Bruster's franchise research

Investment by format

Format-specific estimates only. Do not combine one format's minimum with another format's maximum.

Investment sourceFDD p.18 ↗

Franchise fees and ongoing costs

Franchise fee

$20,000 to $40,000 · Extracted Item 5 scalar range, not a universal minimum or maximum; formats, eligibility, discounts and waivers require original-filing review.

Royalty

5% · 5% of Gross Sales, payable weekly (3rd day of each 7-day accounting Period) via ACH

Marketing contribution

3% (basis not captured; see original filing)

Technology fee

Currently no technology fee is in effect; if instituted, would be $150/month with no more than a 5% annual increase

Other fees

Not captured

Working capital (FDD Item 7)

$20,000 to $40,000 for a single store (Tables 1 and 2); $60,000 to $120,000 under a 3-store Development Agreement (Table 3)

Fees sourceFDD p.12 ↗

Working capital is drawn from Item 7. The Investment source below locates the investment section, not an independently verified working-capital scalar.

Investment sourceFDD p.18 ↗

Franchise fee sourceFDD · page not captured ↗

Financial performance: Item 19

Item 19 captured

Yes

Metric / basis

Average Unit Volume (AUV) and median AUV of franchised (and separately affiliate-owned) stores open a minimum of 358 days, broken into top/mid/bottom AUV ranges, plus average and median Cost of Goods (COG) as a % of Gross Sales

Reporting period

Calendar Year 2025 (most recent); historical AUV trend shown for 2014-2025 and COG% trend for 2019-2025

Sample

183 of 219 franchised stores open 358 days or more in 2025 (84%); 1 of 1 affiliate-owned store

Reported average

$746,650

Reported median

$685,840

Owner income is not captured. Gross sales and EBITDA are not owner pay. Results depend on the disclosed metric, sample and period; consult the full filing.

Item 19 performance sourceFDD p.56 ↗

Unit growth: Item 20

Reporting year

2025

Scope

franchised outlets

Starting outlets

205

Year-end outlets

219

Net change

+14

Derivation

ending minus starting outlets

Openings

18

Terminations

0

Non-renewals

0

Other closures

4

Reacquisitions

0

Transfers

5

Transfers are not closures. Net change is ending minus starting outlets for the stated scope and year, or complete openings less terminations, non-renewals, other closures and reacquisitions. Missing inputs stay unknown.

Unit growth sourceFDD p.60 ↗

SBA loan history

Loan activity

0 approvals

Activity window

FY2021-FY2026 YTD; snapshot 2026-06-30

Median SBA loan

Not captured

Median loan window

Not captured

Median loan sample

Not captured

Historical charge-off share

10.53%

Cohort

7(a) FY2010-2019 approvals

Numerator / denominator

2 / 19

Formula

CHGOFF / (PIF + CHGOFF + EXEMPT) × 100

This is a historical loan-level share, not a franchise failure probability or location survival rate. Loan size is not total investment. Other loan statuses are excluded from the seasoned denominator. Activity combines 7(a) and 504 approvals, excluding canceled and not-funded records; this is not a rolling five-year count. FY2024-25 franchise tags are sparse after directory suspension; fewer tagged loans do not establish brand decline. Recent charge-off cohorts are immature.

SBA loans sourceSBA data · Jun 30, 2026 ↗

Questions before you invest

How much does Bruster's franchise cost?

Free-standing location (franchisee buys real estate): $1,215,120 to $2,669,060; End-cap location (franchisee leases real estate): $414,900 to $1,143,700; 3-store Development Agreement, end-cap/leased: $1,244,700 to $3,391,100 These are format-specific estimates, not a guaranteed cash requirement. Franchise fee: $20,000 to $40,000 · Extracted Item 5 scalar range, not a universal minimum or maximum; formats, eligibility, discounts and waivers require original-filing review..

Investment sourceFDD p.18 ↗

Franchise fee sourceFDD · page not captured ↗

How much do Bruster's owners make?

Owner income is not captured. Gross sales and EBITDA are not owner pay. Item 19 metric: Average Unit Volume (AUV) and median AUV of franchised (and separately affiliate-owned) stores open a minimum of 358 days, broken into top/mid/bottom AUV ranges, plus average and median Cost of Goods (COG) as a % of Gross Sales. Sample: 183 of 219 franchised stores open 358 days or more in 2025 (84%); 1 of 1 affiliate-owned store. Period: Calendar Year 2025 (most recent); historical AUV trend shown for 2014-2025 and COG% trend for 2019-2025.

Item 19 performance sourceFDD p.56 ↗

What's the SBA charge-off rate for Bruster's?

10.53%; numerator / denominator: 2 / 19. Historical 7(a) FY2010-2019 approvals; CHGOFF / (PIF + CHGOFF + EXEMPT) × 100, snapshot 2026-06-30. This is not a franchise failure probability.

SBA loans sourceSBA data · Jun 30, 2026 ↗