Wild Bill's Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
Wild Bill's is a craft soda franchise, veteran-owned, selling cane-sugar sodas like root beer and cream soda plus refillable mugs at events and stores. Franchisees run the operations, managing product, events, and sales.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Wild Bill's franchise requires a total initial investment of $156K – $215K, including a $40K franchise fee. The 2025 FDD does not disclose unit-level revenue (no Item 19). FranchiseVerdict grade: A (Strongest tier), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified · figures per the 2025 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $156K – $215K
- 15th pct Recreation & …
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- Royalty
- N/A
- Units
- 21
- 30th pct Recreation & …
- SBA charge-off
- N/A
Quick verdict · Recreation & Entertainment · color = vs category peers
Green = favorable by >10% vs Recreation & Entertainment 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 $156K – $215K including a $40K franchise fee.
- RETURNSNo Item 19 financial performance data disclosed. The franchisor chose not to publish revenue figures.
- RISKVerdict A (Strongest tier), verdict score 74/100 (higher is better).
- GROWTHSystem growing at 75.0% CAGR over 3 years with 21 total units. Strong expansion trajectory.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- Wild Bill's Soda Franchising, LLC
- Parent company
- Bluewater, LLC
- CEO title
- Chief Executive Officer
- Michael Quilty
- Incorporated in
- New Jersey
- HQ
- 50 Division Avenue, Building 1, Suite 42, Millington, New Jersey 07946
- Auditor
- WithumSmith+Brown, PC
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $1.3M
- vs $1.1M prior year
- Management churn noted
- Frequent turnover
- Item 2 disclosed frequent executive changes
Affiliated brands
- Bluewater
- maintains a pr
Other brands the franchisor or its parent operates (Item 1).
Overview
About
- CEO
- Michael Quilty
- Headquarters
- NJ
- Founded
- 2014
- FDD year
- 2025
- States available
- 12
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 86% below the typical recreation & entertainment franchise.
Source: FDD 2025 · Items 5–7
Full Item 7 breakdown15 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee | $40K | $40K | |
| Construction, Leasehold Improvements, Furniture and Fixtures | $500 | $600 | |
| Equipment | $72K | $111K | |
| Mobile Stand Signage | $7K | $8K | |
| Computer, Software and Point of Sales System | $650 | $2K | |
| Opening Inventory | $14K | $17K | |
| Rent Deposits | $1K | $2K | |
| Utility Deposits | $50 | $250 | |
| Insurance Deposits and Premiums | $2K | $2K | |
| Initial Training Expenses | $100 | $5K | |
| Event Registration Fees | $5K | $10K | |
| Professional Fees | $2K | $3K | |
| Business Permits and Licenses | $250 | $400 | |
| Printing, Stationery and Office Supplies | $100 | $250 | |
| Additional funds - 3 Months | $11K | $15K | |
| Total initial investment | $156K | $215K |
Line items extracted from FDD Item 7. Ranges reflect the franchisor's stated low and high per line. Total is the sum of line-item lows / highs — actual costs may fall outside this range depending on market and build-out scope.
Item 7 · what it costs to open + operate
The Vitals
- Total investment
- $156K – $215K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $11K – $15K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $40K – $40K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Royalty
- Up to 5% of Gross Revenues for Third Party Products
- Ad fund
- 2000 per stand per year
- Total fee load
- 5.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty (flat) | Currently no royalty payment. We reserve the right to implement a royalty payment up to 5% of your Gross Revenues for Third Party Products |
| Training fee | $300 |
| Transfer fee | $10K |
| Renewal fee | $6K |
| Total fee load | 5.0% of rev |
ROI & LBO modelsSingle-unit · 25-unit portfolio · editable
Wild Bill's 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 Wild Bill's unit return on the cash you put in?
Unlevered ROIC · per unit
Estimated return on your total franchise investment, before any debt financing.
53%
Within 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
This franchisor did not disclose financial performance representations in Item 19, or our extractor could not parse them.
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 5.0% — below the Recreation & Entertainment average of 8.8%.
Disclosure
Franchisor chose not to disclose financial performance representations. You will need to gather unit economics directly from existing franchisees.
Operator retention
System expanding at 75.0% CAGR over 3 years across 21 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 Recreation & Entertainment averages
How Wild Bill's Compares
Is the system healthy?
Source: FDD 2025 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 21
- Opened
- 3
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 2
- Turnover rate
- 14.3%
- Company-owned
- 7
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 67%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (3-yr)
- +75.0%
- Net unit change over 3 years
- 3-yr CAGR
- +75.0%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Opened (3yr)
- 3
- Closed (3yr)
- 2
- Terminated (3yr)
- 0
- Non-renewed (3yr)
- 0
- Transfers (3yr)
- 0
- Reacquired (3yr)
- 0
- Franchisor bought back
- Ceased ops
- 9.5%
- Units that stopped operating
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 12 · 12 states reported
The Territory Map
FDD Item 12 reports the state count, but the specific list isn't in our current data. The map will appear once we re-extract from the FDD or enough franchisee contacts are available.
12
states with franchisees (per FDD Item 12)
Fast growth in a small system. Newer franchisors expanding quickly may not yet have the support infrastructure of larger systems.
SBA loan performance
Government records
SBA Loan Data
Aggregated from SBA loan disclosures. This brand has only 1 7(a) loan on file; statistical reliability is limited below 10 loans.
- Total loans
- 1
- Loan volume
- $63K
- Median loan
- $63K
- average
- Charge-off rate
- N/A
- limited sample (1 loan) — rate not shown below 10
Historical SBA 7(a) lending data, not predictive of future performance. How SBA charge-off rates are calculated
- Repayment rate (PIF)
- N/A
- 5-yr charge-off
- N/A
- Loans approved 2021+
- Active lenders
- 1
- Defaults
- N/A
Explore lender portfolios on Bank Reports or regional data on State Reports.
What could kill this investment?
Source: SBA 7(a) FOIA · FDD Items 3, 21
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 4, 8, 16, 21
Risk & Legal
Small 21-unit mobile vending system with thin $110,478 net worth, though profitable ($246,914 net income) and growing (+75%). No litigation or bankruptcy. No Item 19 disclosure and weak equity cushion are the concerns.
Litigation (Item 3)
No litigation required to be disclosed
Largest disclosed settlement: $130,500
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · WithumSmith+Brown, PC
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 74 / 100 verdict
- 01MINORThin franchisor net worth of $110,478
- 02MINORNo Item 19 disclosure
- 03MINORProfitable: $246,914 net income; +75% unit growth
- 04MINORNo litigation, no bankruptcy, audited
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
What are you signing up for?
Ongoing fees run about 5.0% 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 | 5 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 5 years |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 1 |
| Territory type | population and geography |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | No |
| Territory radius | 200 mi |
| Territory population | 2,000,000 |
| Online sales rights | 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 |
| RoFR response window | 45 days |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Curable defaultsℹ | 2 |
| Mandatory arbitration | No |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | New Jersey |
| Litigation count | 0 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
No litigation required to be disclosed
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 12 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 20 hrs
- Training location
- On-site and franchisor location
- POS system
- iPad Cash Register
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: iPad Cash Register
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Wild Bill's franchise?
The total investment to open a Wild Bill's franchise ranges from $156K – $215K, 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 Wild Bill's franchise owners earn?
Wild Bill's 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 Wild Bill's 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 Wild Bill's FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is Wild Bill's's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for Wild Bill's (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 Wild Bill's franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Wild Bill's has 21 total units in the United States, including 14 franchised units and 7 company-owned units. 3 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is Wild Bill's a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Wild Bill's as a A-grade franchise with a verdict score of 74 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
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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.