Salata Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
Salata is a fast-casual franchise serving build-your-own salads and wraps from a large fresh-ingredient bar. Franchisees run restaurants managing prep, assembly-line service, and staffing.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Salata franchise requires a total initial investment of $286K – $1.2M, including a $40K franchise fee and an ongoing 5.0% royalty[2]. Per the 2023 FDD, average unit revenue was $1.3M[2]. FranchiseVerdict grade: A (Strongest tier), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified · figures per the 2023 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $286K – $1.2M
- 47th pct Service Resta…
- Avg gross sales
- $1.3M
- Outlet subset22nd pct Service Resta…
- Royalty
- 5.0%
- 11th pct Service Resta…
- Units
- 90
- 75th 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 $286K – $1.2M including a $40K franchise fee, 5.0% ongoing royalty.
- RETURNSAverage unit revenue of $1.3M/year (median $1.3M) (reported for a subset of outlets rather than the whole system).
- RISKVerdict A (Strongest tier), verdict score 74/100 (higher is better).
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- Salata Franchise, LLC
- Parent company
- Salata Holding Company LLC
- Predecessor
- None disclosed
- Prior franchisor entity
- CEO title
- Chief Executive Officer and Manager
- Berge Simonian
- CEO experience
- 15 yrs
- Years in role or industry
- Founder active
- Yes
- Original founder still leading the business
- Incorporated in
- Texas
- HQ
- 16720 Park Row Drive, Houston, Texas 77084
- Auditor
- Seth & Associates CPAs, PLLC
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $6.2M
- vs $7.1M prior year
- Management churn noted
- Frequent turnover
- Item 2 disclosed frequent executive changes
Overview
About
- CEO
- Berge Simonian
- Headquarters
- TX
- Founded
- 2006
- FDD year
- 2023
- States available
- 5
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 10% above the typical quick-service restaurants franchise.
Source: FDD 2023 · Items 5–7
Full Item 7 breakdown24 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee (Traditional In-Line Shopping Center Site)not refundable | $40K | $40K | |
| Business Licenses & Permits (Traditional In-Line Shopping Center Site) | $1K | $5K | |
| Leasehold Improvements (Traditional In-Line Shopping Center Site) | $358K | $664K | |
| Fixtures, Furnishings & Equipment (Traditional In-Line Shopping Center Site) | $295K | $310K | |
| Architect and Engineering Fees (Traditional In-Line Shopping Center Site) | $20K | $23K | |
| Rent and Utility Deposits (Traditional In-Line Shopping Center Site) | $12K | $20K | |
| Other Professional Fees (Traditional In-Line Shopping Center Site) | $3K | $10K | |
| Insurance Deposit (Traditional In-Line Shopping Center Site) | $2K | $6K | |
| Initial Inventory of Food, Beverages, Paper Supplies and Uniforms (Traditional In-Line Shopping Center Site) | $7K | $15K | |
| Training Expenses (Traditional In-Line Shopping Center Site) | $5K | $20K | |
| New Restaurant Advertising (Traditional In-Line Shopping Center Site) | $15K | $20K | |
| Additional Funds - 3 months (Traditional In-Line Shopping Center Site) | $20K | $30K | |
| Initial Franchise Fee (Business District/Non-Traditional Site)not refundable | $40K | $40K | |
| Business Licenses & Permits (Business District/Non-Traditional Site) | $1K | $5K | |
| Leasehold Improvements (Business District/Non-Traditional Site) | $125K | $375K | |
| Fixtures, Furnishings & Equipment (Business District/Non-Traditional Site) | $60K | $80K | |
| Architect and Engineering Fees (Business District/Non-Traditional Site) | $10K | $23K | |
| Rent and Utility Deposits (Business District/Non-Traditional Site) | $5K | $6K | |
| Other Professional Fees (Business District/Non-Traditional Site) | $3K | $10K | |
| Insurance Deposit (Business District/Non-Traditional Site) | $2K | $6K | |
| Total initial investment | $1.1M | $1.8M |
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
- $286K – $1.2M
- Middle of category vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $15K – $30K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $40K – $40K
- Middle of category vs category
- Royalty
- 5.0%
- percentage · typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 2.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 7.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 5.0% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 2.0% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $0 |
| Transfer fee | $20K |
| Renewal fee | $20K |
| Total fee load | 7.0% of rev |
What do units actually make?
Average unit sales run 10% above the quick-service restaurants norm.
Reported for a subset of outlets rather than the whole system
Source: FDD 2023 · Item 19
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
$199K
15.0% margin
Unlevered ROIC
27%
EBITDA / total invested capital
Payback
3.7 yrs
cash-on-cash, unlevered
ROI & LBO modelsSingle-unit · 25-unit portfolio · editable
What one unit earns on your invested capital
Model A · Single-Unit Return
Computes unlevered return on invested capital (ROIC) for a single franchise unit. The target band for an attractive franchise is 30–60% ROIC. Below that and a passive index fund likely outperforms; above that and the franchisor has pricing power you're subsidizing.
Note: Item 19 revenue is what the franchisor discloses. It's the top line only. Operating costs below are category estimates. Override them to match your real lease quote, labor market, and build-out budget.
Returns model · single-unit ROIC
What would one Salata unit return on the cash you put in?
Unlevered ROIC · per unit
Estimated return on your total franchise investment, before any debt financing.
27%
Below the 30–60% attractive-franchise band
What 25 units return when you use SBA financing
Model B · Return on Equity: Debt-Financed Acquisition
Models a 25-unit portfolio acquisition financed with an SBA 7(a) loan. Shows equity IRR (your return on cash invested), DSCR (how safely the cash flow covers debt service), and the capital stack (SBA + seller + equity breakdown).
This is the “search fund” or “entrepreneurship through acquisition” scenario: you buy an existing multi-unit operator, use leverage to amplify returns, and either operate or hire management. The 25-unit size is the typical minimum for an SBA-backed franchise portfolio acquisition to pencil as a full-time income.
What “return on equity” means here: if you put in $500K of your own cash and the business generates enough EBITDA to pay down debt and grow, your equity IRR is the annual return on that $500K, including the value created when you eventually sell. Target IRR for a search fund is typically 25–35%.
Levered LBO scenario · Yale Crease Capital framing
What would 25 Salata units return on equity?
Equity IRR · 5-yr
46.1%
6.66× MOIC
Year-1 DSCR
1.95×
EBITDA ÷ debt service
Equity required
$2.4M
on $10.6M purchase
Total debt
$8.2M
SBA $5.0M + senior + seller note
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
Reported for a subset of outlets rather than the whole system
- Avg gross sales
- $1.3M
- Per unit, per year
- Median gross sales
- $1.3M
Gross sales are revenue before expenses — not profit. Actual owner earnings depend on rent, labor, royalties, marketing fees, and debt service.
- Item 19 type
- historical actual (average/median/high/low Net Sales by year, franchisee- and affiliate-owned traditional restaurants)
- Sample size
- 66 outlets
- vs category median 20 · large
- Range (low → high)
- $451K→$2.5M
- Cohort dispersion (min → max)
- Reporting year
- 2022
- Fiscal year the figures cover
- Source filing
- FDD 2023
- Disclosed in the 2023 filing, covering 2022
- Transparency
- 7 / 10
- vs category median 4 / 10 · above
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.
Unit economics
Average unit generates $1.3M/year in gross sales. Revenue-to-investment ratio: 1.8x. Reported for a subset of outlets rather than the whole system.
Fee burden
Total ongoing fee load of 7.0% (near the Quick-Service Restaurants average).
Disclosure
Transparency score 7/10 — this franchisor discloses detailed breakdowns (quartiles, segments, or cohort data). Buyers can model unit economics with higher confidence.
Operator retention
System expanding at 14.1% CAGR over 3 years across 90 units — operators are staying and new ones are joining.
Multi-unit rate
29% of franchisees own multiple units, a moderate multi-unit rate.
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 Salata Compares
Is the system healthy?
Source: FDD 2023 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 90
- Opened
- 7
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 1
- Terminated
- 0
- Franchisor ended the franchise (per Item 20)
- Non-renewed
- 0
- Term expired, not renewed (per Item 20)
- Turnover rate
- 1.2%
- Company-owned
- 9
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 1%
- vs corporate-owned
- Multi-unit owners
- 28.6%
- Net growth (3-yr)
- +14.1%
- Net unit change over 3 years
- 3-yr CAGR
- +14.1%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Opened (3yr)
- 7
- Closed (3yr)
- 1
- Terminated (3yr)
- 0
- Non-renewed (3yr)
- 0
- Transfers (3yr)
- 0
- Reacquired (3yr)
- 0
- Franchisor bought back
- Projected new
- 7
- Franchisor's next-year forecast
- Ceased ops
- 1.1%
- Units that stopped operating
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 12 · 5 states reported
The Territory Map
FDD Item 12 reports the state count, but the specific list isn't in our current data. The map will appear once we re-extract from the FDD or enough franchisee contacts are available.
5
states with franchisees (per FDD Item 12)
SBA loan performance
Government records
SBA Loan Data
Aggregated from SBA 7(a) and 504 loan disclosures, public data unique to FranchiseVerdict.
- Total loans
- 18
- Loan volume
- $11.6M
- Median loan
- $541K
- 50th percentile
- Charge-off rate
- N/A
- no resolved loans yet — rate needs a terminal outcome
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
- 13
- Defaults
- 1
- Typical loan rate
- 5.7%
- avg rate to borrowers
- Franchised industry avg
- 10.8%
- n=12,827 loans
- Jobs supported
- 356
- 3.4 per loan
- Lender concentration
- 25%
- top lender's share
Borrower mix: 80% went to startups / new businesses, 20% to established operators
Franchise vs independent — in limited-service restaurants, franchised businesses charge off at 10.8% vs 10.0% for independents — franchising is associated with 8% higher SBA default risk in this category.
Top lenders financing Salata franchisees
Showing 3 of 13 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.
Premium insight
SBA Lending Report
Deep-dive into Salata'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 3 states
- Startup risk premium and job creation velocity
- 6-year lending trend
Instant access. No subscription.
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
Salata has negative franchisor net worth of -$694,692 but positive net income of $698,501 on $7.1M revenue, with 90 units and healthy 14.1% growth. No litigation, bankruptcy, going concern, or distress, and Item 19 is disclosed with $1.33M avg gross sales. Negative equity is the sole concern against otherwise solid operations.
Litigation (Item 3)
No litigation information provided in Item 3
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Seth & Associates CPAs, PLLC
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
- Franchisor sells you products: Yes
- 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 74 / 100 verdict
- 01MINORNegative net worth -$694,692
- 02MINORPositive net income $698,501, +14.1% growth, 90 units
- 03HIGHNo litigation, bankruptcy, or going-concern note
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 2023 · Items 11, 12, 17
FDD Items 12, 15, 17 · continued from Risk & Legal
Contract & Territory Detail
| Initial term | 10 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 10 years |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 1 |
| Territory type | Radius/Boundaries |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Online sales rights | 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 | 30 days |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Arbitration location | Houston, Texas |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | Texas |
| Litigation count | 0 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
No litigation information provided in Item 3
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 64 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 318 hrs
- Training location
- On-site and corporate
- Ongoing training
- Required
- POS system
- Toast
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: Toast
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
7 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
Salata · FDD (2023) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Salata franchise?
The total investment to open a Salata franchise ranges from $286K – $1.2M, with an initial franchise fee of $40K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do Salata franchise owners earn?
According to Item 19 of the Salata FDD, the average gross sales per unit is $1.3M. The median is $1.3M. Important context: Reported for a subset of outlets rather than the whole system. Note: this is gross revenue, not profit. Actual owner earnings vary based on location, operating costs, and management.
What is Item 19 in the Salata 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 Salata FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is Salata's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for Salata (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 Salata franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Salata has 90 total units in the United States, including 81 franchised units and 9 company-owned units. 7 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is Salata a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Salata as a A-grade franchise with a verdict score of 74 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 Salata, 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.