Maui WowiFranchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Maui Wowi franchise requires a total initial investment of $30K – $597K, including a $30K 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]. Verdict grade: F. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified June 18, 2026 · figures per the 2025 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $30K – $597K
- 1st pct Service Resta…
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- 59th pct Service Resta…
- Royalty
- N/A
- Units
- 80
- 71st pct Service Resta…
- SBA default
- 36.6%
- system-wide median varies by category
Quick verdict · Quick-Service Restaurants · color = vs category peers
Green = >15% above Quick-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
36.6% of SBA loans charged off across 47 loans, above the 16% franchise average.
Franchised units fell from 98 to 80 over 3 years. Investigate why operators are leaving.
20 legal cases disclosed in the FDD. Read Item 3 before signing.
Bottom line
- Total investment $30K – $597K including a $30K franchise fee.
- No Item 19 financial performance data disclosed. The franchisor chose not to publish revenue figures.
- Verdict F (Bottom Quintile) with a risk score of 100/100. 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, 2010–2024).
- 20 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
- Legal entity
- Kahala Franchising, L.L.C.
- Parent company
- Kahala Brands, Inc.
- Ultimate parent
- MTY Food Group, Inc.
- Predecessor
- Maui Wowi Franchising
- 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
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $606.6M
- vs $597.5M 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
Maui Wowi franchisees typically operate smoothie and juice bar kiosks or standalone shops, blending frozen fruit beverages and health-focused drinks for retail or mobile locations. Day-to-day operations involve inventory management, customer service, equipment maintenance, and local marketing. Revenue streams depend heavily on foot traffic volume and pricing strategy, with significant seasonal variation in tourist-dependent or climate-dependent markets.
- CEO
- Eric Lefebvre
- Headquarters
- AZ
- FDD year
- 2025
- States available
- 29
FDD Item 7 · 2025 filing · 27 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
- $30K – $597K
- Better than avg vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $0 – $50K
- Better than avg vs category
- Franchise fee
- $30K – $50K
- Better than avg vs category
- Royalty
- None
- Ad fund
- -n/d
- 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 – $10K |
| Total fee load | 15.0% of rev |
Financial Performance
This franchisor did not disclose financial performance representations in Item 19, or our extractor could not parse them.
vs Quick-Service Restaurants averages
How Maui Wowi Compares
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 80
- Opened
- 1
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 10
- Terminated
- 0
- Franchisor ended the franchise (per Item 20)
- Non-renewed
- 7
- Term expired, not renewed (per Item 20)
- Turnover rate
- 12.5%
- Company-owned
- 0
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 100%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (yr3)
- -10.1%
- Net unit change last year
- 3-yr CAGR
- -18.4%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Transfers (3yr)
- 0
- 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 20 · 6 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.
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
Vintage analysis
Maui Wowi charge-off rate by loan vintage
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.
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 5, 6, 12, 17
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)
Two concluded franchise-related litigation matters: (1) Purav Enterprises, L.L.C., Balwant Bahia, and Paramjit Samra v. The Extreme Pita Franchising USA, Inc., EP Development, Inc., and Feisal Ramjee (Washington Superior Court, Case No. 15-2-15120-7) - settled March 11, 2016 for $20,000, dismissed March 16, 2016. Plaintiffs alleged FIPA violations, misrepresentation of financial performance, and unregistered broker. (2) KOHO, Inc. v. Kahala Franchising, L.L.C. (California Superior Court, Case No. BC572565) - bench trial concluded June 16, 2016. Court granted judgment in favor of Kahala. Kahala awarded $205,000 in attorney's fees (July 18, 2016). Parties settled June 19, 2017 whereby Kahala repurchased Area Developer territory for $75,000 and forgave $130,000 in remaining damages.
Largest disclosed settlement: $540,000
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
- Franchisor sells you products: Yes
- 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 100 / 100 rating
- 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
- 04MINORWide investment range ($28,900–$597,000) suggests inconsistent unit economics or undefined support requirements
- 05HIGHGoing concern status is False, creating ambiguity about parent company financial stability
- 06MINORHigh 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
FDD Items 5, 6, 12, 17 · continued from Risk & Legal
Contract & Territory Detail
| Initial term | 10 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 10 years |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 1 |
| Territory type | site_only |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| 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 | Arizona |
| Litigation count | 20 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
Two concluded franchise-related litigation matters: (1) Purav Enterprises, L.L.C., Balwant Bahia, and Paramjit Samra v. The Extreme Pita Franchising USA, Inc., EP Development, Inc., and Feisal Ramjee (Washington Superior Court, Case No. 15-2-15120-7) - settled March 11, 2016 for $20,000, dismissed March 16, 2016. Plaintiffs alleged FIPA violations, misrepresentation of financial performance, and unregistered broker. (2) KOHO, Inc. v. Kahala Franchising, L.L.C. (California Superior Court, Case No. BC572565) - bench trial concluded June 16, 2016. Court granted judgment in favor of Kahala. Kahala awarded $205,000 in attorney's fees (July 18, 2016). Parties settled June 19, 2017 whereby Kahala repurchased Area Developer territory for $75,000 and forgave $130,000 in remaining damages.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 0 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 40 hrs
- Training location
- On-site and corporate
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Site selection
- joint
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
6 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 $30K – $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 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 98 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 risk score of 100 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.
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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.