Surcheros Fresh Grill Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Surcheros Fresh Grill franchise requires a total initial investment of $301K – $1.8M, including a $40K franchise fee. Per the 2025 FDD, average unit revenue was $1.7M[2]. SBA 7(a) loans show a 7.7% charge-off rate across 13 loans[1]. 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
- $301K – $1.8M
- 19th pct Service Resta…
- Avg gross sales
- $1.7M
- 19th pct Service Resta…
- Royalty
- N/A
- Units
- 35
- 34th pct Service Resta…
- SBA charge-off
- 7.7%
- % of SBA 7(a) loans not repaid · median varies by category
Quick verdict · Full-Service Restaurants · color = vs category peers
Green = favorable by >10% vs Full-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
- Total investment $301K – $1.8M including a $40K franchise fee.
- Average unit revenue of $1.7M/year (median $1.7M).
- Verdict B (Above average), verdict score 51/100 (higher is better). SBA loan charge-off rate of 7.7% across 13 loans (near or below the 16% franchise average, based on all SBA 7(a) franchise lending, 2010–2025).
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- Surcheros Franchising, LLC
Overview
About
Surcheros franchisees operate fast-casual Mexican/ceviche concept locations, managing counter service operations, inventory, food preparation oversight, and daily P&L. Franchisees handle hiring, scheduling, local marketing, and customer experience while paying 5% royalties on gross sales to corporate.
- CEO
- Luke Christian
- Headquarters
- GA
- Founded
- 2015
- FDD year
- 2025
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 10% above the typical full-service restaurants franchise.
Source: FDD 2025 · Items 5–7
FDD Item 7 · 2025 filing
Initial investment breakdown
| Cost component | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $40K | $40K |
| Equipment, build-out, other | $261K | $1.7M |
| Total initial investment | $301K | $1.8M |
Source: Surcheros Fresh Grill 2025 FDD, Items 5 and 7[2]. “Equipment, build-out, other” is computed as total minus disclosed line items above.
Item 7 · what it costs to open + operate
The Vitals
- Total investment
- $301K – $1.8M
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- N/A
- Middle of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $40K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Royalty
- -n/d
- Ad fund
- -n/d
What do units actually make?
Average unit sales run 13% above the full-service restaurants norm.
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
$156K
9.0% margin
Unlevered ROIC
13%
EBITDA / total invested capital
Payback
7.7 yrs
cash-on-cash, unlevered
Financial Performance
- Avg gross sales
- $1.7M
- Per unit, per year
- Median gross sales
- $1.7M
Gross sales are revenue before expenses — not profit. Actual owner earnings depend on rent, labor, royalties, marketing fees, and debt service.
- Sample size
- 25 units
- vs category median 16
- Range (low → high)
- $902K→$2.6M
- Cohort dispersion (min → max)
Compared against 1273 Full-Service Restaurants brands
vs Full-Service Restaurants averages
How Surcheros Fresh Grill Compares
Is the system healthy?
Source: FDD 2025 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 35
- Opened
- N/A
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- N/A
No multi-year history disclosed and no opening/closing activity in the last reporting year.
SBA loan performance
Government records
SBA Loan Data
Aggregated from SBA 7(a) and 504 loan disclosures, public data unique to FranchiseVerdict.
- Total loans
- 13
- Loan volume
- $15.0M
- Median loan
- $781K
- 50th percentile
- Charge-off rate
- 7.7%
- 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)
- 92.3%
- 5-yr charge-off
- N/A
- Loans approved 2021+
- Active lenders
- 4
- Defaults
- 1
- Typical loan rate
- 5.8%
- avg rate to borrowers
- vs industry
- N/A
- NAICS 7225
- Jobs supported
- 321
- 2.1 per loan
- Lender concentration
- 69%
- top lender's share
Borrower mix: 0% went to startups / new businesses, 100% to established operators
Top lenders financing Surcheros Fresh Grill franchisees
Showing 3 of 4 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.
What could kill this investment?
SBA loans charge off at 7.7% — 52% below the 16.0% national norm, i.e. lower 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
FDD Items 12, 15, 17 · continued from Risk & Legal
Contract & Territory Detail
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Surcheros Fresh Grill franchise?
The total investment to open a Surcheros Fresh Grill franchise ranges from $301K – $1.8M, with an initial franchise fee of $40K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do Surcheros Fresh Grill franchise owners earn?
According to Item 19 of the Surcheros Fresh Grill FDD, the average gross sales per unit is $1.7M. The median is $1.7M. Note: this is gross revenue, not profit. Actual owner earnings vary based on location, operating costs, and management.
What is Surcheros Fresh Grill's franchise failure rate?
Based on SBA 7(a) loan data, Surcheros Fresh Grill has a charge-off rate of 7.7% across 13 loans, meaning 7.7% 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 Surcheros Fresh Grill franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Surcheros Fresh Grill has 35 total units in the United States.
Is Surcheros Fresh Grill a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Surcheros Fresh Grill as a B-grade franchise with a verdict score of 51 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?
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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.