Smoothie Factory+ Kitchen Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
- Investment
- $279K – $479K
- Disclosed sales
- partial, no system average
- SBA charge-off
- 40.5%
- on 43 loans
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
Smoothie Factory+ Kitchen is a quick-service franchise serving smoothies, acai bowls, juices, and healthy food. Franchisees run the shops, managing fresh prep, staffing, and counter service.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A SMOOTHIE FACTORY+ KITCHEN franchise requires a total initial investment of $279K – $479K, including a $15K – $30K franchise fee and an ongoing 5.0% royalty[2]. The 2026 FDD on file does not yield a unit-revenue figure we can publish. SBA 7(a) loans show a 40.5% charge-off rate across 43 loans[1]. FranchiseVerdict grade: D (Below average), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Run a live ROI scan →
Sources, dates and evidence
FDD issued: · Data extracted: · Last cited check: · Staleness risk: low - issued within the last 12 months
Evidence: strong✓ Investment (Item 7)✓ Item 19 status✓ Units and owners (Item 20)✓ SBA loan coverage✓ Litigation (Item 3)✓ Financial statements (Item 21)✓ Franchisor identityhow this is scored6 of 6 headline figures on this page cite a page of the filing.
Overview
- Investment
- $279K – $479K
- 43rd pct Service Resta…
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- Royalty
- 5.0%
- 12th pct Service Resta…
- Units
- 8
- 33rd pct Service Resta…
- SBA charge-off
- 40.5%
- % of SBA 7(a) loans not repaid · median varies by category
Quick verdict · Quick-Service Restaurants · color = vs category peers
Green = favorable by >10% vs Quick-Service Restaurants median · 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 $279K – $479K including a $30K franchise fee, 5.0% ongoing royalty.
- RETURNSThe figure shown was the bottom third — three of the six stores that operated at least eleven of twelve accounting periods, and the FDD notes all three are Non-Traditional formats (printed p.52). The top third of the same six averaged $469,457, a 5.5x spread. No all-store average is printed and the middle store is never disclosed.
- RISKVerdict D (Below average), verdict score 31/100 (higher is better). SBA loan charge-off rate of 40.5% across 43 loans (well above the 16% franchise average, based on all SBA 7(a) franchise lending, 2010–2025).
- GROWTHNegative, pipeline stalled: 8 agreements signed but not yet open against 8 open outlets (Item 20).
- DATAItem 19 reports outlet revenue, but not in a form that yields a per-outlet average we can compare across brands. Ask franchisees directly for full unit-level revenue.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- Smoothie Holdings FC, LLC
- Parent company
- Smoothie Holdings, LLC
- FDD Item 1, page 9 of the 2026 FDD
- Ultimate parent
- Legacy Brands International, LLC
- FDD Item 1, page 9 of the 2026 FDD
- Predecessor
- The Smoothie Factory, Inc.
- Prior franchisor entity
- CEO title
- Chief Executive Officer
- Sherif Mityas
- Incorporated in
- Texas
- HQ
- 14860 Montfort Drive, Suite 150 PMB 34, Dallas, Texas 75254
- Auditor
- A&G LLP
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $135K
- vs $358K prior year
Affiliated brands
- Orange Leaf FC
- Souper Salad FC
- Red Mango FC
- Humble Ds FC
Other brands the franchisor or its parent operates (Item 1).
Same owner · FDD Item 1, page 9
3 other brands on this site name Legacy Brands International, LLC as parent or ultimate parent in their own FDD.
Grouped by the owner's name as each filing prints it (this page: the 2026 FDD). Spelling variants of the same group may be listed apart; a brand is never grouped with an owner its filing does not name.
Overview
About
- CEO
- Sherif Mityas
- Headquarters
- Texas
- Founded
- 2013
- FDD year
- 2026
- States available
- 3
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 22% below the typical quick-service restaurants franchise.
Source: FDD 2026 · Items 5–7
Full Item 7 breakdown15 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee | $30K | $30K | |
| Lease Deposits & Rent | $4K | $9K | |
| Design and Construction Fee | $0 | $3K | |
| Architect; Engineer; Drawings | $8K | $15K | |
| Permits | $2K | $3K | |
| Interior Improvements, General Contractor; Electrical; Millwork; Tile, Plumbing, HVAC | $144K | $234K | |
| Signage Package | $8K | $12K | |
| Smallwares; Furniture; Interior Graphics; Fixtures; Digital Menu Boards; Equipment | $53K | $110K | |
| POS System | $5K | $10K | |
| Inventory; Uniforms | $5K | $11K | |
| Pre-opening training expenses | $3K | $8K | |
| New Store Marketing Plan Fee | $5K | $5K | |
| Insurance - Liability & Workers compensation (initial deposit) | $1K | $3K | |
| Professional Fees | $2K | $6K | |
| Additional Funds (3 months) | $10K | $20K | |
| Total initial investment | $279K | $479K |
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
- $279K – $479K
- Middle of category vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $10K – $20K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $15K – $30K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Royalty
- 5.0%
- typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 3.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 8.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 5.0% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 3.0% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $2K |
| Training fee | $2K |
| Transfer fee | $10K |
| Inventory (initial) | $5K – $11K |
| Total fee load | 8.0% of rev |
What do units actually make?
Source: FDD 2026 · Item 19
ROI & LBO modelsSingle-unit · 25-unit portfolio · editable
No Item 19 revenue figure for SMOOTHIE FACTORY+ KITCHEN is on file. The return models need a revenue figure to start from, and the operating costs that turn gross sales into a profit are in no FDD. Enter your own and the calculator runs on your assumptions — nothing here is modelled until you do.
Returns model · single-unit ROIC
What would one SMOOTHIE FACTORY+ KITCHEN unit return on the cash you put in?
Illustrative category typicals — not sourced to any filing, survey or sample. Replace them with figures from franchisee validation calls before you rely on the output.
Unlevered ROIC · per unit
Your modelled return on total invested capital, before any debt financing.
—
An FDD discloses gross sales, not profit. We hold no sourced figure for annual revenue, COGS, labour, rent / occupancy and other operating costs, and will not substitute an assumed one. Enter your own and the model runs on your assumptions.
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: 2026 FDD
Financial Performance
The figure shown was the bottom third — three of the six stores that operated at least eleven of twelve accounting periods, and the FDD notes all three are Non-Traditional formats (printed p.52). The top third of the same six averaged $469,457, a 5.5x spread. No all-store average is printed and the middle store is never disclosed.
- Item 19 type
- tercile (format-banded)
- Sample size
- 6
- vs category median 19 · small
- Range (low → high)
- $36K→$597KCited, not corroborated — printed on page 60 of the 2026 FDD. Nothing else in our record independently restates or re-derives it.
- Cohort dispersion (min → max)
- Reporting year
- 2025
- Fiscal year the figures cover
- Source filing
- FDD 2026
- Disclosed in the 2026 filing, covering 2025
Compared against 781 Quick-Service Restaurants brands
Item 19 · by group
What the filing does disclose
Item 19 of this FDD reports performance in more than one group. We publish no single average for this brand; the groups the filing does disclose are listed below, quoted from its own Item 19 table.
Each row below is quoted from the FDD's own Item 19 table. Gross sales are not profit.
Item 19 detail
The figure shown was the bottom third — three of the six stores that operated at least eleven of twelve accounting periods, and the FDD notes all three are Non-Traditional formats (printed p.52). The top third of the same six averaged $469,457, a 5.5x spread. No all-store average is printed and the middle store is never disclosed.
quartile top
| Segment | Sample | Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Top 33% of Stores | 2 | $469K |
quartile bottom
| Segment | Sample | Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Bottom 33% of Stores | 3 | $85K |
Operator outlook
What the numbers say
Data-driven interpretation of this brand's financial disclosures, fee structure, and system trajectory.
Fee burden
Total ongoing fee load of 8.0% (near the Quick-Service Restaurants median).
Disclosure
Item 19 reports outlet revenue, but not in a form that yields a per-outlet average we can compare across brands.
Operator retention
System shrank 33.3% over 3 years — 1 closures. Ask existing franchisees about local market conditions.
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 medians
How Smoothie Factory+ Kitchen Compares
Category median of published Quick-Service Restaurants brands that report the figure; the middle half spans the 25th to 75th percentile and n counts the brands behind it. Medians are used because a few very large systems pull an average far from the typical brand. Revenue is disclosed gross sales, not profit.
Is the system healthy?
Source: FDD 2026 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 8
- Opened
- 2
- 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
- 12.5%
- Company-owned
- 0
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 100%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (3-yr)
- -33.3%
- Net unit change over 3 years
- 3-yr CAGR
- -33.3%
- Compounded over last 3 years
Last fiscal year · Item 20 exits and transfers
- Terminated
- 0
- Not renewed
- 0
- Transferred
- 0
- Reacquired
- 0
- Franchisor bought back
- Signed, not yet open
- 8
- 1.00 per open outlet · Item 20 Table 5
- Projected new
- 4
- Franchisor's next-year forecast
- Termination rate
- 66.7%
- Franchisor-initiated terminations
- Ceased ops
- 66.7%
- Units that stopped operating
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 12 · 3 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.
3
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
- 43
- Loan volume
- $5.7M
- Median loan
- $133K
- average
- Charge-off rate
- 40.5%
- on 43 loans · 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
- 17
- Defaults
- 15
Vintage analysis
Smoothie Factory+ Kitchen charge-off rate by loan vintage
Top lenders financing Smoothie Factory+ Kitchen franchisees
Showing 3 of 17 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.
Lender network · 7(a) + 504
SBA Lending Report
Full lending analysis for Smoothie Factory+ Kitchen from SBA 7(a) FOIA data.
Top SBA lenders
| # | Lender | Loans | Volume | Default % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | SouthState Bank, National Association | 9 | $1.3M | 57.1% |
| 2 | Bank of the West | 6 | $552K | 40.0% |
| 3 | Wells Fargo Bank National Association | 6 | $675K | 83.3% |
| 4 | JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association | 6 | $491K | 33.3% |
| 5 | First Western SBLC, Inc | 4 | $565K | 50.0% |
| 6 | LegacyTexas Bank | 1 | $49K | 0.0% |
| 7 | Popular Bank | 1 | $170K | 0.0% |
| 8 | Bank of America, National Association | 1 | $142K | 0.0% |
| 9 | Citizens National Bank of Texas | 1 | $150K | 0.0% |
| 10 | Prosperity Bank | 1 | $165K | 0.0% |
Geographic failure vector
| State | Loans | Defaults | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| TXTexas | 40 | 15 | 42.9% |
| COColorado | 1 | 0 | 0.0% |
| MOMissouri | 1 | 0 | 0.0% |
| NJNew Jersey | 1 | 0 | -- |
Source: SBA 7(a) + 504 FOIA loan-level data, matched by FranchiseVerdict
A 40.5% charge-off rate means roughly 1 in 2 franchisees failed to repay their SBA loan. Investigate what changed.
What could kill this investment?
SBA loans charge off at 40.5% — 153% above the 16.0% national norm, i.e. higher lender-observed risk.
Source: SBA 7(a) FOIA · FDD Items 3, 21
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 4, 8, 16, 21
Risk & Legal
Litigation (Item 3)
Subject: the franchisor is a named party (plaintiff).
Three franchisor-initiated breach-of-contract suits against franchisees for unpaid royalties/post-termination covenants (settled for $9,000, $4,500, and an agreed injunction), plus a 2012 SEC action against CEO Sherif Mityas (unrelated to the franchise) resulting in a consent judgment.
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · A&G LLP
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
The notes to the FY2024 statements say the company's losses and its dependence on funding from its owners raised substantial doubt about its ability to continue as a going concern, and that management concluded a funding commitment alleviates that doubt. The auditor's report is unmodified and carries no going-concern section.
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
- Franchisor sells you products: Yes
- Must buy proprietary products: Yes
- Restricted to system-approved products: Yes
Score breakdown · what drove the 31 / 100 verdict
- 01MINORNegative net worth -$115,312, net loss -$45,198
- 02MINOR1 routine collection suit (settled $9,000)
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
What are you signing up for?
Ongoing fees run about 8.0% of sales (royalty + ad fund), before rent and labor.
Source: FDD 2026 · Items 11, 12, 17
FDD Items 12, 15, 17 · continued from Risk & Legal
Contract & Territory Detail
| Initial term | 10 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 5 years |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 2 |
| Territory type | Protected territory |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | No |
| Territory sizeℹ | varies (radius or mapped area mutually agreed; no Protected Area in malls) |
| Online sales rightsℹ | Restricted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Required |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 2 years |
| Non-compete (miles)ℹ | 1 mi |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| RoFR response window | 30 days |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 60 days |
| Termination groundsℹ | 2 |
| Curable defaultsℹ | 2 |
| Mandatory arbitration | No |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | Texas |
| Litigation count | 4 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
Three franchisor-initiated breach-of-contract suits against franchisees for unpaid royalties/post-termination covenants (settled for $9,000, $4,500, and an agreed injunction), plus a 2012 SEC action against CEO Sherif Mityas (unrelated to the franchise) resulting in a consent judgment.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 12 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 24 hrs
- Training location
- Franchisor's Corporate Office and designated training Store
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Time to open
- 12 mo
- From signing to launch
- Site selection
- franchisor-designated tenant representative firm assists; site selection ultimately franchisee's responsibility
- Franchisor financing
- Not offered
- Item 10
- POS system
- Revel
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: Revel
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
36 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a SMOOTHIE FACTORY+ KITCHEN franchise?
The total investment to open a SMOOTHIE FACTORY+ KITCHEN franchise ranges from $279K – $479K, 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 SMOOTHIE FACTORY+ KITCHEN franchise owners earn?
Item 19 of the SMOOTHIE FACTORY+ KITCHEN FDD discloses outlet figures from $36K to $597K but no single average across all outlets. These are gross sales figures, not profit; the Revenue section shows what the filing reports and on what basis. Item 20 of the FDD lists current and former franchisees; asking them directly is the standard way to fill this gap.
Who owns SMOOTHIE FACTORY+ KITCHEN?
SMOOTHIE FACTORY+ KITCHEN is franchised by Smoothie Holdings FC, LLC. Its parent company is Smoothie Holdings, LLC. The ultimate parent named in the FDD is Legacy Brands International, LLC. Source: FDD Item 1, 2026 filing.
What is Item 19 in the SMOOTHIE FACTORY+ KITCHEN 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 SMOOTHIE FACTORY+ KITCHEN FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is SMOOTHIE FACTORY+ KITCHEN's franchise failure rate?
Based on SBA 7(a) loan data, SMOOTHIE FACTORY+ KITCHEN has a charge-off rate of 40.5% across 43 loans, meaning 40.5% 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 SMOOTHIE FACTORY+ KITCHEN franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, SMOOTHIE FACTORY+ KITCHEN has 8 total units in the United States, including 8 franchised units and 0 company-owned units. 2 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is SMOOTHIE FACTORY+ KITCHEN a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates SMOOTHIE FACTORY+ KITCHEN as a D-grade franchise with a verdict score of 31 out of 100 (higher is better). The grade is a deterministic score built from six weighted dimensions — financial health, unit economics, unit growth, scale, legal, and transparency — then calibrated against SBA loan charge-off rates and FDD age. Transparency is one of the six, so a filing that discloses less scores lower on that dimension than one that discloses more. 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 SMOOTHIE FACTORY+ KITCHEN, you can request corrections or provide updated information.
Other Quick-Service Restaurants franchises
Compare similar franchise opportunities in the Quick-Service Restaurants category
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.