Maui Wowi Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
Maui Wowi is a franchise serving Hawaiian-style fruit smoothies and espresso from carts, kiosks, and shops at events and fixed sites. Franchisees run a mobile or storefront operation managing blending, service, and event bookings.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Maui Wowi franchise requires a total initial investment of $103K – $597K, including a $30K – $50K franchise fee. The 2025 FDD does not disclose unit-level revenue (no Item 19). SBA 7(a) loans show a 36.6% charge-off rate across 47 loans[1]. FranchiseVerdict grade: F (Weakest tier), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified · figures per the 2025 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $103K – $597K
- 6th pct Service Resta…
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- Royalty
- N/A
- Units
- 80
- 73rd pct Service Resta…
- SBA charge-off
- 36.6%
- % 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 $103K – $597K including a $30K franchise fee.
- RETURNSItem 21 financial statements are the consolidated audited financials of the franchisor's parent/guarantor, MTY Franchising USA, Inc., not Maui Wowi/Kahala Franchising L.L.C. alone. Figures in thousands of USD; FY ended Nov 30, 2023 (yr1) and Nov 30, 2022 (yr2). The FY2023 revenue increase reflects mergers/acquisitions of affiliated entities (combined revenues per Item 1). Auditor opinion signed by PwC, Montreal, Canada, Feb 2, 2024.
- RISKVerdict F (Weakest tier), verdict score 19/100 (higher is better). SBA loan charge-off rate of 36.6% across 47 loans (well above the 16% franchise average, based on all SBA 7(a) franchise lending, 2010–2025).
- LEGAL14 litigation matters disclosed in Item 3, higher than typical. Review the summary for patterns (franchisor-initiated vs. franchisee-initiated).
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- Kahala Franchising, L.L.C.
- Parent company
- MTY Franchising USA, Inc.
- Ultimate parent
- MTY Food Group, Inc.
- Predecessor
- Maui Wowi Franchising, Inc.
- Prior franchisor entity
- CEO title
- Chief Executive Officer
- Eric Lefebvre
- CEO experience
- 13 yrs
- Years in role or industry
- Incorporated in
- AZ
- HQ
- 9311 E. Via De Ventura, Scottsdale, Arizona 85258
- Auditor
- PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (PwC)
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $580.3M
- vs $263.7M prior year
- Management churn noted
- Frequent turnover
- Item 2 disclosed frequent executive changes
Affiliated brands
- Maui Wowi International
- of Kahala Franchising
Other brands the franchisor or its parent operates (Item 1).
Overview
About
- CEO
- Eric Lefebvre
- Headquarters
- AZ
- Founded
- 2008
- FDD year
- 2025
- States available
- 29
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 47% below the typical quick-service restaurants franchise.
Source: FDD 2025 · Items 5–7
Full Item 7 breakdown27 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee (Mobile Unit)not refundable | $24K | $50K | |
| Travel and Living Expenses (Mobile Unit, 2 persons training) | $650 | $4K | |
| Mobile Operating Unit | $0 | $86K | |
| Coffee Equipment | $0 | $18K | |
| Optional Equipment | $0 | $16K | |
| Opening Inventory (Mobile Unit) | $2K | $7K | |
| POS System, Credit Card Processing and Back Office Computer Equipment (Optional, Mobile Unit) | $0 | $10K | |
| Miscellaneous Opening Costs (Mobile Unit) | $2K | $5K | |
| Additional Funds - 3 months (Mobile Unit) | $0 | $14K | |
| Concession License Fee | — | — | |
| Business Insurance (Mobile Unit) | $1K | $4K | |
| POS System, Credit Card Processing and Back Office Computer Equipment (Mobile Unit at Permanent Site) | $5K | $15K | |
| Real Estate Lease (Mobile Unit at Permanent Site) | $1K | $30K | |
| Initial Franchise Fee (Fixed Operating Unit)not refundable | $24K | $50K | |
| Travel and Living Expenses (Fixed Unit, 2 persons training) | $650 | $7K | |
| Architect's Fees | $10K | $20K | |
| Real Estate Lease (Fixed Unit) | $1K | $30K | |
| Fixed Kiosk | $0 | $128K | |
| Equipment/decor | $9K | $38K | |
| Construction | $32K | $210K | |
| Total initial investment | $138K | $855K |
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
- $103K – $597K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $0 – $50K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $30K – $50K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Royalty
- No royalty on gross sales. Instead, franchisor earns reve…
- Ad fund
- 15% of the purchase price of Maui Wowi Products (product-…
- Total fee load
- 15.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Technology fee | $99 |
| Training fee | $1K |
| Transfer fee | $8K |
| Renewal fee | $8K |
| Inventory (initial) | $2K – $7K |
| Total fee load | 15.0% of rev |
ROI & LBO modelsSingle-unit · 25-unit portfolio · editable
Maui Wowi 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 Maui Wowi unit return on the cash you put in?
Unlevered ROIC · per unit
Estimated return on your total franchise investment, before any debt financing.
26%
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
Item 21 financial statements are the consolidated audited financials of the franchisor's parent/guarantor, MTY Franchising USA, Inc., not Maui Wowi/Kahala Franchising L.L.C. alone. Figures in thousands of USD; FY ended Nov 30, 2023 (yr1) and Nov 30, 2022 (yr2). The FY2023 revenue increase reflects mergers/acquisitions of affiliated entities (combined revenues per Item 1). Auditor opinion signed by PwC, Montreal, Canada, Feb 2, 2024.
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 15.0% — above the Quick-Service Restaurants average of 7.9%.
Disclosure
Franchisor chose not to disclose financial performance representations. You will need to gather unit economics directly from existing franchisees.
Operator retention
System contracting at -18.4% CAGR over 3 years. Investigate whether closures are franchisor-driven consolidation or franchisee exits.
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 Maui Wowi Compares
Is the system healthy?
Source: FDD 2025 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 80
- Opened
- 1
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 2
- Terminated
- 0
- Franchisor ended the franchise (per Item 20)
- Non-renewed
- 8
- Term expired, not renewed (per Item 20)
- Turnover rate
- 32.5%
- Company-owned
- 0
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 100%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (3-yr)
- -18.4%
- Net unit change over 3 years
- 3-yr CAGR
- -18.4%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Opened (3yr)
- 6
- Terminated (3yr)
- 3
- Non-renewed (3yr)
- 23
- Transfers (3yr)
- 0
- Reacquired (3yr)
- 0
- Franchisor bought back
- Termination rate
- 8.7%
- Franchisor-initiated terminations
- Ceased ops
- 13.8%
- Units that stopped operating
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 12 · 29 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.
29
states with franchisees (per FDD Item 12)
A system losing more than 10% of its units year-over-year is a red flag. Check whether closures are concentrated in specific regions.
SBA loan performance
Government records
SBA Loan Data
Aggregated from SBA 7(a) and 504 loan disclosures, public data unique to FranchiseVerdict.
- Total loans
- 47
- Loan volume
- $6.6M
- Median loan
- $123K
- 50th percentile
- Charge-off rate
- 36.6%
- 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)
- 63.4%
- 5-yr charge-off
- N/A
- Loans approved 2021+
- Active lenders
- 29
- Defaults
- 15
- Typical loan rate
- 5.1%
- avg rate to borrowers
- Franchised industry avg
- 31.2%
- brand above franchise avg ↑
- Jobs supported
- 347
- 6.0 per loan
- Lender concentration
- 14%
- top lender's share
Franchise vs independent — in snack and nonalcoholic beverage bars, franchised businesses charge off at 31.2% vs 27.4% for independents — franchising is associated with 14% higher SBA default risk in this category.
Vintage analysis
Maui Wowi charge-off rate by loan vintage
Top lenders financing Maui Wowi franchisees
Showing 3 of 29 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 Maui Wowi's SBA lending history: lender network, geographic footprint, interest rates, and more.
SBA Lending Report
- Principal loss rate and NAICS industry benchmark
- 10 lenders with concentration factor
- Per-state charge-off rates across 15 states
- Startup risk premium and job creation velocity
- 11-year lending trend
Instant access. No subscription.
A 36.6% charge-off rate means roughly 1 in 3 franchisees failed to repay their SBA loan. Investigate what changed.
What could kill this investment?
SBA loans charge off at 36.6% — 128% 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
Maui Wowi presents HIGH RISK due to contracting franchise system, undisclosed unit economics, material litigation history, and unclear parent company financial viability—franchisees should demand verified financial statements and current unit performance data before committing.
Litigation (Item 3)
Multiple concluded arbitration and litigation matters involving Kahala Franchising and its MTY USA affiliates. Cases include franchisee breach of contract disputes, financial performance misrepresentation claims (Papa Murphy's class action settled for up to $4M per group), trademark infringement suits, and regulatory consent orders involving predecessor brands. Two active suits filed by franchisor in fiscal year 2024 (breach of contract and forcible detainer). Several predecessor regulatory actions involving Maui Wowi Franchising in Maryland.
Largest disclosed settlement: $4,000,000
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (PwC)
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
ⓘ These are the parent company's consolidated financials (the parent guarantees the franchisor), not this brand's standalone results — the figure reflects the whole corporate group, not this brand alone.
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 19 / 100 verdict
- 01MINORUnit count declining 10.1% year-over-year (80 units) indicates system contraction and weak franchisee retention
- 02MEDNo Item 19 financial disclosures (avg revenue/net income not disclosed) prevents assessment of actual unit profitability
- 03HIGHSignificant litigation history involving predecessors, affiliates, and multiple restaurant brands under common ownership with breach of contract and misrepresentation claims raises operator integrity concerns
- 04HIGHGoing concern status is False, creating ambiguity about parent company financial stability
- 05MINORHigh franchise fee ($30,000) combined with declining unit count suggests franchisor may be dependent on new recruitment over system growth
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
What are you signing up for?
Ongoing fees run about 15.0% 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 | none |
| Protected territory | No |
| 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 | 10 mi |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Curable defaultsℹ | 6 |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Arbitration location | franchisee_state |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | State where Franchised Business is located |
| Litigation count | 14 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
Multiple concluded arbitration and litigation matters involving Kahala Franchising and its MTY USA affiliates. Cases include franchisee breach of contract disputes, financial performance misrepresentation claims (Papa Murphy's class action settled for up to $4M per group), trademark infringement suits, and regulatory consent orders involving predecessor brands. Two active suits filed by franchisor in fiscal year 2024 (breach of contract and forcible detainer). Several predecessor regulatory actions involving Maui Wowi Franchising in Maryland.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 0 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 40 hrs
- Training location
- Scottsdale, Arizona or another site designated by Kahala Franchising
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Site selection
- Franchisee
- Franchisor financing
- Offered
- Item 10
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
2 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
Maui Wowi · FDD (2025) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Maui Wowi franchise?
The total investment to open a Maui Wowi franchise ranges from $103K – $597K, with an initial franchise fee of $30K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do Maui Wowi franchise owners earn?
Maui Wowi 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 Maui Wowi 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 Maui Wowi FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is Maui Wowi's franchise failure rate?
Based on SBA 7(a) loan data, Maui Wowi has a charge-off rate of 36.6% across 47 loans, meaning 36.6% 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 Maui Wowi franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Maui Wowi has 80 total units in the United States, including 80 franchised units and 0 company-owned units. 1 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is Maui Wowi a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Maui Wowi as a F-grade franchise with a verdict score of 19 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 Maui Wowi, 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.