The Casual Pint Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
The Casual Pint is a craft beer franchise operating bottle-shop taprooms that sell and pour local and craft beers with light food. Franchisees run the taprooms, managing beer retail, service, and staffing.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A The Casual Pint franchise requires a total initial investment of $915K – $1.7M, including a $40K franchise fee and an ongoing 5.0% royalty[2]. The 2025 FDD does not disclose unit-level revenue (no Item 19). SBA 7(a) loans show a 9.1% charge-off rate across 14 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
- $915K – $1.7M
- 32nd pct Service Resta…
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- Net sales
- Royalty
- 5.0%
- 7th pct Service Resta…
- Units
- 18
- 19th pct Service Resta…
- SBA charge-off
- 9.1%
- % 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
- COSTTotal investment $915K – $1.7M including a $40K franchise fee, 5.0% ongoing royalty.
- RETURNSItem 19 reports outlet revenue, but not in a form that yields a per-outlet average we can compare across brands.
- RISKVerdict B (Above average), verdict score 50/100 (higher is better). SBA loan charge-off rate of 9.1% across 14 loans (near or below the 16% franchise average, based on all SBA 7(a) franchise lending, 2010–2025).
- 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
- Casual Pint Franchising LLC
- Ultimate parent
- The Casual Pint, Inc.
- CEO title
- Chief Executive Officer
- Josh Robinette
- Founder active
- Yes
- Original founder still leading the business
- Incorporated in
- Tennessee
- HQ
- 508 Kendall Road, Knoxville, Tennessee 37919
- Auditor
- Barnett & Stegall, LLC
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $709K
- vs $719K prior year
- Management churn noted
- Frequent turnover
- Item 2 disclosed frequent executive changes
Affiliated brands
- may
- is GMR
Other brands the franchisor or its parent operates (Item 1).
Overview
About
- CEO
- Josh Robinette
- Headquarters
- TN
- Founded
- 2013
- FDD year
- 2025
- States available
- 7
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 11% 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 |
| Working capital (3–6 mo) | $21K | $56K |
| Equipment, build-out, other | $855K | $1.6M |
| Total initial investment | $915K | $1.7M |
Source: The Casual Pint 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
- $915K – $1.7M
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $21K – $56K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $40K – $40K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Royalty
- 5.0%
- Net Sales · typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 1.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 6.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 5.0% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 1.0% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $0 |
| Transfer fee | $10K |
| Renewal fee | $4K |
| Inventory (initial) | $50K – $65K |
| Total fee load | 6.0% of rev |
What do units actually make?
Source: FDD 2025 · Item 19
ROI & LBO modelsSingle-unit · 25-unit portfolio · editable
The Casual Pint did not disclose financial performance in FDD Item 19. The ROIC and return models require Item 19 revenue. Without it all inputs are estimates. You can still run the calculator with your own assumptions by entering an expected revenue figure.
Returns model · single-unit ROIC
What would one The Casual Pint unit return on the cash you put in?
Unlevered ROIC · per unit
Estimated return on your total franchise investment, before any debt financing.
7%
Below the 30–60% attractive-franchise band
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
Financial Performance
Reported as net sales, not gross sales
- Median gross sales
- $552K
Gross sales are revenue before expenses — not profit. Actual owner earnings depend on rent, labor, royalties, marketing fees, and debt service.
No system-wide average is published for this brand. The median and range below are what Item 19 supports; we show an average only where it reconciles against them.
- Item 19 type
- net sales
- Sample size
- 17
- vs category median 18
- Range (low → high)
- $314K→$1.8M
- Cohort dispersion (min → max)
- Quartile band
- $388K→$1.3M
- Bottom 25% → top 25%
- Transparency tier
- revenue_only
- Categorical assessment of disclosure depth
- Reporting year
- 2024
- Fiscal year the figures cover
- Source filing
- FDD 2025
- Disclosed in the 2025 filing, covering 2024
- Transparency
- 4 / 10
- vs category median 3 / 10 · above
Compared against 805 Full-Service Restaurants 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 6.0% — below the Full-Service Restaurants average of 7.6%.
Disclosure
Item 19 reports outlet revenue, but not in a form that yields a per-outlet average we can compare across brands.
Operator retention
System expanding at 6.2% CAGR over 3 years across 18 units — operators are staying and new ones are joining.
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 Full-Service Restaurants averages
How The Casual Pint Compares
Is the system healthy?
Source: FDD 2025 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 18
- Opened
- 0
- 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
- 0.0%
- Company-owned
- 1
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 94%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (3-yr)
- +6.2%
- Net unit change over 3 years
- 3-yr CAGR
- +6.2%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Opened (3yr)
- 0
- Closed (3yr)
- 0
- Terminated (3yr)
- 0
- Non-renewed (3yr)
- 0
- Transfers (3yr)
- 0
- Reacquired (3yr)
- 0
- Franchisor bought back
- Projected new
- 1
- Franchisor's next-year forecast
- Continuity rate
- 100.0%
- Units that stayed open
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 9 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.
Available to sell in · Item 12
- Minnesota
- South Dakota
States where the franchisor is registered to sell new franchises (FDD registration filings).
SBA loan performance
Government records
SBA Loan Data
Aggregated from SBA 7(a) and 504 loan disclosures, public data unique to FranchiseVerdict.
- Total loans
- 14
- Loan volume
- $3.7M
- Median loan
- $336K
- 50th percentile
- Charge-off rate
- 9.1%
- 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)
- 90.0%
- 5-yr charge-off
- 0.0%
- Loans approved 2021+
- Active lenders
- 6
- Defaults
- 1
- Typical loan rate
- 6.4%
- avg rate to borrowers
- Franchised industry avg
- 25.0%
- brand beats franchise avg ↓
- Jobs supported
- 109
- 3.2 per loan
- Lender concentration
- 25%
- top lender's share
Borrower mix: 100% went to startups / new businesses, 0% to established operators
Franchise vs independent — in drinking places (alcoholic beverages), franchised businesses charge off at 25.0% vs 14.1% for independents — franchising is associated with 77% higher SBA default risk in this category.
Top lenders financing The Casual Pint franchisees
Showing 3 of 6 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.
Premium insight
SBA Lending Report
Deep-dive into The Casual Pint's SBA lending history: lender network, geographic footprint, interest rates, and more.
SBA Lending Report
- Principal loss rate and NAICS industry benchmark
- 6 lenders with concentration factor
- Per-state charge-off rates across 6 states
- Startup risk premium and job creation velocity
- 5-year lending trend
- SBA 504 real estate/equipment data
Instant access. No subscription.
What could kill this investment?
SBA loans charge off at 9.1% — 43% 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
One concluded litigation matter (former franchisee misrepresentation claim, settled Dec 2017 for $100,000, fully satisfied). Otherwise stable: positive net worth $570,489, 18 units, +6.2% growth, Item 19 disclosed, audited. No bankruptcy or going-concern.
Litigation (Item 3)
Bryan Hamilton and On Tap, Inc. v. JBR Enterprises, Inc., et al. (AAA Case No. 01-26-000502826, filed April 11, 2017). Former franchisees claimed misleading/false statements in franchise sale. Settled December 18, 2017 for $100,000 paid over five years. Settlement obligations fulfilled as of disclosure document issuance.
Largest disclosed settlement: $100,000
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Barnett & Stegall, LLC
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
- Franchisor sells you products: Yes
- Kickbacks from required suppliers: No
- Must buy proprietary products: Yes
- Restricted to system-approved products: Yes
- Can negotiate own supplier terms: No
Score breakdown · what drove the 50 / 100 verdict
- 01HIGHSingle concluded litigation matter, settled and satisfied
- 02MINORPositive net worth $570,489, +6.2% growth
- 03MEDItem 19 disclosed, audited
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
What are you signing up for?
Ongoing fees run about 6.0% of sales (royalty + ad fund), before rent and labor.
Source: FDD 2025 · 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 | Radius |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | Yes |
| Territory population | 40,000 |
| Online sales rightsℹ | Restricted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Optional |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 2 years |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 15 days |
| Curable defaultsℹ | 4 |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | Tennessee |
| Litigation count | 1 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
Bryan Hamilton and On Tap, Inc. v. JBR Enterprises, Inc., et al. (AAA Case No. 01-26-000502826, filed April 11, 2017). Former franchisees claimed misleading/false statements in franchise sale. Settled December 18, 2017 for $100,000 paid over five years. Settlement obligations fulfilled as of disclosure document issuance.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 24 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 130 hrs
- Training location
- On-site and franchisor location
- Site selection
- franchisor
- Franchisor financing
- Offered
- Item 10
- POS system
- Heartland Restaurant POS System
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: Heartland Restaurant POS System
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
25 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
The Casual Pint · FDD (2025) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a The Casual Pint franchise?
The total investment to open a The Casual Pint franchise ranges from $915K – $1.7M, 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 The Casual Pint franchise owners earn?
The Casual Pint does not disclose average franchise owner earnings in their FDD Item 19. Not all franchisors are required to make financial performance representations. We recommend asking existing franchisees directly about their financial experience.
What is Item 19 in the The Casual Pint 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 The Casual Pint FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is The Casual Pint's franchise failure rate?
Based on SBA 7(a) loan data, The Casual Pint has a charge-off rate of 9.1% across 14 loans, meaning 9.1% 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 The Casual Pint franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, The Casual Pint has 18 total units in the United States, including 17 franchised units and 1 company-owned units.
Is The Casual Pint a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates The Casual Pint as a B-grade franchise with a verdict score of 50 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.