Potato Corner Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
Potato Corner is a quick-service franchise known for flavored French fries in bold seasonings, sold from kiosks and small stores. Franchisees run the locations, managing frying, flavoring, and fast counter service.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Potato Corner franchise requires a total initial investment of $242K – $829K, including a $30K franchise fee and an ongoing 7.0% royalty[2]. The 2024 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 2024 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $242K – $829K
- 36th pct Service Resta…
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- Royalty
- 7.0%
- 86th pct Service Resta…
- Units
- 38
- 61st 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 $242K – $829K including a $30K franchise fee, 7.0% ongoing royalty.
- RETURNSFranchisor (PCJV USA, LLC) total revenues of $1,967,552 for fiscal year ended December 31, 2023, stated in Item 6 as 'based on our audited financial statements.' The full audited balance sheet and income statement (Exhibit I) were not present in the extracted text, so total_assets, total_liabilities, net_worth, net_income, auditor_name, and prior-year revenue could not be captured.
- RISKVerdict B (Above average), verdict score 51/100 (higher is better).
- DATANo 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
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- PCJV USA, LLC
- Parent company
- GK Capital Group, LLC
- Predecessor
- Cinco Corporation Inc.
- Prior franchisor entity
- CEO title
- President & Chief Operating Officer
- Guy Koren
- Incorporated in
- DE
- HQ
- 8657 Hayden Place, Culver City, California 90232
- Auditor
- AP tax group
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $2.0M
- vs $2.0M prior year
- Management churn noted
- Frequent turnover
- Item 2 disclosed frequent executive changes
Overview
About
- CEO
- Guy Koren
- Headquarters
- CA
- Founded
- 2010
- FDD year
- 2024
- States available
- 13
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 19% below the typical quick-service restaurants franchise.
Source: FDD 2024 · Items 5–7
Full Item 7 breakdown33 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Utility Deposits, Fees & Licenses | $4K | $20K | |
| Pre-Construction Cost (Architect, Plans, Permits) | $12K | $30K | |
| Leasehold/Construction | $60K | $400K | |
| Exterior Signage | $10K | $35K | |
| POS System and Software; Back Office Computer, Printer and Related Hardware and Software | $14K | $20K | |
| Equipment, Smallwares, Interior Signage, Graphics & Art | $40K | $80K | |
| Software License Fee | $2K | $3K | |
| Opening Inventory - Non-Proprietary Products | $8K | $15K | |
| Opening Inventory - Trade Secret Food Ingredients and Potato Corner Proprietary Products | $5K | $10K | |
| Office Equipment & Supplies | $500 | $3K | |
| Grand Opening Marketing | $1K | $5K | |
| Franchised Location (Security Deposit / 3 months' Rent) | $20K | $60K | |
| Insurance - Liability & Workers Compensation (initial deposit) | $1K | $6K | |
| Legal Fees / Organizational Expenses | $3K | $8K | |
| Training Expenses (Travel and Living Expenses) | $2K | $10K | |
| On-Site Opening Assistance Fee | $0 | $5K | |
| Initial Franchise Feenot refundable | $30K | $30K | |
| Additional Funds (3 months) | $30K | $90K | |
| Development Fees (Multi-Unit Development Agreement)not refundable | $15K | $180K | |
| Additional Legal Fees (Multi-Unit Development Agreement) | $1K | $5K | |
| Total initial investment | $449K | $1.4M |
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
- $242K – $829K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $30K – $90K
- Middle of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $30K – $30K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Royalty
- 7.0%
- percentage · typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 0.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 8.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 7.0% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 0.0% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $600 |
| Transfer fee | $24K |
| Renewal fee | $24K |
| Inventory (initial) | $13K – $25K |
| Total fee load | 8.0% of rev |
ROI & LBO modelsSingle-unit · 25-unit portfolio · editable
Potato Corner 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 Potato Corner unit return on the cash you put in?
Unlevered ROIC · per unit
Estimated return on your total franchise investment, before any debt financing.
19%
Below 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: 2024 FDD
Financial Performance
Franchisor (PCJV USA, LLC) total revenues of $1,967,552 for fiscal year ended December 31, 2023, stated in Item 6 as 'based on our audited financial statements.' The full audited balance sheet and income statement (Exhibit I) were not present in the extracted text, so total_assets, total_liabilities, net_worth, net_income, auditor_name, and prior-year revenue could not be captured.
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 8.0% (near the Quick-Service Restaurants average).
Disclosure
Franchisor chose not to disclose financial performance representations. You will need to gather unit economics directly from existing franchisees.
Operator retention
System roughly stable (+3.8% 3-year CAGR) with 38 units.
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 Potato Corner Compares
Is the system healthy?
Source: FDD 2024 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 38
- Opened
- 6
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 5
- Terminated
- 0
- Franchisor ended the franchise (per Item 20)
- Non-renewed
- 0
- Term expired, not renewed (per Item 20)
- Turnover rate
- 7.4%
- Company-owned
- 0
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 71%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (3-yr)
- +3.8%
- Net unit change over 3 years
- 3-yr CAGR
- +3.8%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Opened (3yr)
- 4
- Closed (3yr)
- 2
- Terminated (3yr)
- 0
- Non-renewed (3yr)
- 0
- Transfers (3yr)
- 2
- Reacquired (3yr)
- 1
- Franchisor bought back
- Projected new
- 6
- Franchisor's next-year forecast
- Transfer rate
- 5.3%
- Owners selling to other franchisees
- Ceased ops
- 5.3%
- Units that stopped operating
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 12 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 7 7(a) loans on file; statistical reliability is limited below 10 loans.
- Total loans
- 7
- Loan volume
- $1.3M
- Median loan
- $199K
- 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
- 5
- 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
Potato Corner presents meaningful risk due to stagnant growth, absent financial disclosures, questionable corporate stability, regulatory history, and internal disputes—making ROI validation impossible.
Litigation (Item 3)
1) California Citation and Stipulation (2016) - DBO registration violations 2011-2014, $20,000 penalty, now resolved. 2) Cinco Corporation et al. v. Guy Koren et al. (2018) - ownership/membership dispute, settled via GKCG purchase of Cinco interests and dismissed with prejudice.
Largest disclosed settlement: $20,000
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · AP tax group
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
- Franchisor sells you products: Yes
- Kickbacks from required suppliers: Yes
- Must buy proprietary products: Yes
- Restricted to system-approved products: Yes
- Can negotiate own supplier terms: No
Score breakdown · what drove the 51 / 100 verdict
- 01MEDStagnant unit growth (3.8% YoY) suggests limited system expansion and potential market saturation
- 02MEDNo Item 19 financial disclosure (Avg Revenue and Net Income not disclosed) prevents validation of profitability claims and ROI projections
- 03HIGHGoing Concern status is FALSE, indicating potential financial instability or operational challenges at corporate level
- 04MINORHistory of regulatory violations (2016 California citation for notice/registration compliance between 2011-2014) demonstrates past disclosure lapses
- 05HIGHInternal litigation (2018 ownership dispute involving Cinco Corporation) raises governance and capital structure questions
- 06MEDHigh investment range ($242,200-$829,000) combined with undisclosed earnings creates significant financial risk with unclear payback period
- 07MINOR7% royalty on gross sales (not net profit) creates ongoing burden regardless of unit profitability
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
What are you signing up for?
Ongoing fees run about 8.0% 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 | 10 years |
| Territory type | protected |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | No |
| Territory radius | 3 mi |
| 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 | 2 mi |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 5 days |
| Curable defaultsℹ | 2 |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Arbitration location | Los Angeles County, California |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | CA |
| Litigation count | 2 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
1) California Citation and Stipulation (2016) - DBO registration violations 2011-2014, $20,000 penalty, now resolved. 2) Cinco Corporation et al. v. Guy Koren et al. (2018) - ownership/membership dispute, settled via GKCG purchase of Cinco interests and dismissed with prejudice.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 8 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 72 hrs
- Training location
- Affiliate-Owned Restaurant in Southern California and/or Franchisor's Corporate Office in Culver City, California (or virtual)
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Time to open
- 9 mo
- From signing to launch
- Site selection
- Franchisee selects site, subject to franchisor approval
- Franchisor financing
- Not offered
- Item 10
- POS system
- POS System and inventory control software (franchisor-designated)
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: POS System and inventory control software (franchisor-designated)
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
22 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
Potato Corner · FDD (2024) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Potato Corner franchise?
The total investment to open a Potato Corner franchise ranges from $242K – $829K, 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 Potato Corner franchise owners earn?
Potato Corner 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 Potato Corner 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 Potato Corner FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is Potato Corner's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for Potato Corner (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 Potato Corner franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Potato Corner has 38 total units in the United States, including 27 franchised units and 0 company-owned units. 6 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is Potato Corner a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Potato Corner as a B-grade franchise with a verdict score of 51 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 Potato Corner, 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.