How much does a SoBol franchise cost?

Opening a SoBol franchise takes a total initial investment of $225,600 to $509,550, according to the brand's 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document. The FDD's Item 19 reports median of $495,810 across 62 outlets.

SoBol franchises SoBol Restaurants. Category: Food & Beverage.

Item 7

What it costs to open a SoBol franchise

The franchisor's own estimated initial investment, as disclosed in its 2026 FDD. The total is $225,600 to $509,550. Each line below carries the FDD page it was read from.

Where the money goes

The largest costs are Construction and Leasehold Improvements ($75,000 to $200,000), Furniture, Fixtures and Equipment ($40,000 to $85,000), and Additional Funds – Three Months ($25,000 to $50,000). Together they make up about 66% of the high-end estimate.

The initial franchise fee is $40,000, about 18% of the low-end total.

Our arithmetic from the Item 7 table below.

Item 7, Estimated Initial Investment (SoBol, 2026 FDD)
ExpenditureLowHighSource
Initial Franchise Fee2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 11$40,000$40,0002026 FDD, Item 7, p. 11
Construction and Leasehold Improvements2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 11$75,000$200,0002026 FDD, Item 7, p. 11
Construction Management2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 11$5,000$30,0002026 FDD, Item 7, p. 11
Lease Deposits – Three Months2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 11$5,000$30,0002026 FDD, Item 7, p. 11
Furniture, Fixtures and Equipment2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 11$40,000$85,0002026 FDD, Item 7, p. 11
Signage2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 11$5,000$12,5002026 FDD, Item 7, p. 11
Computer, Software and Point of Sales System2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 11$4,000$6,0002026 FDD, Item 7, p. 11
Grand Opening Marketing2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 11$5,000$5,0002026 FDD, Item 7, p. 11
Initial General Inventory2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 11$2,500$5,0002026 FDD, Item 7, p. 11
Initial Product Inventory2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 11$8,000$11,5002026 FDD, Item 7, p. 11
Utility Deposits2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 11$900$1,8002026 FDD, Item 7, p. 11
Insurance Deposits – Three Months2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 11$2,000$4,0002026 FDD, Item 7, p. 11
Travel for Initial Training2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 12$700$3,0002026 FDD, Item 7, p. 12
Professional Fees2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 12$5,500$20,0002026 FDD, Item 7, p. 12
Licenses and Permits2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 12$1,500$5,0002026 FDD, Item 7, p. 12
Printing, Stationery and Office Supplies2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 12$500$7502026 FDD, Item 7, p. 12
Additional Funds – Three Months2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 12$25,000$50,0002026 FDD, Item 7, p. 12
Total estimated initial investment2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 11-12$225,600$509,5502026 FDD, Item 7, p. 11-12

Source SoBol, 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 11-12, via Public FDD bucket (storage.googleapis.com/franchiseindx_fdds) (source record). Figures read and verified 2026-09-14.

Item 19

What SoBol franchisees actually report earning

Median

$495,810

SoBol's 2026 FDD, Item 19, for the 2025 Calendar Year. Basis: Operational Franchise Outlets.

Sample size: 62 outlets. The FDD also reports average of $533,453. 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 provided below is limited to our Operational Franchise Outlets and does not include New Franchise Outlets respectively for each Calendar Year.

This is a disclosure of what some existing outlets reported, not a projection of what a new SoBol outlet would earn. Your results will differ.

Source SoBol, 2026 FDD, Item 19, p. 50, via Public FDD bucket (storage.googleapis.com/franchiseindx_fdds) (source record). Figures read and verified 2026-09-14.

Item 20

How many SoBol outlets there are, and how many closed

SoBol ended 2025 with 77 franchised outlets and 2 company-owned outlets. In that year 16 franchised outlets opened and 4 left the system.

Three years at a glance

From 2023 through 2025, SoBol opened 25 franchised outlets and 11 outlets left the system. That is a net gain of 14, from 63 to 77 franchised outlets. Of the outlets that left, 5 were terminated and 6 closed for other reasons.

On average, about 5.8% of franchised outlets left the system each year, roughly 1 in 17.

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.

Item 20, Status of Franchised Outlets (SoBol, 2026 FDD)
YearStartOpenedTerminatedNon-renewedReacquiredCeased, otherEndSource
202565163001772026 FDD, Item 20, p. 54
20246352001652026 FDD, Item 20, p. 54
20236340004632026 FDD, Item 20, p. 54

Source SoBol, 2026 FDD, Item 20, p. 52-54, via Public FDD bucket (storage.googleapis.com/franchiseindx_fdds) (source record). Figures read and verified 2026-09-14.

Compare

How SoBol 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 SoBol's estimated range is $367,575. It costs less to open than 78% of Food & Beverage franchises here.
  • Outlets leaving each year. 5.8% for SoBol. That is lower than 50% of the 165 Food & Beverage franchises with at least 10 outlets.
  • Three-year growth. SoBol's franchised system grew 22%. The typical Food & Beverage franchise here grew 4.4%.
  • Earnings disclosure. 152 of the 256 Food & Beverage franchises here publish earnings figures in Item 19. SoBol 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 SoBol 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 SoBol's updated numbers when the next document is published, plus the brand-comparison worksheet.

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