Poki Bowl Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
Poki Bowl is a fast-casual franchise serving customizable poke bowls with fresh fish, rice, and toppings. Franchisees run the restaurants, managing fresh-fish prep, staffing, and counter service.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Poki Bowl franchise requires a total initial investment of $188K – $423K, including a $45K franchise fee and an ongoing 5.5% royalty[2]. The 2023 FDD does not disclose unit-level revenue (no Item 19). FranchiseVerdict grade: B (Above average), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified · figures per the 2023 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $188K – $423K
- 20th pct Service Resta…
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- Royalty
- 5.5%
- 42nd pct Service Resta…
- Units
- 17
- 48th 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 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 $188K – $423K including a $45K franchise fee, 5.5% ongoing royalty.
- RETURNSItem 21 references audited financial statements for FYE Dec 31 2022/2021/2020 in Exhibit 4, but Exhibit 4 (Financial Statements) is absent from the provided text; no balance sheet/income statement/auditor figures are present.
- RISKVerdict B (Above average), verdict score 53/100 (higher is better).
- DATAItem 19 reports outlet revenue, but not in a form that yields a per-outlet average we can compare across brands. Ask franchisees directly for full unit-level revenue.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- PB Asset Group, Inc.
- CEO title
- Founder and CEO
- Nick Nguyen
- CEO experience
- 13 yrs
- Years in role or industry
- Founder active
- Yes
- Original founder still leading the business
- Incorporated in
- CA
- HQ
- 4750 Almaden Expy, Suite 100, San Jose, CA 95118
- Auditor
- Reese CPA LLC
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $502K
- vs $235K prior year
Overview
About
- CEO
- Nick Nguyen
- Headquarters
- CA
- Founded
- 2020
- FDD year
- 2023
- States available
- 5
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 54% below the typical quick-service restaurants franchise.
Source: FDD 2023 · Items 5–7
Full Item 7 breakdown15 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Feenot refundable | $45K | $45K | |
| Architectural Feesnot refundable | $4K | $18K | |
| Real Estate Lease (3 months)not refundable | $12K | $18K | |
| Leasehold Improvementsnot refundable | $60K | $210K | |
| Furniture, Fixtures and Equipmentnot refundable | $20K | $60K | |
| Signagenot refundable | $8K | $12K | |
| Licenses and Permitsnot refundable | $3K | $8K | |
| Insurancenot refundable | $2K | $3K | |
| Initial Inventorynot refundable | $10K | $12K | |
| Travel Expenses While Trainingnot refundable | $500 | $3K | |
| Grand Opening Expensesnot refundable | $3K | $3K | |
| Accountant and Legal Feesnot refundable | $750 | $2K | |
| Additional Fundsnot refundable | $20K | $30K | |
| Multi-Unit Development Feenot refundable | $120K | $180K | |
| Initial Investment for your Initial Franchised Business (Multi-Unit)not refundable | $143K | $378K | |
| Total initial investment | $451K | $981K |
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
- $188K – $423K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $20K – $30K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $45K – $45K
- Bottom third — review vs category
- Royalty
- 5.5%
- percentage · typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 0.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 6.5%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 5.5% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 0.0% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $50 |
| Training fee | $250 |
| Transfer fee | $5K |
| Renewal fee | $5K |
| Inventory (initial) | $10K – $12K |
| Total fee load | 6.5% of rev |
What do units actually make?
Source: FDD 2023 · Item 19
ROI & LBO modelsSingle-unit · 25-unit portfolio · editable
Poki Bowl 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 Poki Bowl unit return on the cash you put in?
Unlevered ROIC · per unit
Estimated return on your total franchise investment, before any debt financing.
37%
Within 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: 2023 FDD
Financial Performance
Item 21 references audited financial statements for FYE Dec 31 2022/2021/2020 in Exhibit 4, but Exhibit 4 (Financial Statements) is absent from the provided text; no balance sheet/income statement/auditor figures are present.
- Item 19 type
- gross revenue
- Sample size
- 12
- vs category median 20
- Range (low → high)
- $69K→$895K
- Cohort dispersion (min → max)
- Reporting year
- 2023
- Fiscal year the figures cover
- Source filing
- FDD 2023
- The FDD edition these figures were read from
- Transparency
- 3 / 10
- vs category median 4 / 10 · below
Compared against 782 Quick-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 6.5% — below the Quick-Service Restaurants average of 7.9%.
Disclosure
Item 19 reports outlet revenue, but not in a form that yields a per-outlet average we can compare across brands.
Operator retention
System expanding at 250.0% CAGR over 3 years across 17 units — operators are staying and new ones are joining.
Multi-unit rate
Only 1% of franchisees own multiple units. Could indicate challenging economics or a young system where operators haven't had time to expand.
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 averages
How Poki Bowl Compares
Is the system healthy?
Source: FDD 2023 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 17
- Opened
- 7
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 0
- Terminated
- 1
- Franchisor ended the franchise (per Item 20)
- Non-renewed
- 0
- Term expired, not renewed (per Item 20)
- Turnover rate
- 7.1%
- Company-owned
- 3
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 82%
- vs corporate-owned
- Multi-unit owners
- 1.0%
- Net growth (3-yr)
- Outlier (see FDD)
- Likely small-sample artifact
- 3-yr CAGR
- Outlier (see FDD)
- Likely small-sample artifact
3-year detail · Item 20
- Opened (3yr)
- 7
- Closed (3yr)
- 0
- Terminated (3yr)
- 1
- Non-renewed (3yr)
- 0
- Transfers (3yr)
- 1
- Reacquired (3yr)
- 0
- Franchisor bought back
- Projected new
- 14
- Franchisor's next-year forecast
- Transfer rate
- 5.9%
- Owners selling to other franchisees
- Termination rate
- 5.9%
- Franchisor-initiated terminations
- Ceased ops
- 5.9%
- Units that stopped operating
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 6 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 7 7(a) loans on file; statistical reliability is limited below 10 loans.
- Total loans
- 7
- Loan volume
- $1.7M
- Median loan
- $316K
- 50th percentile
- Charge-off rate
- N/A
- limited sample (7 loans) — rate not shown below 10
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
- 6
- Defaults
- N/A
Explore lender portfolios on Bank Reports or regional data on State Reports.
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
Early-stage poke bowl concept with shrinking unit base, pending fraud litigation, non-disclosure violations, going concern doubts, and missing profitability data presents elevated risk despite protected territory.
Litigation (Item 3)
Charlie Le vs. Nick Nguyen et al. (breach of contract, fraud, breach of fiduciary duty - in discovery as of FDD issuance). California CCFPI consent order (Oct 2021) for failure to disclose pending litigation in 2020/2021 FDD applications; $15,000 administrative fee paid.
Largest disclosed settlement: $15,000
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Reese CPA LLC
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
- Franchisor sells you products: No
- 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 53 / 100 verdict
- 01HIGHPending litigation including fraud allegations and regulatory consent order regarding disclosure failures indicates governance and transparency issues at franchisor level
- 02MINORUnit count dropped 25% YoY (from ~23 to 17 units), signaling potential system contraction, franchisee underperformance, or franchisor retention problems
- 03HIGHGoing concern status is FALSE, suggesting accountant doubts about franchisor's ability to continue operations and support existing franchisees
- 04MEDHigh investment range ($423K ceiling) combined with 5.5% royalty on undisclosed net margins creates unclear path to profitability within 10-year term
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
What are you signing up for?
Ongoing fees run about 6.5% 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 | 5 years |
| Territory type | protected |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | No |
| Territory radius | 2 mi |
| Territory population | 30,000 |
| Online sales rightsℹ | Restricted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Required |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 2 years |
| Non-compete (miles)ℹ | 25 mi |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 60 days |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Arbitration location | Santa Clara County, California |
| Jury trial waiver | No |
| Governing law | CA |
| Litigation count | 2 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
Charlie Le vs. Nick Nguyen et al. (breach of contract, fraud, breach of fiduciary duty - in discovery as of FDD issuance). California CCFPI consent order (Oct 2021) for failure to disclose pending litigation in 2020/2021 FDD applications; $15,000 administrative fee paid.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 16 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 16 hrs
- Training location
- Franchisee location or franchisor location, at franchisor's discretion
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Field support
- 12 hrs/yr
- On-site visits per year
- Time to open
- 7 mo
- From signing to launch
- Site selection
- franchisee
- Franchisor financing
- Not offered
- Item 10
- POS system
- POS Bundle (stand, printer, cash drawer, cables); software subscription $250/month
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: POS Bundle (stand, printer, cash drawer, cables); software subscription $250/month
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
18 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
Poki Bowl · FDD (2023) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Poki Bowl franchise?
The total investment to open a Poki Bowl franchise ranges from $188K – $423K, with an initial franchise fee of $45K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do Poki Bowl franchise owners earn?
Poki Bowl 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 Poki Bowl 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 Poki Bowl FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is Poki Bowl's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for Poki Bowl (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 Poki Bowl franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Poki Bowl has 17 total units in the United States, including 14 franchised units and 3 company-owned units. 7 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is Poki Bowl a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Poki Bowl as a B-grade franchise with a verdict score of 53 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 Poki Bowl, 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.