Everbowl (Unit Program) Franchise Review (2026): Costs, Fees, Revenue Potential

• Category: Food & Beverage
• Initial Investment: $189,300 to $370,850
• Franchise Fee: $39,750
• Royalty: 6% of Gross Sales
• Marketing / Ad Fee: Currently 2% of Gross Sales, with a combined marketing cap structure referenced in the disclosure
• Key additional recurring fees: technology fee estimated at $500 per month; branded email address fee of $25 per month per account; possible local advertising default fee of 1% of Gross Sales plus $500 per month administrative fee if in default
• Number of locations: 82 franchised stores open and operating as of December 31, 2024; Item 20 also shows 72 franchised outlets at year-end 2023
• Best Fit: Owner-operator or operator-led model with an identified operating principal; fully passive ownership is not clearly supported by the disclosure

---

The estimated initial investment ranges from $189,300 to $370,850, which places this in a mid-cost startup range based on the disclosure.

Major cost drivers include:

• Initial franchise fee: $39,750
• Site selection: $0 to $12,500
• Architect, engineer, and permits: $2,500 to $7,500
• Leasehold improvements: $10,000 to $75,000
• Store build kit and installation: $75,000 to $95,000
• Furniture, fixtures, and equipment: $10,000 to $40,000
• Operation kits: $4,000 to $5,500
• Branded merchandise and uniforms: $1,250 to $4,000
• Point-of-sale system: $3,000 to $4,000
• Additional funds: $6,000 to $15,000

The largest variables appear to be buildout-related: leasehold improvements, the store build kit, and equipment. That means site condition and local construction factors are likely to have a meaningful effect on total opening cost.

---

Recurring fees disclosed include:

• Royalty fee: 6% of Gross Sales, paid weekly
• Marketing fee: currently 2% of Gross Sales, paid weekly
• Technology fee: estimated at $500 per month
• Branded email address fee: $25 per month per account
• Interest on overdue amounts: 18% or the highest legal rate
• Non-compliance charge: increase of 1 or 4 percentage points to the royalty rate in certain cases
• Local advertising default collection fee: currently 1% of Gross Sales, subject to the marketing cap, plus a $500 monthly administrative fee if the franchisee fails to meet local advertising obligations

At the base level, the recurring burden appears moderate to relatively light, centered on the 6% royalty plus 2% marketing fee. However, the fee stack can become heavier if a franchisee falls out of compliance or triggers default-related charges.

---

Yes, the FDD includes an Item 19 financial performance representation, but it reports Gross Sales, not profit.

For 2024, the disclosure states there were 82 franchised stores open and operating as of December 31, 2024, but the Item 19 data set includes only 52 franchised stores after exclusions for stores that opened in 2024, stores closed for extended periods, and stores with atypical physical or operational characteristics.

Disclosed 2024 Gross Sales figures

Top-performing groups

• Top 10% (5 stores): average $830,452, median $819,688, range $626,867 to $1,071,753
• Top 25% (13 stores): average $656,119, median $591,159, range $503,646 to $1,071,753
• Top 33% (17 stores): average $616,049, median $545,713, range $472,266 to $1,071,753
• Top 50% (26 stores): average $556,582, median $502,027, range $414,405 to $1,071,753

Lower-performing groups

• Bottom 10% (5 stores): average $297,925, median $314,979, range $253,338 to $326,086
• Bottom 25% (13 stores): average $326,028, median $330,001, range $253,338 to $357,955
• Bottom 33% (17 stores): average $337,319, median $343,359, range $253,338 to $385,512
• Bottom 50% (26 stores): average $359,448, median $360,104, range $253,338 to $412,243

What the numbers suggest

The spread is substantial. Using the disclosed averages, the top 10% average of $830,452 is roughly 2.8x the bottom 10% average of $297,925. Even comparing the top 50% and bottom 50%, the averages are $556,582 versus $359,448.

That indicates meaningful unit-level variability. A buyer should not assume performance near the upper groups simply because those results exist in the system.

The disclosure also notes that Gross Sales data came from franchisees' point-of-sale systems and franchisee reporting, and that sales for 3 stores were adjusted upward because those stores did not operate on Sundays even though stores are required to operate seven days per week. The disclosure does not clearly state that these figures are audited.

Most importantly, revenue is not profit. Item 19 does not provide store-level expenses, labor costs, occupancy costs, food costs, debt service, or net income, so it does not establish whether any revenue tier is profitable.

---

• Model: B2C retail food service
• Revenue pattern: Primarily transaction-based store sales rather than contract-based recurring revenue
• Operating characteristics: Physical storefront, leasehold improvements, equipment, POS system, branded merchandise, uniforms, and operating kits
• Staffing/management: The disclosure recommends active participation and requires an operating principal if the franchisee is not an individual
• Operational cadence: Stores are required to operate 7 days per week according to Item 19

This appears to be a hands-on retail operating model rather than a low-touch administrative business.

---

Advantages

• Item 19 provides actual 2024 Gross Sales data with averages, medians, ranges, and grouped performance tiers.
• The base recurring fee structure is straightforward: 6% royalty and 2% marketing fee at current rates.
• The system had 82 franchised stores open and operating as of December 31, 2024.
• The FDD shows multi-year franchised outlet growth, with Item 20 reflecting 46 to 54 in 2022 and 54 to 72 in 2023.

Considerations

• Startup cost is not low, with a disclosed range of $189,300 to $370,850.
• Revenue dispersion is wide, with a large gap between top-tier and bottom-tier stores.
• Item 19 excludes 30 of 82 open stores from the performance set, so the reported figures do not cover the full system.
• The model appears operationally demanding, including a physical store, staffing, and a seven-day operating requirement.
• Some fees can escalate if the franchisee is out of compliance, including royalty increases and local advertising default charges.

---

This franchise may fit someone comfortable with a retail food-service environment, store buildout, ongoing staffing, and active operational oversight. It may also fit a buyer who wants actual Gross Sales benchmarks from the FDD and is prepared to underwrite a range of outcomes rather than a single average.

It likely does not fit someone seeking a low-cost startup, a clearly passive ownership structure, or a business with contractually recurring revenue.

---

• The franchisor states that it has never owned or operated everbowl stores; affiliates have operating history, but the franchisor itself does not have direct company-store operating history.
• Territory protection is not clearly established in the disclosure provided.
• Certain affiliates are identified as the exclusive manufacturer or supplier for some branded items, furniture, and products, which may limit sourcing flexibility.
• The franchise term is 10 years, creating a long commitment period relative to the initial investment.
• A default under one agreement with the franchisor or an affiliate may lead to termination consequences across multiple agreements.

---

Everbowl (Unit Program) presents a retail food-service model with a mid-range startup cost, a relatively simple base royalty and marketing structure, and meaningful Item 19 revenue disclosure. The main tradeoff is that the fee load appears manageable at the base level, but the business is still operationally intensive and the disclosed Gross Sales outcomes vary widely across stores.

---