Meals of HopeFranchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Meals of Hope franchise requires a total initial investment of $61K – $72K, including a $40K franchise fee. The 2025 FDD does not disclose unit-level revenue (no Item 19). Verdict grade: F. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified June 18, 2026 · figures per the 2025 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $61K – $72K
- 15th pct Business Serv…
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- 29th pct Business Serv…
- Royalty
- N/A
- Units
- 7
- 13th pct Business Serv…
- SBA default
- N/A
Quick verdict · Business Services · color = vs category peers
Green = >15% above Business Services 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
The system contracted 14% year-over-year. Investigate why units are closing.
The franchisor's auditor raised doubt about continued operations. This is a serious risk signal.
Bottom line
- Total investment $61K – $72K including a $40K franchise fee.
- Item 19 discloses "Historical number of meals packed" rather than annual gross sales, so unit revenue is not directly comparable.
- Verdict F (Bottom Quintile) with a risk score of 83/100.
- Auditor disclosed a going-concern note, which flagged doubt about the franchisor's ability to continue operations. Verify against the latest FDD.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
- Legal entity
- Meals of Hope Logistics, Inc.
- Parent company
- Meals of Hope Foundation, Inc.
- Incorporated in
- FL
- HQ
- 2221 Corporation Blvd, Naples, FL 34109
- Auditor
- Kezos & Dunlavy
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $98K
- vs $90K prior year
- ⚠ Going-concern note
- Disclosed in FDD 2025
- Auditor flagged doubt about continued operations. Verify against the latest FDD before deciding.
Overview
About
Franchisees operate meal donation/fundraising programs, likely coordinating the sourcing, preparation, and distribution of meals to beneficiaries while soliciting corporate or individual sponsors. Day-to-day activities involve sponsor relationship management, meal logistics, and community outreach to maintain the donation pipeline that directly determines franchisee earnings.
- CEO
- Stephen Popper
- Headquarters
- FL
- Founded
- 2021
- FDD year
- 2025
- States available
- 8
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
- Better than avg vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $5K – $10K
- Better than avg vs category
- Franchise fee
- $20K – $40K
- Better than avg vs category
- Royalty
- Franchisor retains remainder of sponsor donations after p…
- 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% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $200 |
| Transfer fee | $10K |
| Renewal fee | $5K |
| Total fee load | 5.0% of rev |
Financial Performance
This brand's FDD disclosed "Historical number of meals packed" in Item 19 rather than annual gross sales. This metric cannot be directly compared across brands, so we omit it from rankings.
vs Business Services averages
How Meals of Hope Compares
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 7
- Opened
- 0
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 1
- Turnover rate
- 14.3%
- Company-owned
- 1
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 86%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (yr3)
- -14.3%
- Net unit change last year
- 3-yr CAGR
- +50.0%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Transfers (3yr)
- 0
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 17 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 7(a) and 504 loan disclosures, public data unique to FranchiseVerdict.
No SBA loan data available for this brand.
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 5, 6, 12, 17
Risk & Legal
Declining system with opaque financials and a donation-dependent revenue model creates significant profitability uncertainty despite low upfront capital requirements.
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Kezos & Dunlavy⚠ Going-concern note flagged
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Score breakdown · what drove the 83 / 100 rating
- 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
FDD Items 5, 6, 12, 17 · continued from Risk & Legal
Contract & Territory Detail
| Initial term | 5 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 5 years |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 2 |
| Territory type | Geographic |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Online sales rights | Restricted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Not allowed |
| Owner-operator | Required |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 2 years |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Mandatory arbitration | No |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | Florida |
| Litigation count | 0 |
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 15 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 4 hrs
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
23 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
Meals of Hope · FDD (2025) PDF
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?
Meals of Hope 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 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 3 franchised units and 1 company-owned units.
Is Meals of Hope a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Meals of Hope as a F-grade franchise with a risk score of 83 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.