Taste Buds KitchenFranchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Taste Buds Kitchen franchise requires a total initial investment of $426K – $550K, including a $63K franchise fee and an ongoing 8.0% royalty[2]. Per the 2026 FDD, average unit revenue was $701K[2]. Verdict grade: A. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified June 18, 2026 · figures per the 2026 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $426K – $550K
- 53rd pct Education
- Avg gross sales
- $701K
- 29th pct Education
- Royalty
- 8.0%
- 31st pct Education
- Units
- 14
- 31st pct Education
- SBA default
- 0.0%
- system-wide median varies by category
Quick verdict · Education · color = vs category peers
Green = >15% above Education avg · No shading = within ±15% · Red = >15% below avg · Source: FDD filings + SBA 7(a)
Data from public FDD filings and SBA records. Not financial advice. Methodology
35% cash-on-cash return (based on P&L Bottom Line). Above the 20% threshold most investors target.
Bottom line
- Total investment $426K – $550K including a $63K franchise fee, 8.0% ongoing royalty.
- Average unit revenue of $701K/year (median $657K), with an estimated 35% cash-on-cash return (based on P&L Bottom Line).
- Verdict A (Top Quintile) with a risk score of 34/100.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
- Legal entity
- Taste Buds Kitchen International LLC
- Incorporated in
- MD
- HQ
- 800-D Abruzzi Drive, Chester, Maryland 21619
- Auditor
- Muhammad Zubairy, CPA PC
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $691K
- vs $1.1M prior year
Overview
About
Taste Buds Kitchen operates children's cooking classes and culinary education programs, with franchisees managing hands-on instruction, class scheduling, inventory management, and parent/student relations. Day-to-day activities include teaching age-appropriate cooking techniques, managing kitchen equipment and food safety, marketing to local schools and families, and overseeing staffing and administrative operations.
- CEO
- Jessi Walter Brelsford
- Headquarters
- MD
- Founded
- 2013
- FDD year
- 2026
- States available
- 9
FDD Item 7 · 2026 filing
Initial investment breakdown
| Cost component | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $63K | $63K |
| Working capital (3–6 mo) | $25K | $40K |
| Equipment, build-out, other | $338K | $447K |
| Total initial investment | $426K | $550K |
Source: Taste Buds Kitchen 2026 FDD, Items 5 and 7[2]. “Equipment, build-out, other” is computed as total minus disclosed line items above.
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
$95K
13.5% margin
Unlevered ROIC
18%
EBITDA / total invested capital
Payback
5.5 yrs
cash-on-cash, unlevered
Item 7 · what it costs to open + operate
The Vitals
- Total investment
- $426K – $550K
- Near category avg vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $25K – $40K
- Near category avg vs category
- Franchise fee
- $63K – $74K
- Near category avg vs category
- Royalty
- 8.0%
- Gross Revenues · typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 1.5%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 9.5%
- vs 9–13% typical
- Payback period
- 2.8 yrs
- From FDD / Item 19
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 8.0% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 1.5% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $425 |
| Transfer fee | $25K |
| Renewal fee | $10K |
| Total fee load | 9.5% of rev |
Financial Performance
- Avg gross sales
- $701K
- Per unit, per year
- Median gross sales
- $657K
- Avg p&l bottom line
- $172K
- Reported as P&L Bottom Line in FDD Item 19
- Cash-on-cash
- 35.3%
- Based on P&L Bottom Line / investment midpoint
- Item 19 type
- Franchised and Affiliate-owned
- Sample size
- 9 units
- vs category median 14
- Range (low → high)
- $293K→$1.5M
- Cohort dispersion (min → max)
- Transparency
- 10 / 5
- vs category median 4 / 5 · above
Compared against 237 Education brands
vs Education averages
How Taste Buds Kitchen Compares
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 14
- Opened
- 2
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 0
- Turnover rate
- 0.0%
- Company-owned
- 2
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 86%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (yr3)
- +20.0%
- Net unit change last year
- 3-yr CAGR
- +20.0%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Transfers (3yr)
- 1
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 19 states with active franchisees
The Territory Map
Derived from franchisee contact records. Shows states with at least one current operator. Not where the franchisor is registered to sell new units (that data is re-extracting in a future refresh).
States derived from franchisee contact records (FDD Item 20). Shows states with at least one current operator on file. Full state registration data (Item 12) will appear on a future FDD refresh.
SBA loan performance
Government records
SBA Loan Data
Aggregated from SBA loan disclosures. This brand has only 7 7(a) loans on file; statistical reliability is limited below 10 loans.
- Total loans
- 7
- Loan volume
- $1.9M
- Median loan
- $277K
- 50th percentile
- Charge-off rate
- 0.0%
- 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)
- 100.0%
- 5-yr charge-off
- N/A
- Loans approved 2021+
- Active lenders
- 2
- Defaults
- 0
Explore lender portfolios on Bank Reports or regional data on State Reports.
Premium insight
SBA Lending Report
Deep-dive into Taste Buds Kitchen's SBA lending history: lender network, geographic footprint, interest rates, and more.
SBA Lending Report
- Principal loss rate and NAICS industry benchmark
- 2 lenders with concentration factor
- Per-state charge-off rates across 6 states
- Startup risk premium and job creation velocity
- 5-year lending trend
Instant access. No subscription.
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 5, 6, 12, 17
Risk & Legal
Early-stage franchise with unverified financial claims, high capital requirements, restrictive royalty structure, and unclear franchisor stability—suitable only for well-capitalized investors capable of independent due diligence.
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Muhammad Zubairy, CPA PC
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Score breakdown · what drove the 34 / 100 rating
- 01MEDNo Item 19 financial performance representations disclosed — cannot independently verify claimed $701,223 average revenue or $172,156 net income figures
- 02MEDHigh initial investment ($425,750–$549,650) against small unit base (14 locations) suggests limited franchisee success data and scalability concerns
- 03MINORMinimum royalty of $125/week ($6,500 annually) creates cash flow burden even for underperforming locations and indicates franchisor prioritizes fees over franchisee profitability
- 04MINOROnly 14 units with 20% YoY growth is modest expansion; insufficient scale to validate business model or support franchisee marketing/operational resources
- 05HIGHGoing Concern status FALSE appears contradictory — requires clarification on franchisor's financial stability and long-term viability
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
FDD Items 5, 6, 12, 17 · continued from Risk & Legal
Contract & Territory Detail
| Initial term | 10 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 5 years |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 2 |
| Territory type | Radius or population |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Online sales rights | Restricted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Required |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 2 years |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Mandatory arbitration | No |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | Maryland |
| Litigation count | 0 |
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 37 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 62 hrs
- POS system
- MAC OS computer system
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: MAC OS computer system
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
33 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
Taste Buds Kitchen · FDD (2026) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Taste Buds Kitchen franchise?
The total investment to open a Taste Buds Kitchen franchise ranges from $426K – $550K, with an initial franchise fee of $63K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do Taste Buds Kitchen franchise owners earn?
According to Item 19 of the Taste Buds Kitchen FDD, the average gross sales per unit is $701K. The median is $657K. Note: this is gross revenue, not profit. Actual owner earnings vary based on location, operating costs, and management.
What is Taste Buds Kitchen's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for Taste Buds Kitchen (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 Taste Buds Kitchen franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Taste Buds Kitchen has 14 total units in the United States, including 10 franchised units and 2 company-owned units. 2 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is Taste Buds Kitchen a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Taste Buds Kitchen as a A-grade franchise with a risk score of 34 out of 100, 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.
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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.