How much does a Smoothie Factory + Kitchen franchise cost?
Opening a Smoothie Factory + Kitchen franchise takes a total initial investment of $278,500 to $478,500, according to the brand's 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document. The FDD's Item 19 reports median unit volume of $469,457 across 2 outlets.
The FDD franchises SMOOTHIE FACTORY + KITCHEN and SMOOTHIE FACTORY stores. Category: Food & Beverage.
Item 7
What it costs to open a Smoothie Factory + Kitchen franchise
The franchisor's own estimated initial investment, as disclosed in its 2026 FDD. The total is $278,500 to $478,500. Each line below carries the FDD page it was read from.
Where the money goes
The largest costs are Interior Improvements, General Contractor; Electrical; Millwork; Tile, Plumbing, HVAC ($144,000 to $234,000), Smallwares; Furniture; Interior Graphics; Fixtures; Digital Menu Boards; Equipment ($53,000 to $110,000), and Additional Funds (3 months) ($10,000 to $20,000). Together they make up about 76% of the high-end estimate.
The initial franchise fee is $30,000, about 11% of the low-end total.
Our arithmetic from the Item 7 table below.
| Expenditure | Low | High | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 14 | $30,000 | $30,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 14 |
| Lease Deposits & Rent2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 14 | $4,000 | $9,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 14 |
| Design and Construction Fee2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 14 | $0 | $3,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 14 |
| Architect; Engineer; Drawings2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 14 | $8,000 | $15,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 14 |
| Permits2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 14 | $1,500 | $3,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 14 |
| Interior Improvements, General Contractor; Electrical; Millwork; Tile, Plumbing, HVAC2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 14 | $144,000 | $234,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 14 |
| Signage Package2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 14 | $7,500 | $12,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 14 |
| Smallwares; Furniture; Interior Graphics; Fixtures; Digital Menu Boards; Equipment2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 14 | $53,000 | $110,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 14 |
| POS System2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 14 | $4,500 | $10,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 14 |
| Inventory; Uniforms2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 14 | $5,000 | $11,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 14 |
| Pre-opening training expenses2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 14 | $3,000 | $8,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 14 |
| New Store Marketing Plan Fee2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 14-15 | $5,000 | $5,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 14-15 |
| Insurance - Liability & Workers compensation (initial deposit)2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 15 | $1,000 | $2,500 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 15 |
| Professional Fees2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 15 | $2,000 | $6,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 15 |
| Additional Funds (3 months)2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 15 | $10,000 | $20,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 15 |
| Total estimated initial investment2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 14-15 | $278,500 | $478,500 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 14-15 |
Source Smoothie Factory + Kitchen, 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 14-15, via Public FDD bucket (storage.googleapis.com/franchiseindx_fdds) (source record). Figures read and verified 2026-09-14.
Item 19
What Smoothie Factory + Kitchen franchisees actually report earning
Median unit volume
$469,457
Smoothie Factory + Kitchen's 2026 FDD, Item 19, for the 2025. Basis: The top 33% of Reporting Stores (2 out of 6 Stores).
Sample size: 2 outlets. The FDD also reports average unit volume of $469,457. We lead with the median because an average is pulled upward by the strongest outlets; the median is the middle outlet.
What the franchisor excluded from this figure
- The data does not include 2 stores that were not open and operating for at least 11 of the 12 accounting periods from December 30, 2024 through December 28, 2025.
This is a disclosure of what some existing outlets reported, not a projection of what a new Smoothie Factory + Kitchen outlet would earn. Your results will differ.
Source Smoothie Factory + Kitchen, 2026 FDD, Item 19, p. 52, via Public FDD bucket (storage.googleapis.com/franchiseindx_fdds) (source record). Figures read and verified 2026-09-14.
Item 20
How many Smoothie Factory + Kitchen outlets there are, and how many closed
Smoothie Factory + Kitchen ended 2025 with 8 franchised outlets and no company-owned outlets. In that year 2 franchised outlets opened and 1 left the system.
Three years at a glance
From 2023 through 2025, Smoothie Factory + Kitchen opened 4 franchised outlets and 13 outlets left the system. That is a net loss of 9, from 17 to 8 franchised outlets. Of the outlets that left, 5 were terminated, 5 were not renewed, and 3 closed for other reasons.
On average, about 34% of franchised outlets left the system each year, roughly 1 in 3.
Our arithmetic from the FDD's Item 20 table below. "Left the system" counts every outlet the franchisor reports as terminated, not renewed, bought back, or closed for other reasons.
| Year | Start | Opened | Terminated | Non-renewed | Reacquired | Ceased, other | End | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 2026 FDD, Item 20, p. 54 |
| 2024 | 14 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 2026 FDD, Item 20, p. 54 |
| 2023 | 17 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 14 | 2026 FDD, Item 20, p. 54 |
Source Smoothie Factory + Kitchen, 2026 FDD, Item 20, p. 54, via Public FDD bucket (storage.googleapis.com/franchiseindx_fdds) (source record). Figures read and verified 2026-09-14.
Compare
How Smoothie Factory + Kitchen compares with other Food & Beverage franchises
Measured against the 256 Food & Beverage franchises on this site, using each brand's own FDD.
- Cost to open. The middle of Smoothie Factory + Kitchen's estimated range is $378,500. It costs less to open than 76% of Food & Beverage franchises here.
- Outlets leaving each year. 34% for Smoothie Factory + Kitchen. That is higher than 99% of the 165 Food & Beverage franchises with at least 10 outlets.
- Three-year growth. Smoothie Factory + Kitchen's franchised system shrank 53%. The typical Food & Beverage franchise here grew 5.0%.
- Earnings disclosure. 152 of the 256 Food & Beverage franchises here publish earnings figures in Item 19. Smoothie Factory + Kitchen is one of them.
Our arithmetic from each brand's Item 7 and Item 20. Growth and departure comparisons leave out brands with fewer than 10 outlets, where one opening or closure distorts the figures. See every Food & Beverage franchise side by side.
Alert me when Smoothie Factory + Kitchen files a new FDD
Franchisors reissue their FDD at least once a year, and the Item 7 and Item 19 figures move. Leave an email and we will send you Smoothie Factory + Kitchen's updated numbers when the next document is published, plus the brand-comparison worksheet.
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