Southern Steer Butcher Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
- Investment
- $376K – $797K
- Disclosed sales
- partial, no system average
- SBA charge-off
- Under 10 loans (8)
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
Southern Steer Butcher is a specialty retail franchise operating full-service butcher shops with premium cut-to-order meats and prepared foods. Franchisees run the shops, managing butchering, retail, and customer service.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Southern Steer Butcher franchise requires a total initial investment of $376K – $797K, including a $60K franchise fee and an ongoing 6.0% royalty[2]. The 2026 FDD on file does not yield a unit-revenue figure we can publish. FranchiseVerdict grade: B (Above 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: 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 scored6 of 6 headline figures on this page cite a page of the filing.
Overview
- Investment
- $376K – $797K
- 8th pct Food Retail
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- Royalty
- 6.0%
- 4th pct Food Retail
- Units
- 9
- 3rd pct Food Retail
- SBA charge-off
- N/A
Quick verdict · Food Retail · color = vs category peers
Green = favorable by >10% vs Food Retail 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 $376K – $797K including a $60K franchise fee, 6.0% ongoing royalty.
- RETURNSItem 19 reports the 5 locations that operated all of calendar 2025 and met its conditions (4 franchised in Chart Two A, p52; the Clearwater affiliate in Chart One A, p50) - 5 of 13 open outlets (42%). The range shown is the four franchised locations (Jacksonville $1,127,486 to Sarasota $2,032,143); the affiliate-owned Clearwater location reported $2,118,555 and is not used as an endpoint. No average is printed. Gross Sales includes meats, cheeses, prepared meals, grocery/dry goods, wine and beer.
- RISKVerdict B (Above average), verdict score 48/100 (higher is better).
- GROWTHNegative, pipeline stalled: 14 agreements signed but not yet open against 9 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
- Southern Steer Franchising International, LLC
- CEO title
- Managing Member
- Greg Snyder
- Incorporated in
- Florida
- HQ
- 35246 US Hwy 19N #219, Palm Harbor, FL 34684
- Auditor
- RPF Accounting Services
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $618K
- vs $323K prior year
Independent franchisee associations
- Independent Franchisee Association
Franchisee-led councils or alliances disclosed in Item 20. Indicates operator voice.
Overview
About
- CEO
- Greg Snyder
- Headquarters
- FL
- Founded
- 2020
- FDD year
- 2026
- States available
- 3
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 102% above the typical food retail franchise.
Source: FDD 2026 · Items 5–7
Full Item 7 breakdown22 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee | $60K | $60K | |
| Travel and Living Expenses for Initial Training for Two-Weeks | $4K | $7K | |
| On-Site Assistance Fee | $13K | $13K | |
| Architectural, Mechanical and Electrical Design | $12K | $18K | |
| Lease Deposit | $5K | $8K | |
| Utility Deposits | $0 | $1K | |
| Leasehold Improvements/Construction | $100K | $270K | |
| Rent for Three Months | $11K | $26K | |
| Inventory and Supplies For Three Months | $35K | $55K | |
| Furnishings, Fixtures, and Equipment | $35K | $200K | |
| Exterior Signage | $8K | $13K | |
| POS Set Up | $38K | $43K | |
| POS System Fee - Three Months | $2K | $2K | |
| Permits and Licenses | $500 | $2K | |
| Technology Fees For Three Months | $933 | $933 | |
| Direct Ad TV Subscription Fee for First Year | $540 | $540 | |
| Legal, Accounting Fees | $2K | $3K | |
| Recipe/Safety Fee for First Quarter | $90 | $90 | |
| Insurance for Three Months | $2K | $2K | |
| Grand Opening Kit | $5K | $5K | |
| Total initial investment | $376K | $797K |
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
- $376K – $797K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $30K – $50K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $60K – $60K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Royalty
- 6.0%
- Tiered by sales volume · typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 2.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 8.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 6.0% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 2.0% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $311 |
| Transfer fee | $10K |
| Renewal fee | $15K |
| Inventory (initial) | $35K – $55K |
| 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 Southern Steer Butcher 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 Southern Steer Butcher 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
Item 19 reports the 5 locations that operated all of calendar 2025 and met its conditions (4 franchised in Chart Two A, p52; the Clearwater affiliate in Chart One A, p50) - 5 of 13 open outlets (42%). The range shown is the four franchised locations (Jacksonville $1,127,486 to Sarasota $2,032,143); the affiliate-owned Clearwater location reported $2,118,555 and is not used as an endpoint. No average is printed. Gross Sales includes meats, cheeses, prepared meals, grocery/dry goods, wine and beer.
- Item 19 type
- Actual
- Sample size
- 4 outlets
- vs category median 23 · small
- Range (low → high)
- $1.1M→$2.0MCited, not corroborated — printed on page 52 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
- Transparency
- 7 / 10
- vs category median 0 / 10 · above
Compared against 142 Food Retail brands
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 Food Retail 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
Net unit growth of +166.7% over 3 years (2 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 Food Retail medians
How Southern Steer Butcher Compares
Category median of published Food Retail 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
- 9
- Opened
- 2
- 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
- N/A
- Company-owned
- 1
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 89%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (3-yr)
- +166.7%
- Net unit change over 3 years
- 3-yr CAGR
- +166.7%
- 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
- 14
- 1.56 per open outlet · Item 20 Table 5
- Projected new
- 14
- Franchisor's next-year forecast
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)
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 loan disclosures. This brand has only 8 7(a) loans on file; statistical reliability is limited below 10 loans.
- Total loans
- 8
- Loan volume
- $2.8M
- Median loan
- $487K
- 50th percentile
- Charge-off rate
- Under 10 loans (8)
- Insufficient SBA coverage: 8 loans, rate hidden below 10
Historical SBA 7(a) lending data, not predictive of future performance. How SBA charge-off rates are calculated
- Repayment rate (PIF)
- Under 10 loans (8)
- 5-yr charge-off
- Under 10 loans (8)
- Loans approved 2021+
- Active lenders
- 3
- Defaults
- N/A
Explore lender portfolios on Bank Reports or regional data on State Reports.
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
Litigation (Item 3)
Subject: officers or affiliates. The franchisor is not a named party in these cases.
None disclosed.
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · RPF Accounting Services
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
- Franchisor sells you products: No
- Kickbacks from required suppliers: Yes
- Must buy proprietary products: No
- Restricted to system-approved products: Yes
- Can negotiate own supplier terms: Yes
Score breakdown · what drove the 48 / 100 verdict
- 01MINORfranchisor_net_worth=-$111,821 (negative equity)
- 02MINORfranchisor_net_income=-$548,646
- 03MINORno litigation or bankruptcy, audited
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 | 10 years |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 1 |
| Territory type | Protected territory |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | No |
| Territory radius | 5 mi |
| 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 | 50 mi |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Arbitration location | Clearwater, Florida |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | Florida |
| Litigation count | 0 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
None disclosed.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 10 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 87 hrs
- Training location
- On-site and corporate
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Site selection
- franchisee_with_franchisor_approval
- Franchisor financing
- Not offered
- Item 10
- POS system
- ECRS Catapult
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: ECRS Catapult
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Southern Steer Butcher franchise?
The total investment to open a Southern Steer Butcher franchise ranges from $376K – $797K, with an initial franchise fee of $60K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do Southern Steer Butcher franchise owners earn?
Item 19 of the Southern Steer Butcher FDD discloses outlet figures from $1.1M to $2.0M 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 Southern Steer Butcher?
Southern Steer Butcher is franchised by Southern Steer Franchising International, LLC. Source: FDD Item 1, 2026 filing.
What is Item 19 in the Southern Steer Butcher 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 Southern Steer Butcher FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is Southern Steer Butcher's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for Southern Steer Butcher (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 Southern Steer Butcher franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Southern Steer Butcher has 9 total units in the United States, including 8 franchised units and 1 company-owned units. 2 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is Southern Steer Butcher a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Southern Steer Butcher as a B-grade franchise with a verdict score of 48 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
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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.