Sidewalk Juice Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
Sidewalk Juice is a quick-service franchise serving cold-pressed juices, smoothies, and acai bowls. Franchisees run the shops, managing fresh prep, inventory, and counter service.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Sidewalk Juice franchise requires a total initial investment of $262K – $815K, including a $30K franchise fee and an ongoing 6.0% royalty[2]. Per the 2025 FDD, average unit revenue was $692K[2]. FranchiseVerdict grade: B (Above average), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified · figures per the 2025 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $262K – $815K
- 41st pct Service Resta…
- Avg gross sales
- $692K
- Outlet subsetNet sales8th pct Service Resta…
- Royalty
- 6.0%
- 46th pct Service Resta…
- Units
- 6
- 27th 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 $262K – $815K including a $30K franchise fee, 6.0% ongoing royalty.
- RETURNSAverage unit revenue of $692K/year (median $673K) (reported for a subset of outlets rather than the whole system).
- RISKVerdict B (Above average), verdict score 55/100 (higher is better).
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- Sidewalk Juice, LLC
- Predecessor
- Sidewalk Juice Bar Inc.
- Prior franchisor entity
- CEO title
- Chief Executive Officer and Managing Member
- Ghassan "Gus" Daibis
- CEO experience
- 9 yrs
- Years in role or industry
- Founder active
- Yes
- Original founder still leading the business
- Incorporated in
- California
- HQ
- 1860 El Camino Real, Suite 221, Burlingame, CA 94010
- Auditor
- KPM Accounting & Management Solutions
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $549K
- vs $617K prior year
Overview
About
- CEO
- Ghassan "Gus" Daibis
- Headquarters
- CA
- Founded
- 2018
- FDD year
- 2025
- States available
- 1
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 18% below the typical quick-service restaurants franchise.
Source: FDD 2025 · Items 5–7
Full Item 7 breakdown26 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee (Conventional Bar) | $23K | $30K | |
| Architects and Engineers (Conventional Bar) | $10K | $60K | |
| Leasehold Improvements (Conventional Bar) | $125K | $450K | |
| Furniture, Fixtures, Equipment and Decor (Conventional Bar) | $50K | $150K | |
| Interior and Exterior Signs (Conventional Bar) | $4K | $20K | |
| Lease and Utility Deposits, Insurance, Licenses and Permits (Conventional Bar) | $8K | $20K | |
| Opening Inventory (Conventional Bar) | $8K | $15K | |
| Grand Opening Promotion (Conventional Bar) | $3K | $5K | |
| Legal, Accounting, Pre-opening Marketing and Other Pre-opening Expenses (Conventional Bar) | $1K | $5K | |
| Other Initial Expenses (Conventional Bar) | $1K | $5K | |
| Real Estate Lease (Conventional Bar) | $10K | $20K | |
| Point of Sale Recordation Device/Computer System (Conventional Bar) | $3K | $5K | |
| Additional Funds - First 3 Months of Operation (Conventional Bar) | $10K | $30K | |
| Initial Franchise Fee (Non-Traditional Bar) | $30K | $30K | |
| Architects and Engineers (Non-Traditional Bar) | $40K | $125K | |
| Leasehold Improvements (Non-Traditional Bar) | $650K | $1.3M | |
| Furniture, Fixtures, Equipment and Decor (Non-Traditional Bar) | $150K | $250K | |
| Interior and Exterior Signs (Non-Traditional Bar) | $6K | $20K | |
| Lease and Utility Deposits, Insurance, Licenses and Permits (Non-Traditional Bar) | $8K | $75K | |
| Opening Inventory (Non-Traditional Bar) | $8K | $25K | |
| Total initial investment | $1.2M | $2.9M |
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
- $262K – $815K
- Middle of category vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $10K – $30K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $30K – $30K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Royalty
- 6.0%
- Gross Receipts · 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 |
| Transfer fee | $15K |
| Total fee load | 9.0% of rev |
What do units actually make?
Average unit sales run 43% below the quick-service restaurants norm.
Reported for a subset of outlets rather than the whole system
Reported as net sales, not gross sales
Source: FDD 2025 · 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
$90K
13.0% margin
Unlevered ROIC
16%
EBITDA / total invested capital
Payback
6.2 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 Sidewalk Juice unit return on the cash you put in?
Unlevered ROIC · per unit
Estimated return on your total franchise investment, before any debt financing.
16%
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 Sidewalk Juice units return on equity?
Equity IRR · 5-yr
49.9%
7.57× MOIC
Year-1 DSCR
1.88×
EBITDA ÷ debt service
Equity required
$831K
on $4.2M purchase
Total debt
$3.3M
SBA $2.1M + 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: 2025 FDD
Financial Performance
Reported for a subset of outlets rather than the whole system
Reported as net sales, not gross sales
- Avg gross sales
- $692K
- Per unit, per year
- Median gross sales
- $673K
Gross sales are revenue before expenses — not profit. Actual owner earnings depend on rent, labor, royalties, marketing fees, and debt service.
- Item 19 type
- net sales
- Sample size
- 5 outlets
- vs category median 20 · small
- Range (low → high)
- $536K→$860K
- Cohort dispersion (min → max)
- Reporting year
- 2024
- Fiscal year the figures cover
- Source filing
- FDD 2025
- Disclosed in the 2025 filing, covering 2024
- Transparency
- 4 / 10
- vs category median 4 / 10 · typical
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 $692K/year in gross sales. Revenue-to-investment ratio: 1.3x. Reported for a subset of outlets rather than the whole system.
Fee burden
Total ongoing fee load of 9.0% (near the Quick-Service Restaurants average).
Disclosure
Transparency score 4/10 — this franchisor discloses detailed breakdowns (quartiles, segments, or cohort data). Buyers can model unit economics with higher confidence. Sample size of 5 outlets — treat as directional only.
Operator retention
Net unit growth of +50.0% over 3 years (0 opened, 0 closed).
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 Sidewalk Juice Compares
Is the system healthy?
Source: FDD 2025 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 6
- 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 (3-yr)
- +50.0%
- Net unit change over 3 years
- 3-yr CAGR
- +50.0%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Opened (3yr)
- 2
- Closed (3yr)
- 0
- Terminated (3yr)
- 0
- Non-renewed (3yr)
- 0
- Transfers (3yr)
- 1
- Reacquired (3yr)
- 0
- Franchisor bought back
- Projected new
- 0
- Franchisor's next-year forecast
- Continuity rate
- 100.0%
- Units that stayed open
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 12 · 1 state 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.
1
states with franchisees (per FDD Item 12)
Fast growth in a small system. Newer franchisors expanding quickly may not yet have the support infrastructure of larger systems.
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.
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
One litigation matter involving the franchisor's licensor selling unregistered licenses in violation of California Franchise Investment Law, with Notices of Violation on remaining franchisees. Financials are adequate (net worth $331,501, Item 19 disclosed) but the system is tiny at 6 units.
Litigation (Item 3)
Sidewalk Juice Bar Inc. (licensor) sold unregistered franchises in violation of California Franchise Investment Law. Notices of Violation served to two remaining franchisees in February 2019 after California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation approval.
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · KPM Accounting & Management Solutions
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 55 / 100 verdict
- 01MINORLicensor sold unregistered franchises (CA FIL violation)
- 02MINORVery small system (6 units)
- 03MEDOtherwise positive net worth, Item 19 disclosed
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
What are you signing up for?
Ongoing fees run about 9.0% of sales (royalty + ad fund), before rent and labor.
Source: FDD 2025 · 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 | Geographic area |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| 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 | 5 mi |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 20 days |
| Mandatory arbitration | No |
| Governing law | California |
| Litigation count | 1 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
Sidewalk Juice Bar Inc. (licensor) sold unregistered franchises in violation of California Franchise Investment Law. Notices of Violation served to two remaining franchisees in February 2019 after California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation approval.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 0 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 32 hrs
- Training location
- On-site and at franchisor location
- POS system
- Toast or Square
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: Toast or Square
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
1 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
Sidewalk Juice · FDD (2025) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Sidewalk Juice franchise?
The total investment to open a Sidewalk Juice franchise ranges from $262K – $815K, 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 Sidewalk Juice franchise owners earn?
According to Item 19 of the Sidewalk Juice FDD, the average gross sales per unit is $692K. The median is $673K. 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 Sidewalk Juice 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 Sidewalk Juice FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is Sidewalk Juice's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for Sidewalk Juice (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 Sidewalk Juice franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Sidewalk Juice has 6 total units in the United States, including 6 franchised units and 0 company-owned units.
Is Sidewalk Juice a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Sidewalk Juice as a B-grade franchise with a verdict score of 55 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 Sidewalk Juice, 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.