Pokemoto Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
- Investment
- $185K – $378K
- Disclosed sales
- not disclosed
- SBA charge-off
- Limited · 13 loans
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
Pokemoto is a fast-casual franchise serving Hawaiian-style poke bowls, sushi burritos, and bubble tea. Franchisees run the restaurants, managing fresh prep, staffing, and counter service.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A POKEMOTO franchise requires a total initial investment of $185K – $378K, including a $30K franchise fee and an ongoing 6.0% 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. FranchiseVerdict grade: A (Strongest tier), 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
- $185K – $378K
- 18th pct Service Resta…
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- Royalty
- 6.0%
- 48th pct Service Resta…
- Units
- 33
- 58th pct Service Resta…
- SBA charge-off
- N/A
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 $185K – $378K including a $30K franchise fee, 6.0% 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 A (Strongest tier), verdict score 73/100 (higher is better).
- GROWTHPositive: net +12 franchised outlets in the latest year (14 opened, 2 closed); 25 signed but not yet open (Item 20).
- GROWTHSystem growing at 316.7% CAGR over 3 years with 33 total units. Strong expansion trajectory.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- Poke Co Holdings LLC
- Parent company
- Sadot Restaurant Group LLC
- FDD Item 1, page 9 of the 2024 FDD
- Ultimate parent
- Sadot Group, Inc.
- FDD Item 1, page 9 of the 2024 FDD
- CEO title
- Chief Executive Officer and Secretary
- Michael J. Roper
- Incorporated in
- CT
- HQ
- 1169 N. Burleson Boulevard, Suite 107-226, Burleson, TX 76026
- Auditor
- Kreit & Chiu CPA LLP
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $580K
- vs $303K prior year
Affiliated brands
- Muscle Maker Development International
- Pokemoto
- Muscle Maker Development
Other brands the franchisor or its parent operates (Item 1).
Overview
About
- CEO
- Michael J. Roper
- Headquarters
- TX
- Founded
- 2018
- FDD year
- 2024
- States available
- 12
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 42% below the typical quick-service restaurants franchise.
Source: FDD 2024 · Items 5–7
Full Item 7 breakdown14 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Feenot refundable | $30K | $30K | |
| Rent - 3 Months | $9K | $27K | |
| Security Deposit | $3K | $9K | |
| Leasehold Improvements | $80K | $200K | |
| Equipment, Furniture and Signs | $38K | $53K | |
| Computer System (including POS System) | $2K | $3K | |
| Video Surveillance System | $1K | $5K | |
| Insurance - Annual Premium | $2K | $7K | |
| Permits and Licenses | $500 | $1K | |
| Initial Inventory | $5K | $10K | |
| Initial Training Fee and Travel Expenses for Trainingnot refundable | $3K | $6K | |
| Professional Fees | $500 | $5K | |
| Grand Opening | $7K | $12K | |
| Additional Funds - 3 Months | $5K | $10K | |
| Total initial investment | $185K | $378K |
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
- $185K – $378K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $5K – $10K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $30K – $30K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Royalty
- 6.0%
- typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 1.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 7.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 6.0% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 1.0% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $300 |
| Training fee | $2K |
| Transfer fee | $10K |
| Renewal fee | $0 |
| Inventory (initial) | $5K – $10K |
| Total fee load | 7.0% of rev |
ROI & LBO modelsSingle-unit · 25-unit portfolio · editable
POKEMOTO 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 POKEMOTO 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: 2024 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 7.0% (near the Quick-Service Restaurants median).
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 expanding at 316.7% CAGR over 3 years across 33 units — operators are staying and new ones are joining.
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 Pokemoto 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 2024 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 33
- Opened
- 14
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 2
- Terminated
- 0
- Franchisor ended the franchise (per Item 20)
- Non-renewed
- 0
- Term expired, not renewed (per Item 20)
- Turnover rate
- 6.1%
- Company-owned
- 8
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 76%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (3-yr)
- Outlier (see FDD)
- Likely small-sample artifact
- 3-yr CAGR
- Outlier (see FDD)
- Likely small-sample artifact
Last fiscal year · Item 20 exits and transfers
- Terminated
- 0
- Not renewed
- 0
- Transferred
- 0
- Reacquired
- 0
- Franchisor bought back
- Signed, not yet open
- 25
- 0.76 per open outlet · Item 20 Table 5
- Projected new
- 18
- Franchisor's next-year forecast
- Continuity rate
- 96.2%
- Units that stayed open
- Termination rate
- 56.0%
- Franchisor-initiated terminations
- Ceased ops
- 22.2%
- Units that stopped operating
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 15 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.
Available to sell in · Item 12
- Rhode Island
- Wisconsin
States where the franchisor is registered to sell new franchises (FDD registration filings).
Where the owners are · Item 20 owner list
37 current owners across 15 states.
- CT 12
- MA 3
- PA 3
- TX 3
- FL 2
- MS 2
- NY 2
- SC 2
- VA 2
- AL 1
- CA 1
- KS 1
- +3 more states
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.
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 7(a) and 504 loan disclosures, public data unique to FranchiseVerdict.
- Total loans
- 13
- Loan volume
- $2.4M
- Median loan
- $200K
- 50th percentile
- Charge-off rate
- Limited · 13 loans
- Limited SBA coverage: 13 loans, rate hidden until 10 have resolved and loans reach 2% of franchised units
Historical SBA 7(a) lending data, not predictive of future performance. How SBA charge-off rates are calculated
- Repayment rate (PIF)
- Limited · 13 loans
- 5-yr charge-off
- Limited · 13 loans
- Loans approved 2021+
- Active lenders
- 6
- Defaults
- 0
- Typical loan rate
- 9.8%
- avg rate to borrowers
- Franchised industry avg
- 13.2%
- n=4,117 loans
- Jobs supported
- 218
- 9.2 per loan
- Lender concentration
- 62%
- top lender's share
Borrower mix: 100% went to startups / new businesses, 0% to established operators
Franchise vs independent — in full-service restaurants, franchised businesses charge off at 13.2% vs 9.7% for independents — franchising is associated with 36% higher SBA default risk in this category.
Top lenders financing Pokemoto franchisees
Showing 3 of 6 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 Pokemoto from SBA 7(a) FOIA data.
- Principal loss rate
- 0.0%
- Avg SBA guarantee
- 67%
- Avg interest rate
- 9.76%
- Lender concentration
- 61.5%
- Job velocity
- 9.2 per $100K
- NAICS benchmark
- 7.4%
- NAICS 722511
- Jobs supported
- 218
Top SBA lendersTop lender holds 62% of loans
| # | Lender | Loans | Volume | Default % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Huntington National Bank | 8 | $1.1M | N/A |
| 2 | Five Star Bank | 1 | $200K | N/A |
| 3 | Newtek Bank, National Association | 1 | $188K | N/A |
| 4 | First Bank of the Lake | 1 | $317K | N/A |
| 5 | Emprise Bank | 1 | $337K | N/A |
| 6 | Economic Development Bank for Puerto Rico | 1 | $248K | N/A |
Geographic failure vector
| State | Loans | Defaults | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| KSKansas | 3 | 0 | -- |
| NJNew Jersey | 3 | 0 | -- |
| NCNorth Carolina | 2 | 0 | -- |
| TXTexas | 2 | 0 | -- |
| CACalifornia | 1 | 0 | -- |
| MAMassachusetts | 1 | 0 | -- |
| PRPuerto Rico | 1 | 0 | -- |
SBA 7(a) lending trend
Borrower profile
Source: SBA 7(a) + 504 FOIA loan-level data, matched by FranchiseVerdict
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
POKEMOTO presents caution-level risk due to absence of financial performance data, franchisor going concern issues, unprotected territory, and an underdeveloped 33-unit system with unclear unit profitability.
Litigation (Item 3)
Subject: officers or affiliates. The franchisor is not a named party in these cases.
0 case reference(s): 0 pending, 0 settled.
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Kreit & Chiu CPA LLP
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Audited financial statements of Poke Co Holdings LLC (the franchisor), single-entity (not consolidated). Stated in $'000; all figures scaled x1000. FY2023 total revenues $580,000 = royalties $368,000 + franchise fee $105,000 + rebates $107,000. Balance sheet reconciles: total assets $1,506,000 = total liabilities $906,000 + members' equity $600,000. Other revenue is rebates $107,000.
ⓘ These are the parent company's consolidated financials (the parent guarantees the franchisor), not this brand's standalone results — the figure reflects the whole corporate group, not this brand alone.
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
- Franchisor sells you products: No
- Must buy proprietary products: Yes
- Restricted to system-approved products: Yes
- Can negotiate own supplier terms: No
Score breakdown · what drove the 73 / 100 verdict
- 01MINORNo average revenue or net income disclosure (Item 19) — inability to validate return on $184.5K-$378.4K investment
- 02MINORUnprotected territory creates direct competition risk from other franchisees in same market
- 03MINOR33-unit system is very small; 92.3% YoY growth may reflect low baseline (e.g., 3 new units from 33)
- 04MINORWide investment range ($184.5K-$378.4K) suggests highly variable unit economics with no clarity on cost drivers
- 05MED6% royalty on undisclosed revenue means franchisees bear full profit risk while franchisor collects fixed percentage
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 2024 · 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 | 1 |
| Territory type | No territory protection |
| Protected territory | No |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | No |
| 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 | 20 mi |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| RoFR response window | 30 days |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 0 days |
| Termination groundsℹ | 2 |
| Curable defaultsℹ | 5 |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Arbitration location | Burleson, Texas (within 50 miles of principal place of business) |
| Jury trial waiver | No |
| Governing law | TX |
| Litigation count | 0 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
0 case reference(s): 0 pending, 0 settled.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 7 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 55 hrs
- Training location
- Wichita, KS or any affiliate-owned Pokemoto Shop
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Time to open
- 12 mo
- From signing to launch
- Site selection
- Franchisor reviews/approves site; franchisee selects and leases
- Franchisor financing
- Not offered
- Item 10
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
37 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 POKEMOTO franchise?
The total investment to open a POKEMOTO franchise ranges from $185K – $378K, 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 POKEMOTO franchise owners earn?
POKEMOTO 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 POKEMOTO?
POKEMOTO is franchised by Poke Co Holdings LLC. Its parent company is Sadot Restaurant Group LLC. The ultimate parent named in the FDD is Sadot Group, Inc.. Source: FDD Item 1, 2024 filing.
What is Item 19 in the POKEMOTO 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 POKEMOTO FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is POKEMOTO's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for POKEMOTO (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 POKEMOTO franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, POKEMOTO has 33 total units in the United States, including 25 franchised units and 8 company-owned units. 14 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is POKEMOTO a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates POKEMOTO as a A-grade franchise with a verdict score of 73 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?
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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.