Meals of Hope Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
- Investment
- $61K – $72K
- Disclosed sales
- partial, no system average
- SBA charge-off
- Not SBA-matched
Data from FDD filing
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
Meals of Hope is a fundraising franchise that organizes meal-packing events and hunger-relief programs with corporate and community sponsors. Franchisees run local operations, coordinating events, sponsors, and volunteers.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Meals of Hope franchise requires a total initial investment of $61K – $72K, including a $40K franchise fee. The 2025 FDD on file does not yield a unit-revenue figure we can publish. FranchiseVerdict grade: B (Above average), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Run a live ROI scan →
Sources, dates and evidence
FDD issued: · Data extracted: · Last cited check: · Staleness risk: low - issued within the last 12 months
Evidence: strong✓ Investment (Item 7)✓ Item 19 status✓ Units and owners (Item 20)✗ SBA loan coverage✓ Litigation (Item 3)✓ Financial statements (Item 21)✓ Franchisor identityhow this is scored4 of 4 headline figures on this page cite a page of the filing.
Overview
- Investment
- $61K – $72K
- 18th pct Business Serv…
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- Incl. company outletsProjection
- Royalty
- Not extracted
- Units
- 7
- 15th pct Business Serv…
- SBA charge-off
- N/A
Quick verdict · Business Services · color = vs category peers
Green = favorable by >10% vs Business Services median · 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 $61K – $72K including a $40K franchise fee.
- RETURNSItem 19 reports meals packed rather than annual gross sales, so unit revenue is not directly comparable.
- RISKVerdict B (Above average), verdict score 53/100 (higher is better).
- GROWTHNegative: net -1 franchised outlets in the latest year (0 opened, 1 closed); 4 signed but not yet open (Item 20).
- DATAItem 19 reports meals packed rather than annual gross sales, so unit revenue is not directly comparable. Ask franchisees directly for full unit-level revenue.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- Meals of Hope Logistics, Inc.
- Parent company
- Meals of Hope Foundation, Inc.
- FDD Item 1, page 7 of the 2025 FDD
- CEO title
- President and CEO
- Stephen Popper
- Incorporated in
- FL
- HQ
- 2221 Corporation Blvd, Naples, FL 34109
- Auditor
- Kezos & Dunlavy
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $98K
- vs $14K prior year
Overview
About
- CEO
- Stephen Popper
- Headquarters
- FL
- Founded
- 2021
- FDD year
- 2025
- States available
- 7
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 50% below the typical business services franchise.
Source: FDD 2025 · Items 5–7
FDD Item 7 · 2025 filing
Initial investment breakdown
| Cost component | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $40K | $40K |
| Working capital (3–6 mo) | $5K | $10K |
| Equipment, build-out, other | $16K | $22K |
| Total initial investment | $61K | $72K |
Source: Meals of Hope 2025 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
- $61K – $72K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $5K – $10K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $40K – $40K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Royalty
- No traditional royalty; franchisor collects all gross sal…
- Ad fund
- 5.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 5.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Marketing / ad fund | 5.0% |
| Technology fee | $200 |
| Transfer fee | $10K |
| Renewal fee | $5K |
| Inventory (initial) | $12K – $12K |
| Total fee load | 5.0% of rev |
What do units actually make?
Source: FDD 2025 · Item 19
ROI & LBO modelsSingle-unit · 25-unit portfolio · editable
No Item 19 revenue figure for Meals of Hope is on file. The return models need a revenue figure to start from, and the operating costs that turn gross sales into a profit are in no FDD. Enter your own and the calculator runs on your assumptions — nothing here is modelled until you do.
Returns model · single-unit ROIC
What would one Meals of Hope unit return on the cash you put in?
Illustrative category typicals — not sourced to any filing, survey or sample. Replace them with figures from franchisee validation calls before you rely on the output.
Unlevered ROIC · per unit
Your modelled return on total invested capital, before any debt financing.
—
An FDD discloses gross sales, not profit. We hold no sourced figure for annual revenue, royalty rate, COGS, labour, rent / occupancy and other operating costs, and will not substitute an assumed one. Enter your own and the model runs on your assumptions.
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
Includes company-owned outlets
Not a revenue figure
- Item 19 type
- meals packed
- Sample size
- 5
- vs category median 37 · small
- Reporting year
- 2024
- Fiscal year the figures cover
- Source filing
- FDD 2025
- Disclosed in the 2025 filing, covering 2024
Compared against 296 Business Services brands
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 5.0% — below the Business Services median of 9.0%.
Disclosure
Item 19 reports meals packed rather than annual gross sales, so unit revenue is not directly comparable.
Operator retention
Net unit growth of +75.0% over 3 years (0 opened, 1 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 Business Services medians
How Meals of Hope Compares
Category median of published Business Services brands that report the figure; the middle half spans the 25th to 75th percentile and n counts the brands behind it. Medians are used because a few very large systems pull an average far from the typical brand. Revenue is disclosed gross sales, not profit.
Is the system healthy?
Source: FDD 2025 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 7
- Opened
- 0
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 1
- 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)
- +75.0%
- Net unit change over 3 years
- 3-yr CAGR
- +50.0%
- Compounded over last 3 years
Last fiscal year · Item 20 exits and transfers
- Terminated
- 0
- Not renewed
- 0
- Transferred
- 1
- Reacquired
- 0
- Franchisor bought back
- Signed, not yet open
- 4
- 0.57 per open outlet · Item 20 Table 5
- Projected new
- 5
- Franchisor's next-year forecast
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 12 · 7 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.
7
states with franchisees (per FDD Item 12)
Where the owners are · Item 20 owner list
2 current owners across 1 state.
- FL 2
Counts only, from the list the franchisor prints in Item 20. Names and phone numbers are for your own due diligence and are not shown here.
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.
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
Declining system with opaque financials and a donation-dependent revenue model creates significant profitability uncertainty despite low upfront capital requirements.
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Kezos & Dunlavy
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Total revenue of $97,761 for FY2023 consists of franchise fees $92,881 and brand fund fees $4,880. FY2022 total revenue $13,500 (franchise fees only); FY2021 $0. Company organized Aug 16, 2021; net loss every year (FY2023 ($438,868), FY2022 ($387,485), FY2021 ($188,343)). Member's equity is a deficit of ($412,803) at 12/31/2023, driven by $530,583 due to affiliate. FY2022/2021 statements audited by other (prior) auditors.
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
- Franchisor sells you products: Yes
- Must buy proprietary products: Yes
- Restricted to system-approved products: Yes
Score breakdown · what drove the 53 / 100 verdict
- 01MEDUnit count declined 14.3% YoY (7 units) indicating system contraction and potential franchisee dissatisfaction
- 02MINORNo average revenue or net income disclosure (Item 19) prevents realistic ROI assessment on $61-72k investment
- 03MEDHighly unusual commission structure ($0.03-$0.09/meal) makes franchisee earnings dependent on franchisor's donation volume, creating misaligned incentives
- 04MINORHigh franchise fee ($40,000) relative to low initial investment range suggests front-loaded franchisor revenue extraction
- 05MEDVague territory protection and meal commission terms leave franchisee exposed to franchisor discretion on profitability
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 | 5 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 5 years |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 2 |
| Territory type | No territory protection |
| Protected territory | No |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | No |
| Territory population | 2,000,000 |
| Online sales rightsℹ | Restricted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Not allowed |
| Owner-operator | Required |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 2 years |
| Non-compete (miles)ℹ | 25 mi |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| RoFR response window | 30 days |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 15 days |
| Curable defaultsℹ | 9 |
| Mandatory arbitration | No |
| Arbitration location | Naples, FL |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | FL |
| Litigation count | 0 |
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 15 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 3 hrs
- Training location
- Naples, FL (corporate) and Southwest FL or mutually agreed location (OJT)
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Time to open
- 1 mo
- From signing to launch
- Site selection
- Franchisee with franchisor approval
- Franchisor financing
- Not 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
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Meals of Hope franchise?
The total investment to open a Meals of Hope franchise ranges from $61K – $72K, 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 Meals of Hope franchise owners earn?
Item 19 of the Meals of Hope FDD discloses figures for part of the system but no single average across all outlets. These are gross sales figures, not profit; the Revenue section shows what the filing reports and on what basis. Item 20 of the FDD lists current and former franchisees; asking them directly is the standard way to fill this gap.
Who owns Meals of Hope?
Meals of Hope is franchised by Meals of Hope Logistics, Inc.. Its parent company is Meals of Hope Foundation, Inc.. Source: FDD Item 1, 2025 filing.
What is Item 19 in the Meals of Hope 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 Meals of Hope FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is Meals of Hope's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for Meals of Hope (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 Meals of Hope franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Meals of Hope has 7 total units in the United States, including 6 franchised units and 1 company-owned units.
Is Meals of Hope a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Meals of Hope as a B-grade franchise with a verdict score of 53 out of 100 (higher is better). The grade is a deterministic score built from six weighted dimensions — financial health, unit economics, unit growth, scale, legal, and transparency — then calibrated against SBA loan charge-off rates and FDD age. Transparency is one of the six, so a filing that discloses less scores lower on that dimension than one that discloses more. 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.