Mr. Charlie’s Told Me So Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
Mr. Charlie's Told Me So is a fast-food franchise serving plant-based hamburgers, plant-based chicken sandwiches, and meatless menu items from restaurants and food trucks. Franchisees run the locations, managing food prep, staffing, and service.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A MR. CHARLIE’S TOLD ME SO franchise requires a total initial investment of $283K – $698K, including a $35K franchise fee and an ongoing 5.0% royalty[2]. The 2025 FDD does not disclose unit-level revenue (no Item 19). FranchiseVerdict grade: D (Below average), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified · figures per the 2025 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $283K – $698K
- 12th pct Service Resta…
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- Company-owned onlyn=2
- Royalty
- 5.0%
- 7th pct Service Resta…
- Units
- 2
- 4th pct Service Resta…
- SBA charge-off
- N/A
Quick verdict · Full-Service Restaurants · color = vs category peers
Green = favorable by >10% vs Full-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 $283K – $698K including a $35K franchise fee, 5.0% ongoing royalty.
- RETURNSFigures from the AUDITED financial statements of Mr. Charlie's World, LLC (the franchisor entity Item 21 relies on), audited by Metwally CPA PLLC, for the inception period July 23, 2024 to December 31, 2024. Statements are in whole US dollars (not scaled); balance sheet reconciles (Assets 232,408 = Liabilities 71,062 + Members' Equity 161,346). Total Revenues of $13,013 consist entirely of Initial franchise fees. yr2 is null (first/inception period, no prior year). Note: pages p126-p127 show an UNAUDITED interim balance sheet/statement of operations as of June 30, 2025 (Mr. Charlies World LLC) explicitly marked "prepared without an audit"; those were not used.
- RISKVerdict D (Below average), verdict score 33/100 (higher is better).
- FLAGBankruptcy history disclosed in the FDD. Review Item 4 for details before proceeding.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- Mr. Charlie's World LLC
- Parent company
- Sona Terra Inc.
- CEO title
- Chief Executive Officer
- David Shneer
- Founder active
- Yes
- Original founder still leading the business
- Incorporated in
- CA
- HQ
- 450 North Bedford Drive, Suite 312, Beverly Hills, California 90210
- Auditor
- Metwally CPA PLLC
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $13K
- Most recent fiscal year
Overview
About
- CEO
- David Shneer
- Headquarters
- CA
- Founded
- 2022
- FDD year
- 2025
- States available
- 0
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 58% below the typical full-service restaurants franchise.
Source: FDD 2025 · Items 5–7
Full Item 7 breakdown34 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee (Restaurant)not refundable | $35K | $35K | |
| Security Deposit | $5K | $5K | |
| Initial Training Expensesnot refundable | $500 | $10K | |
| Food Handler Certificationnot refundable | $200 | $500 | |
| Lease Deposit & Rent (3 months) | $12K | $80K | |
| Architect Feesnot refundable | $9K | $11K | |
| Constructionnot refundable | $100K | $300K | |
| Exterior & Interior Signagenot refundable | $15K | $30K | |
| Furniture, Fixtures & Decornot refundable | $9K | $20K | |
| Technology Systemsnot refundable | $9K | $18K | |
| Kitchen Equipmentnot refundable | $32K | $57K | |
| Employee Uniformsnot refundable | $3K | $4K | |
| Opening Inventorynot refundable | $23K | $52K | |
| Grand Opening Advertisingnot refundable | $5K | $12K | |
| Office Suppliesnot refundable | $500 | $900 | |
| Utility Depositsnot refundable | $4K | $5K | |
| Business Licenses & Permitsnot refundable | $2K | $6K | |
| Professional Feesnot refundable | $5K | $16K | |
| Insurance Premium (3 months)not refundable | $600 | $1K | |
| Additional Funds (3 months)not refundable | $15K | $35K | |
| Total initial investment | $495K | $1.2M |
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
- $283K – $698K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $15K – $35K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $35K – $35K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Royalty
- 5.0%
- percentage · typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 2.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 7.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 5.0% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 2.0% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $150 |
| Training fee | $500 |
| Transfer fee | $10K |
| Renewal fee | $18K |
| Inventory (initial) | $23K – $52K |
| Total fee load | 7.0% of rev |
What do units actually make?
Source: FDD 2025 · Item 19
ROI & LBO modelsSingle-unit · 25-unit portfolio · editable
MR. CHARLIE’S TOLD ME SO 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 MR. CHARLIE’S TOLD ME SO unit return on the cash you put in?
Unlevered ROIC · per unit
Estimated return on your total franchise investment, before any debt financing.
16%
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
Figures from the AUDITED financial statements of Mr. Charlie's World, LLC (the franchisor entity Item 21 relies on), audited by Metwally CPA PLLC, for the inception period July 23, 2024 to December 31, 2024. Statements are in whole US dollars (not scaled); balance sheet reconciles (Assets 232,408 = Liabilities 71,062 + Members' Equity 161,346). Total Revenues of $13,013 consist entirely of Initial franchise fees. yr2 is null (first/inception period, no prior year). Note: pages p126-p127 show an UNAUDITED interim balance sheet/statement of operations as of June 30, 2025 (Mr. Charlies World LLC) explicitly marked "prepared without an audit"; those were not used.
Company-owned outlets only - not franchisee performance
Based on a sample of only 2
- Item 19 type
- gross sales
- Sample size
- 2
- vs category median 18 · small
- Range (low → high)
- $1.2M→$1.5M
- 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 3 / 10 · typical
Compared against 805 Full-Service Restaurants 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 7.0% (near the Full-Service Restaurants average).
Disclosure
Item 19 reports outlet revenue, but not in a form that yields a per-outlet average we can compare across brands.
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 Full-Service Restaurants averages
How Mr. Charlie’s Told Me So Compares
Is the system healthy?
Source: FDD 2025 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 2
- Opened
- 0
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 0
- Terminated
- 0
- Franchisor ended the franchise (per Item 20)
- Non-renewed
- 0
- Term expired, not renewed (per Item 20)
- Turnover rate
- 0.0%
- Company-owned
- 2
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 0%
- vs corporate-owned
3-year detail · Item 20
- Opened (3yr)
- 0
- Closed (3yr)
- 0
- Terminated (3yr)
- 0
- Non-renewed (3yr)
- 0
- Transfers (3yr)
- 0
- Reacquired (3yr)
- 0
- Franchisor bought back
- Projected new
- 2
- Franchisor's next-year forecast
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
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
Extremely high-risk opportunity: micro-system with active litigation, undisclosed profitability, going concern issues, and massive investment range relative to only 2 operating units.
Litigation (Item 3)
Tustin Legacy, LLC v. Aaron Haxton, Taylor Mckinnon & Mr. Charlie Told Me So LLC (Cal. Super. Ct., Case No. 248MCV00901). Filed Feb 27, 2024. Corporate dispute re: alleged 25% ownership interest in affiliate MCTMS; compensatory damages sought of at least $1,200,000. Defendants filed cross-complaint. Case pending.
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
Disclosed in last 7 years
Amanda Marie Mckinnon and Antonio David Mckinnon filed Chapter 7 (Case No. 2:19-bk-13970-BB, Bankr. C.D. Cal.) on April 8, 2019; discharged July 24, 2019. Taylor Mckinnon (Co-Founder and Chief Marketing Officer) joined as Joint Debtor after spouse's medical issue. No other bankruptcy disclosed.
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Metwally CPA PLLC
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 33 / 100 verdict
- 01MINOROnly 2 units in system with unknown growth trajectory suggests stagnant or shrinking franchise network
- 02HIGHActive litigation involving ownership disputes and alleged fund diversion raises governance and financial integrity concerns
- 03HIGHGoing Concern status is FALSE — indicates financial distress or sustainability questions at corporate level
- 04MINORHigh investment range ($282K-$697K) relative to tiny 2-unit system increases franchisee risk significantly
- 05MINOR5% royalty on gross sales (not net) means franchisor profits even when franchisees lose money
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
What are you signing up for?
Ongoing fees run about 7.0% 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 | 5 years |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 2 |
| Territory type | protected |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | No |
| Territory radius | 2 mi |
| 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 | 10 days |
| Curable defaultsℹ | 4 |
| Mandatory arbitration | No |
| Arbitration location | Los Angeles County, California |
| Jury trial waiver | No |
| Governing law | CA |
| Litigation count | 1 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
Tustin Legacy, LLC v. Aaron Haxton, Taylor Mckinnon & Mr. Charlie Told Me So LLC (Cal. Super. Ct., Case No. 248MCV00901). Filed Feb 27, 2024. Corporate dispute re: alleged 25% ownership interest in affiliate MCTMS; compensatory damages sought of at least $1,200,000. Defendants filed cross-complaint. Case pending.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 44 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 120 hrs
- Training location
- San Francisco or Los Angeles, California (company-owned Restaurant)
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Field support
- 120 hrs/yr
- On-site visits per year
- Time to open
- 8 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
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a MR. CHARLIE’S TOLD ME SO franchise?
The total investment to open a MR. CHARLIE’S TOLD ME SO franchise ranges from $283K – $698K, with an initial franchise fee of $35K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do MR. CHARLIE’S TOLD ME SO franchise owners earn?
MR. CHARLIE’S TOLD ME SO 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 MR. CHARLIE’S TOLD ME SO 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 MR. CHARLIE’S TOLD ME SO FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is MR. CHARLIE’S TOLD ME SO's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for MR. CHARLIE’S TOLD ME SO (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 MR. CHARLIE’S TOLD ME SO franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, MR. CHARLIE’S TOLD ME SO has 2 total units in the United States, including 0 franchised units and 2 company-owned units.
Is MR. CHARLIE’S TOLD ME SO a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates MR. CHARLIE’S TOLD ME SO as a D-grade franchise with a verdict score of 33 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 MR. CHARLIE’S TOLD ME SO, 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.