Paik’s NoodleFranchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Paik’s Noodle franchise requires a total initial investment of $349K – $475K, including a $35K franchise fee and an ongoing 4.0% royalty[2]. The 2026 FDD does not disclose unit-level revenue (no Item 19). Verdict grade: A. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified June 18, 2026 · figures per the 2026 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $349K – $475K
- 23rd pct Service Resta…
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- 28th pct Service Resta…
- Royalty
- 4.0%
- 3rd pct Service Resta…
- Units
- 37
- 34th pct Service Resta…
- SBA default
- N/A
Quick verdict · Full-Service Restaurants · color = vs category peers
Green = >15% above Full-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
The system grew 32% year-over-year. Fast growth means demand, but can strain support.
Bottom line
- Total investment $349K – $475K including a $35K franchise fee, 4.0% ongoing royalty.
- No Item 19 financial performance data disclosed. The franchisor chose not to publish revenue figures.
- Verdict A (Top Quintile) with a risk score of 52/100.
- System growing at 85.0% CAGR over 3 years with 37 total units. Strong expansion trajectory.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
- Legal entity
- Noodle J-1, Inc.
- Parent company
- The Born Korea Co., Ltd.
- CEO title
- General Manager
- Yang Hwan Kim
- Incorporated in
- CA
- HQ
- 3470 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 840, Los Angeles, California 90010
- Auditor
- Kim & Lee Accounting, Inc.
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $1.9M
- vs $2.0M prior year
- Management churn noted
- Frequent turnover
- Item 2 disclosed frequent executive changes
Affiliated brands
- The Born America
Other brands the franchisor or its parent operates (Item 1).
Overview
About
Franchisees operate casual counter-service or quick-casual noodle restaurants serving Korean-style noodle dishes (likely ramen, bibim noodle, or regional specialties). Day-to-day responsibilities include food preparation, inventory management, customer service, kitchen operations, and local marketing execution within their protected territory.
- CEO
- Yang Hwan Kim
- Headquarters
- CA
- Founded
- 2012
- FDD year
- 2026
- States available
- 13
FDD Item 7 · 2026 filing · 12 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Feenot refundable | $35K | $35K | |
| Real Property/Site Leasenot refundable | $7K | $15K | |
| Leasehold Improvementsnot refundable | $150K | $200K | |
| Equipment & Furniturenot refundable | $70K | $70K | |
| Opening Inventorynot refundable | $5K | $6K | |
| Insurancenot refundable | $7K | $10K | |
| Signage, Menu Boardnot refundable | $15K | $20K | |
| Grand Opening Promotionnot refundable | $5K | $5K | |
| Cash Registers (POS) / Other Office Equipmentnot refundable | $5K | $15K | |
| Initial Training Expensesnot refundable | $0 | $4K | |
| Security Depositnot refundable | $15K | $15K | |
| Additional Funds - 3 monthsnot refundable | $35K | $80K | |
| Total initial investment | $349K | $475K |
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
- $349K – $475K
- Better than avg vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $35K – $80K
- Better than avg vs category
- Franchise fee
- $35K – $35K
- Better than avg vs category
- Royalty
- 4.0%
- Gross Sales · typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 1.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 5.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 4.0% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 1.0% of gross sales |
| Transfer fee | $18K |
| Renewal fee | $18K |
| Total fee load | 5.0% of rev |
Financial Performance
This franchisor did not disclose financial performance representations in Item 19, or our extractor could not parse them.
vs Full-Service Restaurants averages
How Paik’s Noodle Compares
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 37
- Opened
- 11
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 2
- Turnover rate
- 5.4%
- Company-owned
- 0
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 100%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (yr3)
- +32.1%
- Net unit change last year
- 3-yr CAGR
- +85.0%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Opened (3yr)
- 10
- Closed (3yr)
- 0
- Terminated (3yr)
- 0
- Non-renewed (3yr)
- 0
- Transfers (3yr)
- 1
- 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.
Item 20 · 14 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.
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 loan disclosures. This brand has only 6 7(a) loans on file; statistical reliability is limited below 10 loans.
- Total loans
- 6
- Loan volume
- N/A
- Amount data pending
- Median loan
- N/A
- Charge-off rate
- N/A
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
- 0
- Defaults
- 0
Explore lender portfolios on Bank Reports or regional data on State Reports.
Premium insight
SBA Lending Report
Deep-dive into Paik’s Noodle's SBA lending history: lender network, geographic footprint, interest rates, and more.
SBA Lending Report
- Principal loss rate and NAICS industry benchmark
- 3 lenders with concentration factor
- Per-state charge-off rates across 3 states
- Startup risk premium and job creation velocity
- 3-year lending trend
Instant access. No subscription.
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 5, 6, 12, 17
Risk & Legal
Paik's Noodle presents moderate-to-caution risk: aggressive growth in an immature system with zero financial transparency and high capital requirements create ROI uncertainty and limited peer support infrastructure.
Litigation (Item 3)
1 case reference(s): 0 pending, 0 settled.
Largest disclosed settlement: $35,000
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Kim & Lee Accounting, Inc.
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
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 52 / 100 rating
- 01MINORNo Item 19 financial disclosure (average unit volumes and profitability completely opaque)
- 02MINORHigh initial investment ($349k-$475k) with no transparent ROI benchmarks to evaluate payback period
- 03MINORRapid expansion (32.1% YoY growth) in a young, unproven system raises sustainability and support quality concerns
- 04MINORSmall unit base (37 locations) limits franchisee network for peer validation and increases system vulnerability
- 05MINOR4% royalty rate is competitive but offers minimal franchise support cushion given small scale
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 | Area of Protection |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Territory radius | 0.3 mi |
| Online sales rights | Restricted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Required |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 1 year |
| Non-compete (miles)ℹ | 3 mi |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Termination groundsℹ | 1 |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Arbitration location | California |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | California |
| Litigation count | 0 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
1 case reference(s): 0 pending, 0 settled.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 17 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 56 hrs
- Training location
- Corporate facility and on-site
- Ongoing training
- Required
- POS system
- Clover Networks
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: Clover Networks
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
39 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
Paik’s Noodle · FDD (2026) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Paik’s Noodle franchise?
The total investment to open a Paik’s Noodle franchise ranges from $349K – $475K, 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 Paik’s Noodle franchise owners earn?
Paik’s Noodle 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 Paik’s Noodle's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for Paik’s Noodle (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 Paik’s Noodle franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Paik’s Noodle has 37 total units in the United States, including 20 franchised units and 0 company-owned units. 11 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is Paik’s Noodle a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Paik’s Noodle as a A-grade franchise with a risk score of 52 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.