SaladworksFranchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A SALADWORKS franchise requires a total initial investment of $484K – $678K, including a $35K franchise fee and an ongoing 6.0% royalty[2]. Per the 2026 FDD, average unit revenue was $781K[2]. SBA 7(a) loans show a 31.4% charge-off rate across 149 loans[1]. Verdict grade: F. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified June 18, 2026 · figures per the 2026 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $484K – $678K
- 32nd pct Service Resta…
- Avg gross sales
- $781K
- 6th pct Service Resta…
- Royalty
- 6.0%
- 26th pct Service Resta…
- Units
- 84
- 40th pct Service Resta…
- SBA default
- 31.4%
- 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
31.4% of SBA loans charged off across 149 loans, above the 16% franchise average.
The system contracted 6% year-over-year. Investigate why units are closing.
The franchisor's auditor raised doubt about continued operations. This is a serious risk signal.
Bottom line
- Total investment $484K – $678K including a $35K franchise fee, 6.0% ongoing royalty.
- Average unit revenue of $781K/year (median $768K).
- Verdict F (Bottom Quintile) with a risk score of 100/100. SBA loan charge-off rate of 31.4% across 149 loans (well above the 16% franchise average, based on all SBA 7(a) franchise lending, 2010–2024).
- Auditor disclosed a going-concern note, which flagged doubt about the franchisor's ability to continue operations. Verify against the latest FDD.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
- Legal entity
- Saladworks, LLC
- Parent company
- Restaurant Co., LLC dba WOWorks
- Predecessor
- including substantially all of the existing franchise agreements
- Prior franchisor entity
- Incorporated in
- IL
- HQ
- 3135 1st Avenue N., Suite 15459, St. Petersburg, FL 33733
- Auditor
- Katz, Sapper & Miller, LLP
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $32.1M
- vs $34.8M prior year
- ⚠ Going-concern note
- Disclosed in FDD 2026
- Auditor flagged doubt about continued operations. Verify against the latest FDD before deciding.
Independent franchisee associations
- Franchise Advisory Council (FAC)
Franchisee-led councils or alliances disclosed in Item 20. Indicates operator voice.
Affiliated brands
- and has not offered franchises in any line of business
- an additional fee
- has operated a business of the type being franchised s
Other brands the franchisor or its parent operates (Item 1).
Overview
About
Saladworks franchisees operate fast-casual salad and healthy bowl restaurants, managing daily operations including food prep, customer service, inventory, and staffing. Day-to-day responsibilities involve executing standardized menu offerings, maintaining food safety protocols, controlling food costs, and driving local marketing to compete in the competitive QSR segment.
- CEO
- Bryan Kelly Roddy
- Headquarters
- FL
- Founded
- 2015
- FDD year
- 2026
- States available
- 20
FDD Item 7 · 2026 filing
Initial investment breakdown
| Cost component | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $35K | $35K |
| Working capital (3–6 mo) | $15K | $35K |
| Equipment, build-out, other | $434K | $608K |
| Total initial investment | $484K | $678K |
Source: SALADWORKS 2026 FDD, Items 5 and 7[2]. “Equipment, build-out, other” is computed as total minus disclosed line items above.
Single-unit · estimated
Returns at a glance
Indicative numbers using FDD Item 7 / Item 19 inputs and category-benchmarked cost ratios. Full single-unit, 25-unit portfolio, and LBO models (with every input editable to stress-test your own scenario) live on the financials page.
Store EBITDA · annual
$70K
9.0% margin
Unlevered ROIC
12%
EBITDA / total invested capital
Payback
8.6 yrs
cash-on-cash, unlevered
Item 7 · what it costs to open + operate
The Vitals
- Total investment
- $484K – $678K
- Better than avg vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $15K – $35K
- Better than avg vs category
- Franchise fee
- $35K – $35K
- Better than avg vs category
- Royalty
- 6.0%
- Gross Sales · typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 3.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 9.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 6.0% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 3.0% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $2K |
| Transfer fee | $13K |
| Renewal fee | $5K |
| Inventory (initial) | $9K – $15K |
| Total fee load | 9.0% of rev |
Financial Performance
- Avg gross sales
- $781K
- Per unit, per year
- Median gross sales
- $768K
- Item 19 type
- net_sales
- Sample size
- 76 units
- vs category median 13 · large
- Range (low → high)
- $241K→$2.3M
- Cohort dispersion (min → max)
- Transparency tier
- limited
- Categorical assessment of disclosure depth
- Reporting year
- 2025
- Fiscal year the figures cover
- Transparency
- 4 / 5
- vs category median 4 / 5 · typical
Compared against 1264 Full-Service Restaurants brands
vs Full-Service Restaurants averages
How Saladworks Compares
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 84
- Opened
- 5
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 10
- Turnover rate
- 11.9%
- Company-owned
- 1
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 99%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (yr3)
- -5.7%
- Net unit change last year
- 3-yr CAGR
- -11.7%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Transfers (3yr)
- 3
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 23 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.
- Total loans
- 149
- Loan volume
- $50.3M
- Median loan
- $354K
- 50th percentile
- Charge-off rate
- 31.4%
- 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)
- 87.5%
- 5-yr charge-off
- 0.0%
- Loans approved 2021+
- Active lenders
- 39
- Defaults
- 33
Vintage analysis
Saladworks charge-off rate by loan vintage
Explore lender portfolios on Bank Reports or regional data on State Reports.
Premium insight
SBA Lending Report
Deep-dive into Saladworks's SBA lending history: lender network, geographic footprint, interest rates, and more.
SBA Lending Report
- Principal loss rate and NAICS industry benchmark
- 10 lenders with concentration factor
- Per-state charge-off rates across 15 states
- Startup risk premium and job creation velocity
- 15-year lending trend
Instant access. No subscription.
A 31.4% charge-off rate means roughly 1 in 3 franchisees failed to repay their SBA loan. Investigate what changed.
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 5, 6, 12, 17
Risk & Legal
Saladworks presents a CAUTION-level investment: declining unit economics, undisclosed profitability metrics, historical litigation, and going concern status offset by reasonable franchise fee and protected territory.
Litigation (Item 3)
9 case reference(s): 2 pending, 2 settled.
Largest disclosed settlement: $8
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
Disclosed in last 7 years
Bankruptcy Code; (b) obtained a discharge of its debts under the bankruptcy code; or (c) was a principal officer of a company or a general partner in a partnership that either filed as a debtor (or had filed against it) a petition to start an action under the U.S. Bankruptcy Code or that obtained a
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Katz, Sapper & Miller, LLP⚠ Going-concern note flagged
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
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 100 / 100 rating
- 01MINORUnit count declining 5.7% YoY (84 units) suggests system contraction and potential market saturation or operational challenges
- 02MEDNet Income not disclosed in FDD Item 19 — inability to assess actual profitability despite $781K avg revenue
- 03HIGHLitigation history (2014-2015 breach of contract/fraud suit by equity holder) indicates governance and valuation disputes at ownership level
- 04HIGHGoing Concern status (True) raises solvency/sustainability questions about franchisor financial stability
- 05MINORHigh investment threshold ($484-$678K) combined with declining unit count creates unfavorable risk-to-growth ratio
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 | 10 years |
| Territory type | Radius/Area |
| 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 | 1 |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | Pennsylvania |
| Litigation count | 1 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
9 case reference(s): 2 pending, 2 settled.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 15 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 80 hrs
- Training location
- On-site and off-site
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
92 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
SALADWORKS · FDD (2026) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a SALADWORKS franchise?
The total investment to open a SALADWORKS franchise ranges from $484K – $678K, 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 SALADWORKS franchise owners earn?
According to Item 19 of the SALADWORKS FDD, the average gross sales per unit is $781K. The median is $768K. Note: this is gross revenue, not profit. Actual owner earnings vary based on location, operating costs, and management.
What is SALADWORKS's franchise failure rate?
Based on SBA 7(a) loan data, SALADWORKS has a charge-off rate of 31.4% across 149 loans, meaning 31.4% of franchise loans were charged off. Charge-off rates are one proxy for franchise risk, though they do not capture all closures. This data comes from FOIA-sourced SBA lending records.
How many SALADWORKS franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, SALADWORKS has 84 total units in the United States, including 88 franchised units and 1 company-owned units. 5 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is SALADWORKS a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates SALADWORKS as a F-grade franchise with a risk score of 100 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.
For franchisors
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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.