FRANCHISE·WATCH·DESK

ITEMS 5–7 · FDD 2026

How much is a CANTEEN franchise?

Per CANTEEN's 2026 FDD, the initial franchise fee is $3K (Item 5) and the total initial investment runs $9K–$2.1M (Item 7); once open, you pay an ongoing royalty of 5.3% of gross sales (Item 6).

Franchise fee · Item 5

$3K

one-time, to buy in

Royalty · Item 6

5.3%

of gross sales, ongoing

Total investment · Item 7

$9K–$2.1M

franchisor's own estimate

Breakeven framingwhat it costs · what it drags

The buy-in is the smaller number. The larger one is the drag: 5.3% of every sale leaves before rent, labor, or your salary — so breakeven depends on volume you cannot know from the FDD; use the Item 19 figures as a starting point, not a promise.

To open (Item 7)

$9K–$2.1M

all-in investment range

Franchise fee (Item 5)

$3K

upfront, one-time

Royalty (Item 6)

5.25%

of sales, ongoing

If a unit does this in annual sales…$1M/yr

Your figure — cross-check against this brand's Item 19 and current-owner validation.

Royalty you'd pay / yr

$53K

5.25% of sales, before profit

Over a 10-yr term

$525K

royalties alone, excl. ad fund

This is not profit. It's the only money the FDD actually pins down — what you put in, and the royalty you owe on every dollar of sales. Your real take-home depends on labor, rent, food cost, and ramp-to-breakeven, none of which any FDD discloses.

Build a real pro-forma for CANTEEN with an independent CPA

CANTEEN cost questions, answered from the filing

How much is a CANTEEN franchise?

Per CANTEEN's 2026 FDD, opening a franchise requires an initial franchise fee of $3K (Item 5) and a total initial investment of $9K–$2.1M (Item 7). Item 7 is the franchisor's own estimate — treat the low end as a floor, not a budget.

What royalty does CANTEEN charge?

CANTEEN charges an ongoing royalty of 5.3% of gross sales, per Item 6 of its 2026 FDD.

Does CANTEEN tell you what franchisees earn?

Partly — CANTEEN makes a financial performance representation in Item 19 of its 2026 FDD. Unit revenue is not owner profit: subtract royalties, ad fund, rent, labor, and debt service.

Before you sign anythingfree · 30 min · no commission

A broker is paid by the franchisor to place you. An independent CPA is paid by you — and the job is pressure-testing CANTEEN's numbers, including talking you out of a bad deal.

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