The Casual Pint Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
- Investment
- $915K – $1.7M
- Disclosed sales
- $716K
- gross sales, not profit
- SBA charge-off
- 9.1%
- on 14 loans
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]. Per the 2025 FDD, average unit revenue was $716K[2]. 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 →
Sources, dates and evidence
FDD issued: · Data extracted: · Last cited check: · Staleness risk: medium - issued 12 to 24 months ago; a newer filing is likely on file
Evidence: strong✓ 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 scored7 of 8 headline figures on this page cite a page of the filing; the rest are marked “Not cited” beside the figure.
Overview
- Investment
- $915K – $1.7M
- 32nd pct Service Resta…
- Avg gross sales
- $716K
- Net sales2nd pct Service Resta…
- Royalty
- 5.0%
- 8th pct Service Resta…
- Units
- 18
- 18th 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 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 $915K – $1.7M including a $40K franchise fee, 5.0% ongoing royalty.
- RETURNSAverage unit revenue of $716K/year (median $552K).
- 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).
- GROWTHFlat: no net change in franchised outlets in the latest year (0 opened, 0 closed); 7 signed but not yet open (Item 20).
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.
- FDD Item 1, page 7 of the 2025 FDD
- 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 91% 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%
- 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 net sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 1.0% of net sales |
| Technology fee | $0 |
| Transfer fee | $10K |
| Renewal fee | $4K |
| Inventory (initial) | $50K – $65K |
| Total fee load | 6.0% of rev |
A 6.0% total fee load is unusually lean. More of each revenue dollar stays with the franchisee.
What do units actually make?
Average unit sales run 55% below the full-service restaurants norm.
Reported as net sales, not gross sales
Source: FDD 2025 · Item 19
Single-unit · not modelled
Returns at a glance
An FDD discloses gross sales, not profit, and the operating costs that turn one into the other are in no filing. We publish no modelled return for The Casual Pint until someone supplies them — yours, in the models below.
—
Not modelled yet
An FDD discloses gross sales, not profit. We hold no sourced figure for 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.
Total invested capital · disclosed
$1.3M
Item 7 initial investment plus working capital, as filed — the one figure here that needs no assumption.
ROI & LBO modelsSingle-unit · 25-unit portfolio · editable
What one unit earns on your invested capital
Model A · Single-Unit Return
Computes unlevered return on invested capital (ROIC) for a single franchise unit, read against the 30–60% reference band · Yale SOM, Post-MBA Path Exhibit 2 (2023). Below that band a passive index fund likely outperforms; above it the franchisor has pricing power you're subsidizing.
Note: Item 19 revenue is what the franchisor discloses, and it is the top line only — gross sales are not profit. No FDD discloses the operating costs that turn one into the other, so those fields start empty and nothing is modelled until you supply them from your own lease quote, labor market and build-out budget.
Returns model · single-unit ROIC
What would one The Casual Pint 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 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.
What 25 units return when you use SBA financing
Model B · Return on Equity: Debt-Financed Acquisition
Models a 25-unit portfolio acquisition financed with an SBA 7(a) loan. Shows equity IRR (your return on cash invested), DSCR (how safely the cash flow covers debt service), and the capital stack (SBA + seller + equity breakdown).
This is the “search fund” or “entrepreneurship through acquisition” scenario: you buy an existing multi-unit operator, use leverage to amplify returns, and either operate or hire management. The 25-unit size is the typical minimum for an SBA-backed franchise portfolio acquisition to pencil as a full-time income.
What “return on equity” means here: if you put in $500K of your own cash and the business generates enough EBITDA to pay down debt and grow, your equity IRR is the annual return on that $500K, including the value created when you eventually sell. Target IRR for a search fund is typically 25–35%.
Not modelled yet
An FDD discloses gross sales, not profit. We hold no sourced figure for 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.
A 25-unit return is built on a per-unit EBITDA. Fill in the operating costs in Model A above and this model runs on that figure, or take the whole scenario to the full ROI workbench, where the portfolio and LBO models accept your own per-unit economics directly.
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
- Avg gross sales
- $716K
- Per unit/yr · from the Item 19 franchised-cohort breakdown (no single system-wide average disclosed)
- 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.
- Item 19 type
- net sales
- Sample size
- 17 outlets
- vs category median 18
- Range (low → high)
- $314K→$1.8MCited, not corroborated — printed on page 59 of the 2025 FDD. Nothing else in our record independently restates or re-derives it.
- Cohort dispersion (min → max)
- Quartile band
- $388K→$1.3M
- Bottom 25% → top 25%
- 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 801 Full-Service Restaurants brands
Revenue is only 0.6x the investment. This means each unit may take 5+ years to recoup the initial outlay at typical margins.
Operator outlook
What the numbers say
Data-driven interpretation of this brand's financial disclosures, fee structure, and system trajectory.
Unit economics
Average unit generates $716K/year in gross sales. Median is $552K — top performers pull the average up, so a typical unit earns less. Revenue-to-investment ratio: 0.6x.
Fee burden
Total ongoing fee load of 6.0% (near the Full-Service Restaurants median).
Disclosure
Transparency score 4/10 — this franchisor discloses detailed breakdowns (quartiles, segments, or cohort data). Buyers can model unit economics with higher confidence.
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 medians
How The Casual Pint Compares
Category median of published Full-Service Restaurants 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 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
- N/A
- 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
Last fiscal year · Item 20 exits and transfers
- Terminated
- 0
- Not renewed
- 0
- Transferred
- 0
- Reacquired
- 0
- Franchisor bought back
- Signed, not yet open
- 7
- 0.39 per open outlet · Item 20 Table 5
- 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).
Where the owners are · Item 20 owner list
24 current owners across 9 states.
- TN 6
- OH 4
- VA 4
- NC 3
- AL 2
- AZ 2
- FL 1
- NE 1
- SC 1
Counts only, from the list the franchisor prints in Item 20; 1 entries carry no state. Names and phone numbers are for your own due diligence and are not shown here.
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%
- on 14 loans · 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.
Lender network · 7(a) + 504
SBA Lending Report
Full lending analysis for The Casual Pint from SBA 7(a) FOIA data.
- Principal loss rate
- 4.0%
- Avg SBA guarantee
- 67%
- Avg interest rate
- 6.44%
- Avg chargeoff amount
- $139K
- Lender concentration
- 25.0%
- Job velocity
- 3.2 per $100K
- NAICS benchmark
- 7.0%
- NAICS 722410
- Jobs supported
- 109
Top SBA lendersTop lender holds 25% of loans
| # | Lender | Loans | Volume | Default % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Stearns Bank National Association | 3 | $984K | 0.0% |
| 2 | The Huntington National Bank | 3 | $937K | 0.0% |
| 3 | United Community Bank | 2 | $445K | 0.0% |
| 4 | UT Federal Credit Union | 2 | $335K | 0.0% |
| 5 | The State Bank and Trust Company | 1 | $338K | 0.0% |
| 6 | Pinnacle Bank | 1 | $404K | 100.0% |
Geographic failure vector
| State | Loans | Defaults | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| OHOhio | 4 | 0 | 0.0% |
| TNTennessee | 4 | 0 | 0.0% |
| ALAlabama | 1 | 0 | 0.0% |
| AZArizona | 1 | 0 | 0.0% |
| NCNorth Carolina | 1 | 1 | 100.0% |
| VAVirginia | 1 | 0 | -- |
SBA 7(a) lending trend
Borrower profile
Source: SBA 7(a) + 504 FOIA loan-level data, matched by FranchiseVerdict
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)
Subject: the franchisor is a named party (defendant).
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.
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 | Exclusive territory |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | Yes |
| Territory radius | 1.5 mi |
| 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 |
| Non-compete (miles)ℹ | 50 mi |
| 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
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Field support
- 90 hrs/yr
- On-site visits per year
- 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
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?
According to Item 19 of the The Casual Pint FDD, the average gross sales per unit is $716K. The median is $552K. Important context: Reported as net sales, not gross sales. Note: this is gross revenue, not profit. Actual owner earnings vary based on location, operating costs, and management.
Who owns The Casual Pint?
The Casual Pint is franchised by Casual Pint Franchising LLC. The ultimate parent named in the FDD is The Casual Pint, Inc.. Source: FDD Item 1, 2025 filing.
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). 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
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.