Better than avg vs category
- Royalty
- 5.0%
- Gross Sales · typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- $2,000 per month
- Total fee load
- 5.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 5.0% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $1K |
| Training fee | $3K |
| Transfer fee | $15K |
| Renewal fee | $5K |
| Total fee load | 5.0% 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 KPOT Hot Pot & Barbecue Compares
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 54
- Opened
- 32
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 0
- Turnover rate
- 0.0%
- Company-owned
- 15
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 72%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (yr3)
- Outlier (see FDD)
- Likely small-sample artifact
3-year detail · Item 20
- Opened (3yr)
- 6
- 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 · 14 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
KPOT's explosive 457% unit growth, absence of financial disclosures, questionable going concern status, and high capital requirements create meaningful profitability uncertainty despite the protected territory advantage.
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 · Wei, Wei & Co., LLP
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: No
Score breakdown · what drove the 44 / 100 rating
- 01MEDNo Item 19 financial performance data disclosed — impossible to validate ROI claims or average unit economics
- 02MINORHypergrowth of 457% YoY unit expansion suggests potential market saturation risk and quality control challenges
- 03HIGHGoing Concern status is FALSE, indicating potential financial instability at corporate level despite rapid growth
- 04MEDHigh initial investment range ($733K-$1.9M) with no disclosed average revenue creates opacity on breakeven timeline
- 05MINORWide investment spread ($1.18M variance) suggests inconsistent build-out costs or unstandardized operations
- 06MED54 total units is still a nascent system — limited historical data on franchisee long-term profitability
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 | 20 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 10 years |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 1 |
| Territory type | Radius |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Online sales rights | Restricted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Optional |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 2 years |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Termination groundsℹ | 1 |
| Curable defaultsℹ | 2 |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | New Jersey |
| Litigation count | 0 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
0 case reference(s): 0 pending, 0 settled.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 0 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 61 hrs
- Training location
- On-site and corporate
- Site selection
- franchisor
- Franchisor financing
- Offered
- Item 10
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
16 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
KPOT Hot Pot & Barbecue · FDD (2024) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a KPOT Hot Pot & Barbecue franchise?
The total investment to open a KPOT Hot Pot & Barbecue franchise ranges from $733K – $1.9M, 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 KPOT Hot Pot & Barbecue franchise owners earn?
KPOT Hot Pot & Barbecue 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 KPOT Hot Pot & Barbecue's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for KPOT Hot Pot & Barbecue (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 KPOT Hot Pot & Barbecue franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, KPOT Hot Pot & Barbecue has 54 total units in the United States, including 1 franchised units and 15 company-owned units. 32 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is KPOT Hot Pot & Barbecue a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates KPOT Hot Pot & Barbecue as a A-grade franchise with a risk score of 44 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.
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.