SemSem MediterraneanFranchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A SemSem Mediterranean franchise requires a total initial investment of $230K – $444K, including a $35K franchise fee and an ongoing 4.0% royalty[2]. The 2025 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 2025 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $230K – $444K
- 40th pct Service Resta…
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- 59th pct Service Resta…
- Royalty
- 4.0%
- 3rd pct Service Resta…
- Units
- 3
- 14th pct Service Resta…
- SBA default
- N/A
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
Started franchising in 2025. Newer systems carry more uncertainty but may offer better territories.
The franchisor's auditor raised doubt about continued operations. This is a serious risk signal.
Bottom line
- Total investment $230K – $444K including a $35K franchise fee, 4.0% 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 65/100.
- 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
- SemSem Franchising, LLC
- Predecessor
- or parent
- Prior franchisor entity
- Incorporated in
- IL
- HQ
- 6509 159th Street, Tinley Park, IL 60477
- Auditor
- SMITH, BUZZI & ASSOCIATES, LLC
- Audited financials
- ⚠ Going-concern note
- Disclosed in FDD 2025
- Auditor flagged doubt about continued operations. Verify against the latest FDD before deciding.
Overview
About
SemSem Mediterranean franchisees operate quick-service or casual Mediterranean restaurant concepts, preparing and serving authentic Mediterranean cuisine to customers. Daily operations include food preparation, inventory management, customer service, staffing, and adherence to brand standards across a protected territory.
- CEO
- Omar Hendi
- Headquarters
- IL
- Founded
- 2025
- FDD year
- 2025
- States available
- 1
FDD Item 7 · 2025 filing · 15 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Feenot refundable | $35K | $35K | |
| Training (Transportation and Lodging) | $3K | $6K | |
| Rent, Prepaids and Security Deposit (3 months) | $9K | $12K | |
| Construction of Leasehold Improvements | $40K | $100K | |
| Kitchen Equipment | $75K | $150K | |
| Furniture, Fixtures, and Decor | $10K | $30K | |
| Initial Inventory | $8K | $14K | |
| Signage | $4K | $12K | |
| Business Licenses and Permits | $2K | $3K | |
| Professional Fees | $450 | $1K | |
| Equipment, Internet, Phones, Cameras, TVs and Computers | $3K | $6K | |
| Business Insurance (3 months) | $2K | $2K | |
| Grand Opening Advertising | $3K | $5K | |
| Additional Funds for First 3 Months | $38K | $68K | |
| Area Development Fee | $70K | $105K | |
| Total initial investment | $300K | $549K |
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
- $230K – $444K
- Near category avg vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $38K – $68K
- Below avg, review vs category
- Franchise fee
- $35K – $35K
- Near category avg vs category
- Royalty
- 4.0%
- Gross Revenues · typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 1.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 5.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 4.0% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 1.0% of gross sales |
| Transfer fee | $10K |
| Renewal fee | $5K |
| 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 Quick-Service Restaurants averages
How SemSem Mediterranean Compares
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 3
- Opened
- 0
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 0
- Turnover rate
- 0.0%
- Company-owned
- 3
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 0%
- vs corporate-owned
3-year detail · Item 20
- Opened (3yr)
- 1
- Closed (3yr)
- 0
- Terminated (3yr)
- 0
- Non-renewed (3yr)
- 0
- Transfers (3yr)
- 0
- Reacquired (3yr)
- 0
- Franchisor bought back
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 18 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.
No SBA loan data available for this brand.
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 5, 6, 12, 17
Risk & Legal
SemSem Mediterranean is an underdeveloped micro-franchise with opaque unit economics, unproven profitability metrics, and minimal system scale, presenting significant visibility and viability risks.
Litigation (Item 3)
0 case reference(s): 0 pending, 0 settled.
Largest disclosed settlement: $105,000
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · SMITH, BUZZI & ASSOCIATES, LLC⚠ Going-concern note flagged
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 65 / 100 rating
- 01MINOROnly 3 units in system with unknown growth trajectory suggests minimal scale and unproven model
- 02MINORNo average revenue or net income disclosure (Item 19) prevents ROI validation and profitability assessment
- 03MEDHigh investment range ($229,950–$444,250) with 4% royalty on undisclosed revenues creates uncertainty on actual unit economics
- 04MINOR10-year term is longer than industry standard (5-7 years typical), locking franchisees into uncertain partnership
- 05MEDMicro-franchise system (3 units) indicates early-stage or stalled expansion with limited operational track record
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 | Specific geographic region (zip code boundaries) |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Territory sizeℹ | 750,000 people |
| Online sales rights | Restricted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Optional |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 2 years |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Termination groundsℹ | 3 |
| Curable defaultsℹ | 2 |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | Illinois |
| Litigation count | 0 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
0 case reference(s): 0 pending, 0 settled.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 28 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 66 hrs
- Training location
- On-site at franchisee's restaurant and franchisor's location
- POS system
- Order Mark and Clover POS System
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: Order Mark and Clover POS System
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
19 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
SemSem Mediterranean · FDD (2025) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a SemSem Mediterranean franchise?
The total investment to open a SemSem Mediterranean franchise ranges from $230K – $444K, 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 SemSem Mediterranean franchise owners earn?
SemSem Mediterranean 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 SemSem Mediterranean's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for SemSem Mediterranean (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 SemSem Mediterranean franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, SemSem Mediterranean has 3 total units in the United States, including 0 franchised units and 3 company-owned units.
Is SemSem Mediterranean a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates SemSem Mediterranean as a C-grade franchise with a risk score of 65 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.