![Southern Steer Butcher logo](https://cdn.brandfetch.io/southernsteer.com/w/128/h/128/fallback/lettermark?c=<img src="https://cdn.brandfetch.io/domain/apple.com?c=1idsvcTjLv919Ax0E2s" alt="Logo by Brandfetch" />){kind=small}
Lower Risk
No litigation cases disclosed in FDD Items 3 and 4.
Source: FDD Items 3–5
FDD Items 3 & 4
Litigation Metrics
Cases disclosed
0
Total from FDD Items 3 and 4
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
—
Franchisor or officer bankruptcy
Overall risk score
51 / 100
FranchiseVerdict composite
Rating
STRONG
STRONG / MODERATE / CAUTION / AVOID
7(a) FOIA data · FY2020–present
SBA Loan Performance
Aggregated from public SBA 7(a) loan disclosures. Default rate is the share of loans that were charged off or settled for less than the full balance.
Total 7(a) loans
8
Government-backed loans issued
Default rate
—
vs <3% typical · system-wide
5-yr default rate
—
Defaults
0 loans
Loans charged off or defaulted
Total loan volume
$2.8M
Avg loan size
$351K
Participating lenders
3
FDD Items 5, 6 & 17 — what you give up
Contract Risk Indicators
Mandatory arbitration
Required
Disputes resolved outside court — limits your legal options
Jury trial waiver
Waived
You give up the right to a jury trial
Non-compete
2 yrs
Post-termination restriction on similar businesses
Franchisor can compete
Yes
Franchisor can open competing locations in or near your territory
Right of first refusal
Yes
Franchisor can match any purchase offer when you try to sell
Governing law
Florida
State whose law governs disputes — relevant if you're not based there
What drove the 51/100 rating
Risk Score Breakdown
- 01MINORRapid unit growth (33.3% YoY) with only 9 total units suggests early-stage system with unproven scalability and potential instability
- 02MEDNo Item 19 financial performance representations disclosed — cannot independently verify the $195,256 average net income claim across locations
- 03MINORHigh initial investment ($376K-$797K) relative to small system size creates concentration risk if growth stalls or franchisees underperform
- 04MINORTiered royalty structure (6%-4%) incentivizes revenue growth but may mask profitability issues at lower-revenue locations
- 05MEDSpecialty/niche butcher concept has limited addressable market compared to QSR, increasing individual unit dependency on location selection
Severity inferred from FDD text — not a regulatory or legal classification
Litigation data from FDD Items 3, 4, and 5. SBA data from public 7(a) FOIA records (FY2020–present). Not legal advice — consult a franchise attorney before signing any franchise agreement.