Lumberjacks Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
Lumberjacks is a family restaurant franchise serving large-portion American breakfast, lunch, and dinner in a rustic setting. Franchisees run the restaurants, managing the kitchen, table service, and staffing.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Lumberjacks franchise requires a total initial investment of $596K – $1.5M, including a $40K franchise fee and an ongoing 4.0% royalty[2]. The 2025 FDD does not disclose unit-level revenue (no Item 19). FranchiseVerdict grade: C (Average), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified · figures per the 2025 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $596K – $1.5M
- 27th pct Service Resta…
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- Royalty
- 4.0%
- 2nd pct Service Resta…
- Units
- 8
- 11th pct Service Resta…
- SBA charge-off
- N/A
Quick verdict · Full-Service Restaurants · color = vs category peers
Green = favorable by >10% vs Full-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 $596K – $1.5M including a $40K franchise fee, 4.0% ongoing royalty.
- RETURNSTotal Income for FY2024 of $688,577 comprises franchise fees $603,766, advertising fees $84,811, and license fees $0. Other Income (rebates $135,583 + management income $15 = $135,598) is reported below operating income. Net Income $51,713 reflects an operating loss of $(82,985) offset by Other Income.
- RISKVerdict C (Average), verdict score 46/100 (higher is better).
- DATANo Item 19 financial performance representation. Without franchisor-disclosed revenue data, you'll need to gather unit economics directly from existing franchisees.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- Lumberjacks Franchises, Inc.
- CEO title
- President and CEO
- Scott Bailey
- Founder active
- Yes
- Original founder still leading the business
- Incorporated in
- CA
- HQ
- 751 Sutter Street, Yuba City, CA 95991
- Auditor
- AGT CPAs & Advisors
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $689K
- vs $728K prior year
- Management churn noted
- Frequent turnover
- Item 2 disclosed frequent executive changes
Overview
About
- CEO
- Scott Bailey
- Headquarters
- CA
- Founded
- 2010
- FDD year
- 2025
- States available
- 2
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 9% below the typical full-service restaurants franchise.
Source: FDD 2025 · Items 5–7
Full Item 7 breakdown19 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Franchise Feenot refundable | $40K | $40K | |
| First Month's Rentnot refundable | $8K | $16K | |
| Security Depositsnot refundable | $0 | $16K | |
| Leasehold Improvementsnot refundable | $150K | $500K | |
| Furniture, Fixtures & Equipmentnot refundable | $100K | $400K | |
| Kitchen Equipmentnot refundable | $175K | $325K | |
| Decor Packagenot refundable | $5K | $7K | |
| Lumberjacks Statue Packagenot refundable | $10K | $14K | |
| Initial Inventory - Food & Papernot refundable | $18K | $22K | |
| Initial Inventory - Uniformnot refundable | $1K | $2K | |
| Insurancenot refundable | $11K | $18K | |
| Signagenot refundable | $6K | $22K | |
| Office Equipment & Suppliesnot refundable | $900 | $1K | |
| Computer Systemnot refundable | $4K | $8K | |
| Grand Opening Advertisingnot refundable | $5K | $7K | |
| Training Expenses and Initial On-Site Training Feenot refundable | $15K | $20K | |
| Licenses & Permitsnot refundable | $2K | $7K | |
| Legal & Accountingnot refundable | $5K | $10K | |
| Additional Funds - 3 monthsnot refundable | $40K | $100K | |
| Total initial investment | $596K | $1.5M |
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
- $596K – $1.5M
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $40K – $100K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $40K – $40K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Royalty
- 4.0%
- percentage · typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 0.5%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 4.5%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 4.0% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 0.5% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $500 |
| Training fee | $5K |
| Transfer fee | $15K |
| Renewal fee | $5K |
| Inventory (initial) | $19K – $24K |
| Total fee load | 4.5% of rev |
ROI & LBO modelsSingle-unit · 25-unit portfolio · editable
Lumberjacks 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 Lumberjacks unit return on the cash you put in?
Unlevered ROIC · per unit
Estimated return on your total franchise investment, before any debt financing.
9%
Below the 30–60% attractive-franchise band
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
Total Income for FY2024 of $688,577 comprises franchise fees $603,766, advertising fees $84,811, and license fees $0. Other Income (rebates $135,583 + management income $15 = $135,598) is reported below operating income. Net Income $51,713 reflects an operating loss of $(82,985) offset by Other Income.
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 4.5% — below the Full-Service Restaurants average of 7.6%.
Disclosure
Franchisor chose not to disclose financial performance representations. You will need to gather unit economics directly from existing franchisees.
Operator retention
System shrank 12.5% over 3 years — 0 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 Full-Service Restaurants averages
How Lumberjacks Compares
Is the system healthy?
Source: FDD 2025 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 8
- Opened
- 0
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 0
- Terminated
- 0
- Franchisor ended the franchise (per Item 20)
- Non-renewed
- 0
- Term expired, not renewed (per Item 20)
- Turnover rate
- 14.3%
- Company-owned
- 1
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 88%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (3-yr)
- -12.5%
- Net unit change over 3 years
- 3-yr CAGR
- -12.5%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Opened (3yr)
- 0
- Closed (3yr)
- 0
- Terminated (3yr)
- 0
- Non-renewed (3yr)
- 1
- Transfers (3yr)
- 0
- Reacquired (3yr)
- 0
- Franchisor bought back
- Projected new
- 2
- Franchisor's next-year forecast
- Transfer rate
- 12.5%
- Owners selling to other franchisees
- Continuity rate
- 100.0%
- Units that stayed open
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 12 · 2 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.
2
states with franchisees (per FDD Item 12)
SBA loan performance
Government records
SBA Loan Data
Aggregated from SBA loan disclosures. This brand has only 2 7(a) loans on file; statistical reliability is limited below 10 loans.
- Total loans
- 2
- Loan volume
- $543K
- Median loan
- $272K
- 50th percentile
- Charge-off rate
- N/A
- limited sample (2 loans) — rate not shown below 10
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
- 2
- Defaults
- N/A
Explore lender portfolios on Bank Reports or regional data on State Reports.
What could kill this investment?
Source: SBA 7(a) FOIA · FDD Items 3, 21
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 4, 8, 16, 21
Risk & Legal
Lumberjacks is a high-risk micro-franchise with critical financial transparency gaps, no profitability disclosure, questionable franchisor stability, and minimal system size to support franchisee success.
Litigation (Item 3)
No litigation required to be disclosed
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · AGT CPAs & Advisors
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
- Franchisor sells you products: No
- 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 46 / 100 verdict
- 01MEDOnly 8 units system-wide with unknown growth trajectory — suggests minimal scale, limited support infrastructure, and high failure risk
- 02HIGHGoing Concern status is FALSE — indicates potential financial instability or operational uncertainty at franchisor level
- 03MED4% royalty on undisclosed gross sales means franchisees have no visibility into what 'successful' looks like financially
- 04MINOR10-year term locks franchisee into relationship with micro-franchise (8 units) with no proven business model track record
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
What are you signing up for?
Ongoing fees run about 4.5% 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 | 10 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 10 years |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 3 |
| Territory type | protected |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | No |
| Territory radius | 3 mi |
| 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 | 10 mi |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| RoFR response window | 30 days |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Mandatory arbitration | No |
| Arbitration location | Yuba City, California |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | CA |
| Litigation count | 0 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
No litigation required to be disclosed
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 0 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 200 hrs
- Training location
- Yuba City, CA
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Time to open
- 3 mo
- From signing to launch
- Site selection
- Franchisee with franchisor approval
- Franchisor financing
- Not offered
- Item 10
- POS system
- Aloha
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: Aloha
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
7 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
Lumberjacks · FDD (2025) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Lumberjacks franchise?
The total investment to open a Lumberjacks franchise ranges from $596K – $1.5M, with an initial franchise fee of $40K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do Lumberjacks franchise owners earn?
Lumberjacks 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 Lumberjacks 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 Lumberjacks FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is Lumberjacks's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for Lumberjacks (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 Lumberjacks franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Lumberjacks has 8 total units in the United States, including 7 franchised units and 1 company-owned units.
Is Lumberjacks a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Lumberjacks as a C-grade franchise with a verdict score of 46 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 Lumberjacks, 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.