Samurai Sam’s Teriyaki GrillFranchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Samurai Sam’s Teriyaki Grill franchise requires a total initial investment of $113K – $623K, including a $30K franchise fee. Per the 2025 FDD, average unit revenue was $454K[2]. Verdict grade: A. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified June 18, 2026 · figures per the 2025 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $113K – $623K
- 11th pct Service Resta…
- Avg gross sales
- $454K
- 6th pct Service Resta…
- Royalty
- N/A
- Units
- 12
- 38th pct Service Resta…
- SBA default
- 100.0%
- system-wide median varies by category
Quick verdict · Quick-Service Restaurants · color = vs category peers
Green = >15% above Quick-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
Franchising since 1995. Systems this mature have refined operations and brand recognition.
20 legal cases disclosed in the FDD. Read Item 3 before signing.
Bottom line
- Total investment $113K – $623K including a $30K franchise fee.
- Average unit revenue of $454K/year (median $423K).
- Verdict A (Top Quintile) with a risk score of 40/100.
- 20 litigation matters disclosed in Item 3, higher than typical. Review the summary for patterns (franchisor-initiated vs. franchisee-initiated).
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
- Legal entity
- Kahala Franchising, L.L.C.
- Parent company
- MTY Food Group, Inc.
- CEO title
- Chief Executive Officer
- Eric Lefebvre
- CEO experience
- 14 yrs
- Years in role or industry
- Incorporated in
- AZ
- HQ
- 9311 E. Via De Ventura, Scottsdale, Arizona 85258
- Auditor
- PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $597.5M
- vs $606.6M prior year
- Management churn noted
- Frequent turnover
- Item 2 disclosed frequent executive changes
Overview
About
Franchisees operate fast-casual teriyaki grill restaurants serving Asian cuisine with customizable bowls and proteins. Day-to-day operations involve food preparation, inventory management, staff supervision, customer service, and point-of-sale management in a limited-service restaurant format. Franchisees are responsible for local marketing, hiring/training, and achieving weekly sales targets to meet minimum royalty obligations.
- CEO
- Eric Lefebvre
- Headquarters
- AZ
- FDD year
- 2025
- States available
- 4
FDD Item 7 · 2025 filing · 34 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee (Traditional) | $14K | $30K | |
| Lease Review Fee (Traditional) | $0 | $3K | |
| Rent/Security Deposit (for 3 months) (Traditional) | $6K | $20K | |
| Travel and Living Expenses (2 persons) while training (Traditional) | $3K | $5K | |
| Real Estate (Traditional) | — | — | |
| Architectural Fees (Traditional) | $15K | $25K | |
| Leasehold Improvements (Traditional) | $125K | $292K | |
| Restaurant Equipment, Furniture, Small Wares, Interior Signage and Menu Panels (Traditional) | $91K | $160K | |
| Exterior Signage (Traditional) | $7K | $17K | |
| Computer Hardware, Software (POS System) (Traditional) | $3K | $10K | |
| PCI Compliance Costs (Traditional) | $150 | $1K | |
| Opening Inventory (food and paper) (Traditional) | $3K | $7K | |
| Business Insurance (Traditional) | $1K | $5K | |
| Miscellaneous Opening Costs (Traditional) | $5K | $16K | |
| Grand Opening Marketing (Traditional) | $10K | $10K | |
| Depository Account (Traditional) | $3K | $3K | |
| Additional Funds - 3 month initial period (Traditional) | $5K | $20K | |
| Initial Franchise Fee (Non-Traditional) | $6K | $10K | |
| Lease Review Fee (Non-Traditional) | $0 | $3K | |
| Rent/Security Deposit (for 3 months) (Non-Traditional) | $6K | $20K | |
| Total initial investment | $403K | $1.0M |
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.
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
$54K
12.0% margin
Unlevered ROIC
14%
EBITDA / total invested capital
Payback
7.0 yrs
cash-on-cash, unlevered
Item 7 · what it costs to open + operate
The Vitals
- Total investment
- $113K – $623K
- Better than avg vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $5K – $20K
- Better than avg vs category
- Franchise fee
- $18K – $30K
- Better than avg vs category
- Royalty
- Greater of 6% of total weekly Gross Sales or $300 per week
- Ad fund
- 4.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 10.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty (flat) | greater of 6% of total weekly Gross Sales or $300 per week |
| Marketing / ad fund | 4.0% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $75 |
| Training fee | $1K |
| Transfer fee | $8K |
| Renewal fee | $15K |
| Total fee load | 10.0% of rev |
Financial Performance
- Avg gross sales
- $454K
- Per unit, per year
- Median gross sales
- $423K
- Item 19 type
- gross_sales
- Sample size
- 12 units
- vs category median 28 · small
- Reporting year
- 2024
- Fiscal year the figures cover
- Transparency
- 4 / 5
- vs category median 4 / 5 · typical
Compared against 453 Quick-Service Restaurants brands
vs Quick-Service Restaurants averages
How Samurai Sam’s Teriyaki Grill Compares
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 12
- Opened
- 0
- 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
- 0
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 100%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (yr3)
- +0.0%
- Net unit change last year
- 3-yr CAGR
- -7.7%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Transfers (3yr)
- 1
- Projected new
- 0
- Franchisor's next-year forecast
- Transfer rate
- 8.3%
- Owners selling to other franchisees
- Continuity rate
- 100.0%
- Units that stayed open
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.
SBA loan performance
Government records
SBA Loan Data
Aggregated from SBA loan disclosures. This brand has only 1 7(a) loan on file; statistical reliability is limited below 10 loans.
- Total loans
- 1
- Loan volume
- $161K
- Median loan
- $161K
- average
- Charge-off rate
- 100.0%
- 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
- N/A
- Loans approved 2021+
- Active lenders
- 1
- Defaults
- 1
Explore lender portfolios on Bank Reports or regional data on State Reports.
Premium insight
SBA Lending Report
Deep-dive into Samurai Sam’s Teriyaki Grill'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
Samurai Sam's presents extreme risk due to going concern status, microscopic 12-unit system, extensive litigation history, missing financial disclosures, and regulatory violations across multiple states.
Litigation (Item 3)
Two concluded cases: (1) Purav Enterprises, L.L.C. v. The Extreme Pita Franchising USA, Inc. (Washington, 2015) - FIPA violations and misrepresentation claims; settled for $20,000 on March 11, 2016. (2) KOHO, Inc. v. Kahala Franchising, L.L.C. (California, 2015) - breach of contract and unjust enrichment; Kahala prevailed at bench trial, awarded $205,000 in attorney's fees; settled via area developer territory repurchase for $75,000 plus forgiveness of remaining $130,000 damages on June 19, 2017.
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · PricewaterhouseCoopers 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: Yes
- Restricted to system-approved products: Yes
- Can negotiate own supplier terms: No
Score breakdown · what drove the 40 / 100 rating
- 01HIGHGoing Concern status is FALSE — indicates potential financial distress or viability questions at corporate level
- 02MINOROnly 12 units system-wide with unknown/likely stagnant growth — suggests failed expansion and weak brand momentum
- 03HIGHMultiple litigation cases involving breach of contract, misrepresentation, and state franchise act violations in MD, NY, VA — pattern of compliance and disclosure failures
- 04MEDNet Income not disclosed in Item 19 — prevents ROI analysis and suggests poor unit economics or unwillingness to disclose
- 05MINORNo protected territory — direct competition from other franchisees and company-owned locations creates cannibalization risk
- 06MINORRoyalty floor of $300/week ($15,600 annually) is punitive for underperforming locations and creates cash flow pressure
- 07MINORHigh investment range ($112k-$623k) with opaque profitability — risk-reward misaligned
- 08MINORState administrative actions indicate systemic disclosure and registration violations — red flag for franchisor integrity
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 | 1 |
| Protected territory | No |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | No |
| Online sales rightsℹ | Restricted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Optional |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 2 years |
| Non-compete (miles)ℹ | 10 mi |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 90 days |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Arbitration location | county and state where the Franchised Business is located |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | Arizona |
| Litigation count | 20 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
Two concluded cases: (1) Purav Enterprises, L.L.C. v. The Extreme Pita Franchising USA, Inc. (Washington, 2015) - FIPA violations and misrepresentation claims; settled for $20,000 on March 11, 2016. (2) KOHO, Inc. v. Kahala Franchising, L.L.C. (California, 2015) - breach of contract and unjust enrichment; Kahala prevailed at bench trial, awarded $205,000 in attorney's fees; settled via area developer territory repurchase for $75,000 plus forgiveness of remaining $130,000 damages on June 19, 2017.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 40 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 40 hrs
- Training location
- On-site and corporate
- Time to open
- 9 mo
- From signing to launch
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
6 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
Samurai Sam’s Teriyaki Grill · FDD (2025) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Samurai Sam’s Teriyaki Grill franchise?
The total investment to open a Samurai Sam’s Teriyaki Grill franchise ranges from $113K – $623K, 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 Samurai Sam’s Teriyaki Grill franchise owners earn?
According to Item 19 of the Samurai Sam’s Teriyaki Grill FDD, the average gross sales per unit is $454K. The median is $423K. Note: this is gross revenue, not profit. Actual owner earnings vary based on location, operating costs, and management.
What is Samurai Sam’s Teriyaki Grill's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for Samurai Sam’s Teriyaki Grill (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 Samurai Sam’s Teriyaki Grill franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Samurai Sam’s Teriyaki Grill has 12 total units in the United States, including 12 franchised units and 0 company-owned units.
Is Samurai Sam’s Teriyaki Grill a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Samurai Sam’s Teriyaki Grill as a A-grade franchise with a risk score of 40 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.