Pod PlugFranchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Pod Plug franchise requires a total initial investment of $52K – $106K, including a $35K franchise fee and an ongoing 8.0% royalty[2]. The 2025 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 2025 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $52K – $106K
- 3rd pct Retail
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- 21st pct Retail
- Royalty
- 8.0%
- 27th pct Retail
- Units
- 1
- 1st pct Retail
- SBA default
- N/A
Quick verdict · Retail · color = vs category peers
Green = >15% above Retail 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
Started franchising in 2025. Newer systems carry more uncertainty but may offer better territories.
Bottom line
- Total investment $52K – $106K including a $35K franchise fee, 8.0% ongoing royalty.
- Item 19 discloses "gross_sales" rather than annual gross sales, so unit revenue is not directly comparable.
- Verdict A (Top Quintile) with a risk score of 40/100.
- Item 19 reports "gross_sales" instead of annual gross sales. Ask franchisees directly for full unit-level revenue.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
- Legal entity
- Pod Plug Franchising, LLC
- Parent company
- Pod Plug, Inc.
- Incorporated in
- TX
- HQ
- 220 S. Sylvania Avenue, Suite 106, Fort Worth, Texas 76111
Affiliated brands
- Pod Plug
Other brands the franchisor or its parent operates (Item 1).
Overview
About
Pod Plug franchisees appear to operate compact pod-based service locations (likely self-storage, laundry, mail services, or similar modular retail). Day-to-day activities likely include customer service, maintenance of pod units, payment processing, and potentially restocking or cleaning, though the specific service model is unclear from available data.
- CEO
- Ethan Kohan
- Headquarters
- TX
- Founded
- 2024
- FDD year
- 2025
- States available
- 1
FDD Item 7 · 2025 filing · 16 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee | $35K | $60K | |
| Lease Expenses | $0 | $750 | |
| Leasehold Improvements | — | — | |
| Computers, Telephone and Office Equipment | $250 | $2K | |
| Furniture and Fixtures | — | — | |
| Equipment (initial 3 vending machines) to be Used in the Business | $2K | $18K | |
| Costs Related to Attending Training | $2K | $2K | |
| Signage for Vending Machines | $250 | $750 | |
| Utility and Security Deposits | $0 | $500 | |
| Insurance Deposits and Premiums | $300 | $1K | |
| Initial Inventory | $3K | $5K | |
| Vehicle (including vehicle decal) | $500 | $2K | |
| Business Software | $200 | $750 | |
| Business Permits/Licenses | $550 | $2K | |
| Professional fees | $2K | $3K | |
| Additional Funds (three months) | $8K | $10K | |
| Total initial investment | $52K | $106K |
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
- $52K – $106K
- Better than avg vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $8K – $10K
- Better than avg vs category
- Franchise fee
- $35K – $60K
- Better than avg vs category
- Royalty
- 8.0%
- Gross Sales · typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 0.5%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 20.5%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 8.0% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 0.5% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $12 |
| Transfer fee | $75 |
| Renewal fee | $10 |
| Inventory (initial) | $3K – $5K |
| Total fee load | 20.5% of rev |
Financial Performance
This brand's FDD disclosed "gross_sales" in Item 19 rather than annual gross sales. This metric cannot be directly compared across brands, so we omit it from rankings.
vs Retail averages
How Pod Plug Compares
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 1
- Opened
- 0
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 0
- Turnover rate
- 0.0%
- Company-owned
- 1
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 0%
- vs corporate-owned
3-year detail · Item 20
- Transfers (3yr)
- 0
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.
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
Pod Plug is a non-scaling, financially unstable franchise system with a single unit of questionable profitability, no clear franchisor financial backing, and severely inadequate income projections.
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
No audited financials on file
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
- Franchisor sells you products: No
- Must buy proprietary products: No
- Restricted to system-approved products: No
Score breakdown · what drove the 40 / 100 rating
- 01MINOROnly 1 franchised unit with unknown growth trajectory indicates system is not scaling and may be pre-revenue or failing to attract franchisees
- 02HIGHGoing Concern = False suggests franchisor financial instability or inability to support franchisee operations long-term
- 03MINORReported average net income of $587.11 is implausibly low (potentially $587.11/month = $7,046/year after 8% royalties), indicating either severely underperforming unit(s) or unreliable financial reporting
- 04MINORNo Item 19 (Financial Performance Representations) despite providing revenue/income figures creates legal exposure and suggests cherry-picked or unaudited data
- 05MINORZero franchise fee with $52k-$105k investment is unusual; unclear what initial capital actually funds or if franchisor has financial incentive to support franchisees
- 06MINOR10-year term with only 1 unit suggests franchisor lacks confidence to offer shorter commitments or has difficulty retaining franchisees
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 | 5 years |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 2 |
| Territory type | Geographic area defined by streets, highway boundaries, zip codes, or other boundaries |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Online sales rights | Restricted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Required |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 2 years |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Termination groundsℹ | 2 |
| Mandatory arbitration | No |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | Texas |
| Litigation count | 0 |
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 20 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 12 hrs
- Training location
- On-site and franchisor location
- POS system
- QuickBooks Online
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: QuickBooks Online
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
16 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
Pod Plug · FDD (2025) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Pod Plug franchise?
The total investment to open a Pod Plug franchise ranges from $52K – $106K, 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 Pod Plug franchise owners earn?
Pod Plug 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 Pod Plug's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for Pod Plug (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 Pod Plug franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Pod Plug has 1 total units in the United States, including 0 franchised units and 1 company-owned units.
Is Pod Plug a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Pod Plug as a A-grade franchise with a risk score of 40 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.