Mahana Fresh Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
Mahana Fresh is a fast-casual franchise serving customizable healthy bowls, salads, and smoothies with an island theme. Franchisees run the restaurants, managing fresh prep, staffing, and counter service.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Mahana Fresh franchise requires a total initial investment of $212K – $759K, including a $50K franchise fee and an ongoing 3.0% royalty[2]. Per the 2025 FDD, average unit revenue was $1.0M[2]. 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
- $212K – $759K
- 28th pct Service Resta…
- Avg gross sales
- $1.0M
- Outlet subset16th pct Service Resta…
- Royalty
- 3.0%
- 1st pct Service Resta…
- Units
- 7
- 30th pct Service Resta…
- SBA charge-off
- N/A
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 $212K – $759K including a $50K franchise fee, 3.0% ongoing royalty.
- RETURNSAverage unit revenue of $1.0M/year (reported for a subset of outlets rather than the whole system).
- RISKVerdict A (Strongest tier), verdict score 60/100 (higher is better).
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- Mahana Fresh, LLC
- Parent company
- Mahana Fresh Group Holdings, LLC
- CEO title
- CEO and Founder
- Dave Wood
- CEO experience
- 2018 yrs
- Years in role or industry
- Founder active
- Yes
- Original founder still leading the business
- Incorporated in
- FL
- HQ
- 343 S. Polk Drive, Sarasota, FL 34236
- Auditor
- Davidson, Doyle & Hilton
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $748K
- vs $627K prior year
- Management churn noted
- Frequent turnover
- Item 2 disclosed frequent executive changes
Overview
About
- CEO
- Dave Wood
- Headquarters
- FL
- Founded
- 2018
- FDD year
- 2025
- States available
- 7
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 26% below the typical quick-service restaurants franchise.
Source: FDD 2025 · Items 5–7
Full Item 7 breakdown19 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Feenot refundable | $50K | $50K | |
| Travel/Living Expenses While Trainingnot refundable | $1K | $4K | |
| Real Estate/Rent and Depositnot refundable | $5K | $20K | |
| Leasehold Improvementsnot refundable | $20K | $330K | |
| Buildout Managementnot refundable | $0 | $15K | |
| Equipment and Small Waresnot refundable | $60K | $150K | |
| Mill Works and Furniturenot refundable | $8K | $42K | |
| Signagenot refundable | $5K | $20K | |
| Computer System & Technology Feenot refundable | $8K | $10K | |
| Office Suppliesnot refundable | $500 | $2K | |
| Licenses and Permitsnot refundable | $500 | $7K | |
| Legal and Accountingnot refundable | $1K | $8K | |
| Dues and Subscriptionsnot refundable | $200 | $500 | |
| Utility Depositsnot refundable | $0 | $3K | |
| Insurancenot refundable | $500 | $4K | |
| Initial Inventorynot refundable | $3K | $5K | |
| Grand Opening Marketingnot refundable | $20K | $20K | |
| Onsite Trainingnot refundable | $0 | $10K | |
| Additional Funds - 3 monthsnot refundable | $30K | $60K | |
| Total initial investment | $212K | $759K |
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
- $212K – $759K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $30K – $60K
- Middle of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $50K – $50K
- Bottom third — review vs category
- Royalty
- 3.0%
- tiered · typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 2.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 5.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 3.0% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 2.0% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $400 |
| Training fee | $10K |
| Transfer fee | $4K |
| Renewal fee | $10 |
| Inventory (initial) | $3K – $5K |
| Total fee load | 5.0% of rev |
A 5.0% total fee load is unusually lean. More of each revenue dollar stays with the franchisee.
What do units actually make?
Average unit sales run 16% below the quick-service restaurants norm.
Reported for a subset of outlets rather than the whole system
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
$172K
17.0% margin
Unlevered ROIC
32%
EBITDA / total invested capital
Payback
3.1 yrs
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 Mahana Fresh unit return on the cash you put in?
Unlevered ROIC · per unit
Estimated return on your total franchise investment, before any debt financing.
32%
Within the 30–60% "attractive franchise" band
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 Mahana Fresh units return on equity?
Equity IRR · 5-yr
49.2%
7.39× MOIC
Year-1 DSCR
1.89×
EBITDA ÷ debt service
Equity required
$2.1M
on $10.1M purchase
Total debt
$8.0M
SBA $5.0M + 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
Reported for a subset of outlets rather than the whole system
- Avg gross sales
- $1.0M
- Per unit, per year
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
- Sample size
- 3
- vs category median 20 · small
- Range (low → high)
- $969K→$1.1M
- Cohort dispersion (min → max)
- Reporting year
- 2024
- Fiscal year the figures cover
- Source filing
- FDD 2025
- Disclosed in the 2025 filing, covering 2024
- Transparency
- 3 / 10
- vs category median 4 / 10 · below
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.
Unit economics
Average unit generates $1.0M/year in gross sales. Revenue-to-investment ratio: 2.1x. Reported for a subset of outlets rather than the whole system.
Fee burden
Total ongoing fee load of 5.0% — below the Quick-Service Restaurants average of 7.9%.
Disclosure
Transparency score 3/10 — moderate disclosure depth. Average and range data are available but detailed cohort breakdowns may be limited. Sample size of 3 units — treat as directional only.
Operator retention
Net unit growth of +16.7% over 3 years (3 opened, 3 closed).
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 Mahana Fresh Compares
Is the system healthy?
Source: FDD 2025 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 7
- Opened
- 3
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 3
- Terminated
- 0
- Franchisor ended the franchise (per Item 20)
- Non-renewed
- 0
- Term expired, not renewed (per Item 20)
- Turnover rate
- 42.9%
- Company-owned
- 0
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 100%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (3-yr)
- +16.7%
- Net unit change over 3 years
- 3-yr CAGR
- +16.7%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Opened (3yr)
- 3
- Closed (3yr)
- 3
- Terminated (3yr)
- 0
- Non-renewed (3yr)
- 0
- Transfers (3yr)
- 0
- Reacquired (3yr)
- 0
- Franchisor bought back
- Projected new
- 4
- Franchisor's next-year forecast
- Ceased ops
- 42.9%
- Units that stopped operating
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.
SBA loan performance
Government records
SBA Loan Data
Aggregated from SBA loan disclosures. This brand has only 6 7(a) loans on file; statistical reliability is limited below 10 loans.
- Total loans
- 6
- Loan volume
- $2.6M
- Median loan
- $394K
- 50th percentile
- Charge-off rate
- N/A
- limited sample (6 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
- 5
- 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
Mahana Fresh is an early-stage franchise with minimal unit count, undisclosed profitability, and murky financial transparency—warranting deep validation with existing franchisees before commitment.
Litigation (Item 3)
No litigation information required to be disclosed
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Davidson, Doyle & Hilton
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 60 / 100 verdict
- 01MINOROnly 7 units system-wide with unknown growth trajectory suggests nascent/stagnant franchise model
- 02MEDNet income not disclosed in FDD Item 19 — cannot validate profitability claims or ROI assumptions
- 03MINORWide investment range ($212K-$758K) indicates unclear cost structure or significant variability in unit economics
- 04MINORRoyalty structure doubles from 3% to 6% after 6 months, creating cash flow pressure during critical ramp period
- 05MINORNo 'Going Concern' statement is false — potential accounting or operational stability issues at corporate level
- 06MINORFranchise fee ($49.5K) represents 23-24% of minimum investment, relatively high for unproven system
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
What are you signing up for?
Ongoing fees run about 5.0% 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 | 10 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 10 years |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 1 |
| Territory type | protected |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | No |
| Territory radius | 1 mi |
| Online sales rightsℹ | Restricted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Optional |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 1 year |
| 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 | Yes |
| Arbitration location | Sarasota County, Florida |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | FL |
| Litigation count | 0 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
No litigation information required to be disclosed
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 40 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 40 hrs
- Training location
- Sarasota, FL or Tampa, FL or other designated location
- 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
- Toast
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: Toast
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
17 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
Mahana Fresh · FDD (2025) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Mahana Fresh franchise?
The total investment to open a Mahana Fresh franchise ranges from $212K – $759K, 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 Mahana Fresh franchise owners earn?
According to Item 19 of the Mahana Fresh FDD, the average gross sales per unit is $1.0M. Important context: Reported for a subset of outlets rather than the whole system. Note: this is gross revenue, not profit. Actual owner earnings vary based on location, operating costs, and management.
What is Item 19 in the Mahana Fresh 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 Mahana Fresh FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is Mahana Fresh's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for Mahana Fresh (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 Mahana Fresh franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Mahana Fresh has 7 total units in the United States, including 7 franchised units and 0 company-owned units. 3 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is Mahana Fresh a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Mahana Fresh as a A-grade franchise with a verdict score of 60 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 Mahana Fresh, 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.