Pop’s Italian Beef & SausageFranchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Pop’s Italian Beef & Sausage franchise requires a total initial investment of $577K – $1.2M, including a $25K franchise fee and an ongoing 3.0% royalty[2]. The 2023 FDD does not disclose unit-level revenue (no Item 19). Verdict grade: C. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified June 18, 2026 · figures per the 2023 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $577K – $1.2M
- 36th pct Service Resta…
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- 28th pct Service Resta…
- Royalty
- 3.0%
- 1st pct Service Resta…
- Units
- 17
- 26th pct Service Resta…
- SBA default
- 0.0%
- system-wide median varies by category
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
Franchised units fell from 16 to 14 over 3 years. Investigate why operators are leaving.
Bottom line
- Total investment $577K – $1.2M including a $25K franchise fee, 3.0% ongoing royalty.
- No Item 19 financial performance data disclosed. The franchisor chose not to publish revenue figures.
- Verdict C (Average) with a risk score of 68/100.
- No Item 19 financial performance representation. Without franchisor-disclosed revenue data, you'll need to gather unit economics directly from existing franchisees.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
- Legal entity
- POP'S FRANCHISE SYSTEMS, LLC
- Incorporated in
- IL
- HQ
- 42 Long Grove Drive, Lemont, Illinois 60439
- Auditor
- George Korbakes & Co., LLP
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $559K
- vs $685K prior year
Overview
About
Franchisees operate quick-service Italian beef and sausage sandwich shops, handling food preparation, customer service, inventory management, and local marketing. Day-to-day operations include managing a small team, maintaining food quality and safety standards, and driving foot traffic in a protected territory.
- CEO
- Frank Radochonski
- Headquarters
- IL
- Founded
- 2009
- FDD year
- 2023
- States available
- 2
FDD Item 7 · 2023 filing · 16 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Feenot refundable | $25K | $25K | |
| Restaurant Lease (first 3 months rent), Utility & Security Depositsnot refundable | $40K | $60K | |
| Architect Feesnot refundable | $5K | $25K | |
| Leasehold Improvementsnot refundable | $200K | $500K | |
| Signagenot refundable | $1K | $30K | |
| Furniture & Fixturesnot refundable | $30K | $70K | |
| Equipmentnot refundable | $150K | $300K | |
| Point-of-Sale Equipment and Computernot refundable | $35K | $35K | |
| Office Equipment and Suppliesnot refundable | $10K | $20K | |
| Business Licenses and Permitsnot refundable | $1K | $3K | |
| Professional Feesnot refundable | $1K | $3K | |
| Initial Inventorynot refundable | $5K | $10K | |
| Insurancenot refundable | $4K | $7K | |
| Training Expensesnot refundable | $15K | $30K | |
| Grand Opening Advertisingnot refundable | $5K | $10K | |
| Additional Fundsnot refundable | $50K | $100K | |
| Total initial investment | $577K | $1.2M |
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
- $577K – $1.2M
- Better than avg vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $50K – $100K
- Better than avg vs category
- Franchise fee
- $25K – $25K
- Better than avg vs category
- Royalty
- 3.0%
- Gross Sales · typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 2.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 5.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 3.0% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 2.0% of gross sales |
| Transfer fee | $5K |
| Renewal fee | $0 |
| 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 Pop’s Italian Beef & Sausage Compares
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 17
- Opened
- 1
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 0
- Terminated
- 0
- Franchisor ended the franchise (per Item 20)
- Non-renewed
- 0
- Term expired, not renewed (per Item 20)
- Turnover rate
- 0.0%
- Company-owned
- 1
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 94%
- vs corporate-owned
- Multi-unit owners
- 4.8%
- Net growth (yr3)
- +6.7%
- Net unit change last year
- 3-yr CAGR
- +14.3%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Transfers (3yr)
- 0
- Projected new
- 1
- Franchisor's next-year forecast
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.
SBA loan performance
Government records
SBA Loan Data
Aggregated from SBA loan disclosures. This brand has only 3 7(a) loans on file; statistical reliability is limited below 10 loans.
- Total loans
- 3
- Loan volume
- $1.6M
- Median loan
- $538K
- average
- Charge-off rate
- 0.0%
- 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
- 0.0%
- Loans approved 2021+
- Active lenders
- 2
- Defaults
- 0
Explore lender portfolios on Bank Reports or regional data on State Reports.
Premium insight
SBA Lending Report
Deep-dive into Pop’s Italian Beef & Sausage's SBA lending history: lender network, geographic footprint, interest rates, and more.
SBA Lending Report
- Principal loss rate and NAICS industry benchmark
- 1 lenders with concentration factor
- Per-state charge-off rates across 1 states
- Startup risk premium and job creation velocity
- 1-year lending trend
Instant access. No subscription.
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 5, 6, 12, 17
Risk & Legal
Undisclosed financials, regulatory history, and anemic unit growth create substantial due diligence gaps; the $577K–$1.2M investment is difficult to validate without Item 19 data.
Litigation (Item 3)
One settled case: Illinois Attorney General's Office complaint (February 2010, concluded March 18, 2010) alleging unregistered franchise sales and failure to provide disclosure documents under Illinois Franchise Disclosure Act (IFDA). Final Judgment and Consent Decree entered. Franchisor paid $12,000 in penalties and costs. Franchisor denied liability. Franchisor permanently enjoined from offering/selling franchises in Illinois without registration and proper disclosure.
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · George Korbakes & Co., LLP
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: No
- Restricted to system-approved products: No
- Can negotiate own supplier terms: Yes
Score breakdown · what drove the 68 / 100 rating
- 01MEDNo Item 19 (Average Unit Volume) disclosed — impossible to assess ROI or validate 3% royalty burden
- 02MINORSlow unit growth (6.7% YoY) with only 17 locations suggests weak franchisee recruitment or retention
- 03MINOR2010 Illinois regulatory settlement for selling franchises without proper disclosure raises compliance concerns
- 04MEDHigh investment range ($577K–$1.2M) with no disclosed average revenue creates opaque unit economics
- 05MINOR10-year term locks franchisees into relationship without proven profitability data
- 06MINORSmall system size (17 units) limits operational scale, marketing leverage, and supply chain efficiency
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 | Radius |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | No |
| Territory radius | 5 mi |
| Territory population | 125,000 |
| Online sales rights | Restricted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Not allowed |
| Owner-operator | Required |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 2 years |
| Non-compete (miles)ℹ | 8 mi |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| RoFR response window | 30 days |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Arbitration location | city in which our headquarters is located |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | Illinois |
| Litigation count | 1 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
One settled case: Illinois Attorney General's Office complaint (February 2010, concluded March 18, 2010) alleging unregistered franchise sales and failure to provide disclosure documents under Illinois Franchise Disclosure Act (IFDA). Final Judgment and Consent Decree entered. Franchisor paid $12,000 in penalties and costs. Franchisor denied liability. Franchisor permanently enjoined from offering/selling franchises in Illinois without registration and proper disclosure.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 0 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 240 hrs
- Training location
- On-site and corporate
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
19 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
Pop’s Italian Beef & Sausage · FDD (2023) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Pop’s Italian Beef & Sausage franchise?
The total investment to open a Pop’s Italian Beef & Sausage franchise ranges from $577K – $1.2M, with an initial franchise fee of $25K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do Pop’s Italian Beef & Sausage franchise owners earn?
Pop’s Italian Beef & Sausage 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 Pop’s Italian Beef & Sausage's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for Pop’s Italian Beef & Sausage (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 Pop’s Italian Beef & Sausage franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Pop’s Italian Beef & Sausage has 17 total units in the United States, including 16 franchised units and 1 company-owned units. 1 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is Pop’s Italian Beef & Sausage a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Pop’s Italian Beef & Sausage as a C-grade franchise with a risk score of 68 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.