Nature’s Table Café Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
- Investment
- $62K – $295K
- Disclosed sales
- not disclosed
- SBA charge-off
- 30.0%
- on 21 loans
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
Nature's Table Cafe is a fast-casual franchise serving health-focused salads, wraps, smoothies, and soups. Franchisees run the cafes, managing fresh prep, staffing, and counter service, often in office and campus settings.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Nature’s Table Café franchise requires a total initial investment of $62K – $295K, including a $30K franchise fee and an ongoing 5.0% royalty[2]. This franchisor makes no financial performance representation in Item 19 of its FDD. Item 19 is voluntary under the FTC Franchise Rule, and this filing states that it makes none, so no revenue or earnings figures are disclosed. Declining to publish one is lawful and is not evidence of how the outlets perform. It does mean that less about this brand can be verified from its filing, and the FranchiseVerdict grade - an editorial assessment, not investment advice - reflects that. SBA 7(a) loans show a 30.0% charge-off rate across 21 loans[1]. FranchiseVerdict grade: D (Below 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: high - issued more than two years ago
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 5 headline figures on this page cite a page of the filing; the rest are marked “Not cited” beside the figure.
Overview
- Investment
- $62K – $295K
- 2nd pct Service Resta…
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- Royalty
- 5.0%
- 12th pct Service Resta…
- Units
- 51
- 66th pct Service Resta…
- SBA charge-off
- 30.0%
- % 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 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 $62K – $295K including a $30K franchise fee, 5.0% ongoing royalty.
- RETURNSThis franchisor makes no financial performance representation in Item 19 of its FDD. Item 19 is voluntary under the FTC Franchise Rule, and this filing states that it makes none, so no revenue or earnings figures are disclosed. Declining to publish one is lawful and is not evidence of how the outlets perform. It does mean that less about this brand can be verified from its filing, and the FranchiseVerdict grade - an editorial assessment, not investment advice - reflects that.
- RISKVerdict D (Below average), verdict score 28/100 (higher is better). SBA loan charge-off rate of 30.0% across 21 loans (well above the 16% franchise average, based on all SBA 7(a) franchise lending, 2010–2025).
- GROWTHNegative: net -4 franchised outlets in the latest year (2 opened, 6 closed); 2 signed but not yet open (Item 20).
- DECLINESystem contracting at -11.3% CAGR over 3 years. Investigate whether closures are franchisor-driven (consolidation) or franchisee-driven (economics).
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- Nature's Table Franchise Company
- Predecessor
- Nature's Table (operated since 1977 as Vine and Harvest)
- Prior franchisor entity
- CEO title
- President, Director and Co-Founder
- Richard Wagner
- CEO experience
- 1987 yrs
- Years in role or industry
- Founder active
- Yes
- Original founder still leading the business
- Incorporated in
- FL
- HQ
- 545 Delaney Avenue, Building 2, Orlando, Florida 32801
- Auditor
- Moss, Krusick & Associates, LLC
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $1.2M
- vs $983K prior year
Overview
About
- CEO
- Richard Wagner
- Headquarters
- FL
- FDD year
- 2023
- States available
- 9
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 63% below the typical quick-service restaurants franchise.
Source: FDD 2023 · Items 5–7
Full Item 7 breakdown13 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee | $30K | $30K | |
| Travel and Living Expenses While Training | $3K | $5K | |
| Real Estate/ Rent Deposit (Three months) | $3K | $9K | |
| Leasehold Improvements | $0 | $150K | |
| Site Inspection and Review | $0 | $3K | |
| Utility and Miscellaneous Security Deposits | $0 | $3K | |
| Furniture, Fixtures and Equipment | $0 | $50K | |
| Opening Inventory | $10K | $12K | |
| Insurance | $1K | $2K | |
| Additional Funds (Three Months) | $5K | $15K | |
| Grand Opening Advertising | $5K | $5K | |
| Signage/Menu Boards | $2K | $5K | |
| Miscellaneous | $4K | $6K | |
| Total initial investment | $62K | $295K |
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
- $62K – $295K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $5K – $15K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $30K – $30K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Royalty
- 5.0%
- typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 1.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 6.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 5.0% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 1.0% of gross sales |
| Training fee | $5K |
| Transfer fee | $10K |
| Renewal fee | $0 |
| Inventory (initial) | $10K – $12K |
| Total fee load | 6.0% of rev |
ROI & LBO modelsSingle-unit · 25-unit portfolio · editable
Nature’s Table Café makes no financial performance representation in Item 19 of its FDD - a voluntary item under the FTC Franchise Rule - so no unit revenue figures are disclosed. 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 Nature’s Table Café 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, 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: 2023 FDD
Financial Performance
No financial performance representation
This franchisor makes no financial performance representation in Item 19 of its FDD. Item 19 is voluntary under the FTC Franchise Rule, and this filing states that it makes none, so no revenue or earnings figures are disclosed. Declining to publish one is lawful and is not evidence of how the outlets perform. It does mean that less about this brand can be verified from its filing, and the FranchiseVerdict grade - an editorial assessment, not investment advice - reflects that.
Item 20 of the FDD lists current and former franchisees; asking them directly is the standard way to fill this gap.
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 6.0% — below the Quick-Service Restaurants median of 7.5%.
Disclosure
This franchisor makes no financial performance representation in Item 19 of its FDD. Item 19 is voluntary under the FTC Franchise Rule, and this filing states that it makes none, so no revenue or earnings figures are disclosed. Declining to publish one is lawful and is not evidence of how the outlets perform. It does mean that less about this brand can be verified from its filing, and the FranchiseVerdict grade - an editorial assessment, not investment advice - reflects that. Item 20 of the FDD lists current and former franchisees; asking them directly is the standard way to fill this gap.
Operator retention
System contracting at -11.3% CAGR over 3 years. Investigate whether closures are franchisor-driven consolidation or franchisee exits.
Multi-unit rate
50% of franchisees own multiple units, a moderate multi-unit rate.
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 medians
How Nature’s Table Café Compares
Category median of published Quick-Service Restaurants 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 2023 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 51
- Opened
- 2
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 6
- Terminated
- 0
- Franchisor ended the franchise (per Item 20)
- Non-renewed
- 0
- Term expired, not renewed (per Item 20)
- Turnover rate
- 11.8%
- Company-owned
- 4
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 92%
- vs corporate-owned
- Multi-unit owners
- 50.0%
- Net growth (3-yr)
- -11.3%
- Net unit change over 3 years
- 3-yr CAGR
- -11.3%
- Compounded over last 3 years
Last fiscal year · Item 20 exits and transfers
- Terminated
- 0
- Not renewed
- 0
- Signed, not yet open
- 2
- 0.04 per open outlet · Item 20 Table 5
- Projected new
- 2
- Franchisor's next-year forecast
- Transfer rate
- 3.8%
- Owners selling to other franchisees
- Ceased ops
- 11.3%
- Units that stopped operating
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 5 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.
Where the owners are · Item 20 owner list
11 current owners across 5 states.
- FL 7
- GA 1
- OK 1
- SC 1
- TX 1
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.
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
- 21
- Loan volume
- $2.6M
- Median loan
- $122K
- average
- Charge-off rate
- 30.0%
- on 21 loans · 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)
- N/A
- 5-yr charge-off
- N/A
- Loans approved 2021+
- Active lenders
- 14
- Defaults
- 6
Vintage analysis
Nature’s Table Café charge-off rate by loan vintage
Top lenders financing Nature’s Table Café franchisees
Showing 3 of 14 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.
Lender network · 7(a) + 504
SBA Lending Report
Full lending analysis for Nature’s Table Café from SBA 7(a) FOIA data.
Top SBA lenders
| # | Lender | Loans | Volume | Default % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | SouthState Bank, National Association | 5 | $345K | 0.0% |
| 2 | Ameris Bank | 4 | $675K | 25.0% |
| 3 | Bank of America, National Association | 2 | $103K | 0.0% |
| 4 | Truist Bank | 2 | $349K | 100.0% |
| 5 | Fairwinds CU | 2 | $335K | 100.0% |
| 6 | The Huntington National Bank | 1 | $75K | 0.0% |
| 7 | Readycap Lending, LLC | 1 | $173K | 0.0% |
| 8 | Hancock Whitney Bank | 1 | $87K | 100.0% |
| 9 | Transamerica Small Business Capital, Inc. | 1 | $78K | 100.0% |
| 10 | First Commercial Bank of Florida | 1 | $90K | 0.0% |
Geographic failure vector
| State | Loans | Defaults | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| FLFlorida | 17 | 4 | 25.0% |
| GAGeorgia | 1 | 1 | 100.0% |
| KSKansas | 1 | 1 | 100.0% |
| MDMaryland | 1 | 0 | 0.0% |
| TXTexas | 1 | 0 | 0.0% |
Source: SBA 7(a) + 504 FOIA loan-level data, matched by FranchiseVerdict
A 30.0% 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 30.0% — 87% 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
Nature's Table Café presents HIGH RISK due to declining unit base, going concern ambiguity, complete lack of financial performance transparency, and inability to validate investment ROI.
Litigation (Item 3)
Subject: officers or affiliates. The franchisor is not a named party in these cases.
No litigation required to be disclosed
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Moss, Krusick & Associates, LLC
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
FY2022 audited statement of income; royalties $653,935 are the largest revenue component, with debt forgiveness, vendor rebates, management fees, and franchise fees making up the remainder.
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 28 / 100 verdict
- 01MEDSystem contracting sharply: -7.8% unit decline YoY (53 units) signals operational or market challenges
- 02MEDNo Item 19 financial disclosure (Avg Revenue/Net Income not disclosed): impossible to validate ROI or profitability claims
- 03MED5% royalty on undisclosed sales base means franchisees cannot accurately forecast net margins
- 04MINORSignificant unit churn suggests franchisee dissatisfaction, operational difficulty, or market saturation
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
What are you signing up for?
Ongoing fees run about 6.0% of sales (royalty + ad fund), before rent and labor.
Source: FDD 2023 · 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 | Exclusive territory |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | Yes |
| Territory radius | 3 mi |
| Online sales rights | Restricted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Optional |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 2 years |
| Non-compete (miles)ℹ | 3 mi |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| RoFR response window | 30 days |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Arbitration location | Florida |
| Jury trial waiver | No |
| Governing law | FL |
| Litigation count | 0 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
No litigation required to be disclosed
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 10 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 110 hrs
- Training location
- Corporate headquarters in Orlando, Florida and franchisee's Restaurant
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Time to open
- 5 mo
- From signing to launch
- Site selection
- Franchisee selects, franchisor approves
- Franchisor financing
- Not offered
- Item 10
- POS system
- Square POS (encouraged, not required)
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: Square POS (encouraged, not required)
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
11 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 Nature’s Table Café franchise?
The total investment to open a Nature’s Table Café franchise ranges from $62K – $295K, 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 Nature’s Table Café franchise owners earn?
Nature’s Table Café makes no financial performance representation in Item 19 of its FDD - a voluntary item under the FTC Franchise Rule - so no unit revenue figures are disclosed. Declining to publish one is lawful and is not evidence of how the outlets perform. It does mean that less about this brand can be verified from its filing, and the FranchiseVerdict grade - an editorial assessment, not investment advice - reflects that. Item 20 of the FDD lists current and former franchisees; asking them directly is the standard way to fill this gap.
Who owns Nature’s Table Café?
Nature’s Table Café is franchised by Nature's Table Franchise Company. Source: FDD Item 1, 2023 filing.
What is Item 19 in the Nature’s Table Café 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 Nature’s Table Café FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is Nature’s Table Café's franchise failure rate?
Based on SBA 7(a) loan data, Nature’s Table Café has a charge-off rate of 30.0% across 21 loans, meaning 30.0% 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 Nature’s Table Café franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Nature’s Table Café has 51 total units in the United States, including 47 franchised units and 4 company-owned units. 2 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is Nature’s Table Café a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Nature’s Table Café as a D-grade franchise with a verdict score of 28 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
Are you the franchisor?
If you represent Nature’s Table Café, you can request corrections or provide updated information.
Other Quick-Service Restaurants franchises
Compare similar franchise opportunities in the Quick-Service Restaurants category
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.