Smoothie Factory / Smoothie Factory+Kitchen Kiosk Franchise Cost & 2025 FDD Data
39/100
Middle tier
39 this brand51 Quick-Service Restaurants medianlikely 24–54: narrower with more SBA loans (low confidence)
Higher is better · an editorial assessment, not investment advice
#2,548 of 3,068 graded brands
Why a C: Helped by transparency. Held back by financial health, unit growth and scale. See all six factors
- Total investment
- $177K – $356K
- Avg gross sales
- not disclosed
- SBA charge-off
- Not SBA-matched
Data from the FDD filing. Analysis by FranchiseVerdict · Methodology · Website · Report an error · Franchisor? Claim this listing
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2025 FDD
Per the 2025 FDD, a Smoothie Factory / Smoothie Factory+Kitchen Kiosk franchise requires a total initial investment of $177K – $356K, including a $15K franchise fee. Once open, the ongoing royalty is 6.0%. This franchisor makes no financial performance representation in Item 19 of its FDD. Item 19 is voluntary under the FTC Franchise Rule, and this filing states that it makes none, so no revenue or earnings figures are disclosed. Declining to publish one is lawful and is not evidence of how the outlets perform. It does mean that less about this brand can be verified from its filing, and the verdict grade - an editorial assessment, not investment advice - reflects that. Verdict grade: C (Middle tier), an editorial assessment, not investment advice.
Sources: 2025 FDD · What one unit could make and lose →
Sources, dates and evidence
FDD issued: · Last cited check: · Staleness risk: medium (issued 12 to 24 months ago; a newer filing is likely on file)
Evidence for the headline figures: partial✓ 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 scored4 of 4 headline figures on this page cite a page of the filing.
Overview
Quick verdict · vs Quick-Service Restaurants median
Top edge: green = better than the Quick-Service Restaurants median by more than 10%, red = worse by more than 10%, gray = within 10% or no benchmark. Source: FDD filings + SBA 7(a).
Data from public FDD filings and SBA records. Methodology
Bottom line
- RETURNSThe FDD makes no financial performance representation in Item 19, so it discloses no revenue or earnings figures; Item 19 is voluntary, and the Financial performance section explains what that does and does not mean.
- DATAThe FDD makes no financial performance representation in Item 19, so it discloses no revenue or earnings figures; Item 19 is voluntary, and the Financial performance section explains what that does and does not mean. Item 20 of the FDD lists current and former franchisees; asking them directly is the standard way to fill this gap.
AT STAKEOne unit at the Item 7 midpoint: $34K a year in payments on assumed SBA 7(a)-style terms.You put in about $53K of your own cash and personally guarantee a $213K loan. Assumptions are labeled in Sales; not investment advice.See what one unit could make and lose
Things to check before you sign (1)
- The franchisor keeps the right to compete inside your territory (Item 12, territory).
Checked and clear: no auditor doubt that the franchisor can keep operating, no pending lawsuit naming the franchisor and the full filing on file. Not on file here, so ask: unit trend, SBA charge-off rate against the category median, jury-trial waiver, supplier rebates and owner-operator rule.
What to do next
Step 1: Read the FDD itself.
Free: the franchisor must give it to you at least 14 days before you sign or pay. Or look it up in a state registry (Wisconsin, Minnesota, California). What to read first.
Step 2: Talk to current and former owners.
Free: Item 20 of the FDD lists every current owner and those who left last year, most with a phone number. Questions to ask.
Step 3: Talk to an SBA lender.
Free: the SBA's Lender Match. Ask what you would personally guarantee and what the monthly payment would be. If you plan to use retirement savings, ask a CPA about the rules for that first.
Step 4: Have a franchise attorney review the FDD and agreement.
Free: your state bar's lawyer referral service can name franchise lawyers, and many offer a short first consultation. Bring the checks listed above.
Research steps, not investment or legal advice.
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost (the Item 7 midpoint) is 45% below the Quick-Service Restaurants median ($487K).
Source: FDD 2025 · Items 5–7 (fees and startup costs)
Do you qualify? The filing states no minimum net worth or liquid capital. Ask Smoothie Holdings FC, LLC (Item 1: 14860 Montfort Drive, Suite 150 PMB 34, Dallas, Texas 75254) and your lender what they require, and keep living costs for the first year outside the deal.
Full Item 7 breakdown14 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee | $15K | $15K | |
| Lease Deposits & Rent | $4K | $9K | |
| Architect; Engineer; Drawings | $8K | $15K | |
| Permits | $1.5K | $3K | |
| Interior Improvements, General Contractor; Electrical; Millwork; Tile, Plumbing, HVAC2/3 | $70K | $150K | |
| Signage Package | $2.5K | $6K | |
| Smallwares; Furniture; Interior Graphics; Fixtures; Digital Menu Boards; Equipment | $53K | $110K | |
| POS System | $4.5K | $10K | |
| Inventory; Uniforms | $3.5K | $10K | |
| Pre-opening training expenses | $1.5K | $5K | |
| New Store Marketing Plan Fee | $5K | $5K | |
| Insurance - Liability & Workers compensation (initial deposit) | $1K | $2K | |
| Professional Fees | $2K | $6K | |
| Additional Funds (3 months) | $5K | $10K | |
| Total initial investment | $177K | $356K |
Line items extracted from FDD Item 7. Ranges reflect the franchisor's stated low and high per line. The total row is the total as printed in Item 7. Actual costs may fall outside this range depending on market and build-out scope.
Item 6 · what you pay once you are open
Ongoing fees
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 6.0% of gross revenues |
| Marketing / ad fund | 1.0% of gross revenues |
| Technology feeCapped at greater of $150 per Accounting Period or $1,800 per calendar year; cap increases annually by up to 10% of prior year's cap | $1,800/year |
| Transfer feeItem 17 lists $10,000 | $1,500 |
| Total fee loadnear the Quick-Service Restaurants median of 7.0% | 7.0% of sales |
What do units actually make?
This FDD makes no Item 19 financial performance representation - a voluntary item - so unit sales aren't disclosed.
Source: FDD 2025 · Item 19 (sales and earnings)
Items 6 (other fees), 7 (startup costs) and 19 (sales and earnings) · assumptions labeled
What you could make and lose: one unit
What one Smoothie Factory / Smoothie Factory+Kitchen Kiosk unit would ask of you, from the filing's Item 7 total and labeled assumptions.
How these figures are worked out
- Loan (assumption): 80% of the $266K Item 7 midpoint is a $213K loan, paid over 10 years at 10.5%: $34K a year. SBA 7(a)-style terms on a long-term rate; your lender sets yours.
What you put at risk
Your own cash in: about $53K Assumption (the part the loan does not cover of the $266K Item 7 midpoint), plus whatever anything Item 7 leaves out (its notes say what). The loan is $213K.
Personal guarantee. SBA 7(a) loans require a personal guarantee from anyone who owns 20% or more of the business. If the unit cannot pay, the lender can collect from you personally, which can include your savings and your home. The worst case is losing the cash you put in and still owing the rest of the loan.
Gross sales are not profit, and none of these figures is take-home pay until tax and every operating cost are paid. The assumptions are ours, not the filing's. Not investment advice.
Returns modelOne unit · several units · editable
Smoothie Factory / Smoothie Factory+Kitchen Kiosk makes no financial performance representation in Item 19 of its FDD - a voluntary item under the FTC Franchise Rule - so no gross sales figures are disclosed. The return models need one gross sales figure to start from, plus the operating costs that turn gross sales into a profit. Enter your own and the calculator runs on your assumptions; nothing here is modelled until you do.
Returns model · one unit
What would one Smoothie Factory / Smoothie Factory+Kitchen Kiosk unit leave you each year after the loan payment?
Not disclosed in Item 19. Enter your own gross sales assumption
Gross sales, not profit: the costs below decide what is left.
No Item 19 figures are on file for this brand. Enter your own costs from a lease quote, a payroll plan and calls with current owners.
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.
Item 7 midpoint of $177K to $356K
Item 7's $5K to $10K additional funds are already in the total
Left after the loan payment · per year
The unit's EBITDA minus the assumed loan payment. Before tax, depreciation and any cost your inputs leave out (insurance, accounting and legal, licenses, technology fees): not take-home pay.
Gross sales are not profit. Neither the filing nor a stated assumption on this page supplies annual revenue, COGS, labor, rent / occupancy and other operating costs. Enter your own (a lease quote, owner calls) and the model runs on it.
Loan of $213K at 10.5% over 10 years, an assumption, not a quote. Return and payback are before tax, depreciation and the costs above. The loan usually needs your personal guarantee.
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 · filed by Smoothie Holdings FC, LLC
Financial performance
No financial performance representation
This franchisor makes no financial performance representation in Item 19 of its FDD. Item 19 is voluntary under the FTC Franchise Rule, and this filing states that it makes none, so no revenue or earnings figures are disclosed. Declining to publish one is lawful and is not evidence of how the outlets perform. It does mean that less about this brand can be verified from its filing, and the verdict grade - an editorial assessment, not investment advice - reflects that.
Item 20 of the FDD lists current and former franchisees; asking them directly is the standard way to fill this gap.
vs Quick-Service Restaurants medians
How Smoothie Factory / Smoothie Factory+Kitchen Kiosk 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.
Who are you contracting with?
Smoothie Holdings FC, LLC, owned by Smoothie Holdings, LLC.
Same franchisor, other program: SMOOTHIE FACTORY+ KITCHEN. Each is a separate offering with its own page.
Item 1 (the franchisor) · 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 2025 FDD
- 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
- $190K
- latest fiscal year in the 2025 FDD; $183K the year before
Same owner · FDD Item 1, page 9
1 other brand on this site names Smoothie Holdings, LLC as parent or ultimate parent in its own FDD.
- SMOOTHIE FACTORY+ KITCHEN (grade F)
Grouped by the owner's name as each filing prints it (this page: the 2025 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
Is the system healthy?
Source: FDD 2025 · Item 20 (outlets opened, closed and transferred)
Item 20 (outlet counts) · unit dynamics
The growth chart
- % franchised
- 100%
- vs corporate-owned
Last fiscal year · Item 20 rates and pipeline
- Signed, not yet open
- 7
- Item 20 Table 5
- Projected new
- 3
- Franchisor's next-year forecast
No multi-year history disclosed and no opening/closing activity in the last reporting year.
Government records
SBA loan data
Matched to this brand from SBA 7(a) and 504 FOIA loan records.
No SBA loan data available for this brand.
What are the risks?
Main risk in the grade: financial health, then unit growth and scale. The reasons are below.
Source: SBA 7(a) FOIA · FDD Items 3, 21
Verdict grade + FDD Items 3 (litigation), 4 (bankruptcy), 8 (required suppliers), 16 (what you may sell), 21 (audited financials)
Risk and legal
Grade C: Middle tier, 39/100 (category median 51); the full grade is at the top of the page.
How the grade is built
Why a C, factor by factor
- Financial health Weighs on it, weakest dimensionAudited financials; no going-concern doubt; franchisor reported a net loss; negative net worth
- Unit economics NeutralNo Item 19 sales figure to set against the investment, so neutral
- Unit growth Weighs on itTurnover 100.0%
- Scale Weighs on itFranchising since 2013
- Legal Neutral3 matters naming the franchisor among the Item 3 matters we list
- Transparency HelpsItem 19 declines to disclose financial performance; audited financials
From the six scored dimensions, an editorial assessment, not investment advice. How the score is built
Litigation (Item 3)
Subject: the franchisor is a named party (plaintiff).
3 concluded actions, all franchisor-as-plaintiff breach of contract suits against franchisees (unpaid royalties, post-termination covenant violations). Settlements of $9,000 and $4,500; one resolved via permanent injunction.
Largest disclosed settlement in the franchisor's own cases: $9,000
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · A&G LLP
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
- Franchisor sells you products: No
- Must buy proprietary products: Yes
- Restricted to system-approved products: Yes
Litigation case detail3 matters · Item 3
Litigation cases
The franchisor
Concluded (3)
Smoothie Holdings FC, LLC v. Extremeline Nutrition, LLC, Raymond Suerte and Elisa Nawas
concludedBrought against a franchisee · filed 2024-04-23 · District Court, Dallas County, Texas · DC-24-05965
“… Case No: DC-24-05965 (District Court, Dallas County, Texas, April 23, 2024) Franchisor filed a Petition and Application for Temporary Restraining Order against Franchisee for breach of contract for failing to comply with post-expiration covenants under the Franchise Agreement.”Page 13 of the 2025 FDD, Item 3
Smoothie Holdings FC, LLC v. Fortune Ajebon, LLC, Fortune Ajebon and Manling Li
settledBrought against a franchisee · filed 2024-05-24 · District Court, Dallas County, Texas · DC-24-07667
“… Case No: DC-24-07667 (District Court, Dallas County, Texas, May 24, 2024) Franchisor filed a Petition and Application for Temporary Restraining Order, Temporary and Permanent”Page 13 of the 2025 FDD, Item 3
Outcome: “and to pay Franchisor $4,500. Other than these actions, no litigation is required to be disclosed in this disclosure document.”
Smoothie Holdings FC, LLC v. Farhaj Haq and Wahaj Haq
settledBrought against a franchisee · filed 2022-11-15 · Justice Court, Precinct No. 1, Dallas County, Texas · JPC-22-00979-11
“… Case No: JPC-22-00979-11 (Justice Court, Precinct No. 1, Dallas County, Texas, November 15, 2022) Franchisor sued Franchisee for breach of contract for unpaid royalties after premature termination of the store in the amount of $16,153.05.”Page 13 of the 2025 FDD, Item 3
Outcome: “the Franchisee agreed to pay Franchisor $9,000 in immediately available funds and the parties exchanged mutual releases.”
Item 3 lists the litigation the franchisor must disclose; a matter against a parent, an affiliate or a named officer is not a matter against the franchisor, and pending claims are allegations, not findings.
What are you signing up for?
Ongoing fees run about 7.0% of sales (royalty + ad fund), before your own operating costs.
Source: FDD 2025 · Items 11, 12, 17
FDD Items 12 (territory), 15 (owner participation) and 17 (renewal, termination and disputes)
Contract and territory detail
| Allowed renewals | 2 |
|---|---|
| Protected territory | Yes, on conditions |
| Territory condition | Minimum development commitment of 3 Stores under Store Development Agreement. |
| Exclusive territory | No |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Non-compete (years) | 2 years |
| Non-compete (miles) | 1 mi |
| Right of first refusal | Yes |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Mandatory arbitration | No |
| Governing law | Texas |
Items 10 (financing), 11 (training and support)
Training and operations
- On-the-job training
- 36 hrs
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Site selection
- franchisee, with franchisor approval and designated tenant representative consulting firm required
- Franchisor financing
- Not offered
- Item 10
- POS system
- Revel
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 (initial fees) & 11 (training and support)
Franchisor support
Franchisee contacts
We hold no owner list for this brand. Item 20 of the FDD lists the current and former owners; the free FDD is the source.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to open a Smoothie Factory / Smoothie Factory+Kitchen Kiosk franchise?
Per the 2025 FDD, the total investment to open a Smoothie Factory / Smoothie Factory+Kitchen Kiosk franchise ranges from $177K to $356K, with an initial franchise fee of $15K. This is the Item 7 total in the Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD): the startup costs the franchisor lists, such as build-out, equipment, inventory and working capital. It usually leaves out buying land or a building; Item 7's notes say what is excluded.
What do Smoothie Factory / Smoothie Factory+Kitchen Kiosk franchise owners earn?
Smoothie Factory / Smoothie Factory+Kitchen Kiosk makes no financial performance representation in Item 19 of its FDD - a voluntary item under the FTC Franchise Rule - so no gross sales figures are disclosed. Declining to publish one is lawful and is not evidence of how the outlets perform. It does mean that less about this brand can be verified from its filing, and the verdict grade - an editorial assessment, not investment advice - reflects that. 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 / Smoothie Factory+Kitchen Kiosk?
Smoothie Factory / Smoothie Factory+Kitchen Kiosk is franchised by Smoothie Holdings FC, LLC. Its parent company is Smoothie Holdings, LLC. Source: FDD Item 1, 2025 filing.
What is Item 19 in the Smoothie Factory / Smoothie Factory+Kitchen Kiosk 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. The Smoothie Factory / Smoothie Factory+Kitchen Kiosk FDD does not make an Item 19 financial performance representation, so this page shows no earnings figure.
What is Smoothie Factory / Smoothie Factory+Kitchen Kiosk's franchise failure rate?
There is no published franchise failure rate, and Smoothie Factory / Smoothie Factory+Kitchen Kiosk has too few resolved SBA 7(a) loans on file (fewer than 10) to show an SBA charge-off rate that would mean anything. The SBA charge-off rate is the share of a brand's resolved SBA 7(a) loans to its franchisees that the SBA wrote off, including purchased guarantees. Resolved means paid in full or charged off; active loans are excluded because their outcome is not yet known. It is a lending outcome, not a count of closed businesses. Review the turnover and closure figures in Item 20 of the FDD and speak with current and former franchisees.
Is Smoothie Factory / Smoothie Factory+Kitchen Kiosk a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict gives Smoothie Factory / Smoothie Factory+Kitchen Kiosk a C Verdict grade (Middle tier) with a verdict score of 39 out of 100 (higher is better), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Helped by transparency (Item 19 declines to disclose financial performance). Held back by financial health (audited financials), unit growth (turnover 100.0%) and scale (franchising since 2013). The “Why a C” section on this page lists all six dimensions and any adjustment. Speak with current franchisees before making any investment decision.
Other Quick-Service Restaurants franchises
Similar investment first, then by grade
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.