How much does a Taste Buds Kitchen franchise cost?
Opening a Taste Buds Kitchen franchise takes a total initial investment of $396,200 to $516,800, according to the brand's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document. The FDD's Item 19 reports median of $641,304 across 7 outlets.
Taste Buds Kitchen franchises the operation of a culinary entertainment and educational experience for kids and families. Category: Education.
Item 7
What it costs to open a Taste Buds Kitchen franchise
The franchisor's own estimated initial investment, as disclosed in its 2025 FDD. The total is $396,200 to $516,800. Each line below carries the FDD page it was read from.
Where the money goes
The largest costs are Leasehold Improvements ($200,000 to $260,000), Furniture, Equipment, Appliances, & Utensils, ($37,000 to $42,000), and Additional Funds – 3 Months ($25,000 to $40,000). Together they make up about 66% of the high-end estimate.
The initial franchise fee is $49,500, about 12% of the low-end total.
Our arithmetic from the Item 7 table below.
| Expenditure | Low | High | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 20 | $49,500 | $49,500 | 2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 20 |
| Technology Set-Up Fee2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 20 | $13,000 | $13,000 | 2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 20 |
| Site Selection Management2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 20 | $0 | $8,000 | 2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 20 |
| Lease and Utility Security Deposits2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 20 | $3,000 | $10,000 | 2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 20 |
| Blue Prints, Architecture & Design2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 20 | $28,500 | $36,000 | 2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 20 |
| Leasehold Improvements2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 20 | $200,000 | $260,000 | 2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 20 |
| Furniture, Equipment, Appliances, & Utensils,2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 20 | $37,000 | $42,000 | 2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 20 |
| Grand Opening Marketing2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 20 | $10,000 | $10,000 | 2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 20 |
| Signage & Visual Branding2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 20 | $11,000 | $14,000 | 2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 20 |
| Computer and Software2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 20 | $4,500 | $6,000 | 2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 20 |
| Business Licenses and Permits2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 20 | $0 | $1,000 | 2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 20 |
| Travel & living expenses while training2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 20 | $1,000 | $3,000 | 2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 20 |
| Professional Fees2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 20 | $5,000 | $9,000 | 2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 20 |
| Insurance2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 21 | $1,500 | $2,500 | 2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 21 |
| Initial Inventory and Supplies2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 21 | $6,500 | $11,000 | 2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 21 |
| Background Checks/ | $700 | $1,800 | 2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 21 |
| Additional Funds – 3 Months2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 21 | $25,000 | $40,000 | 2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 21 |
| Total estimated initial investment2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 21 | $396,200 | $516,800 | 2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 21 |
Source Taste Buds Kitchen, 2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 21, via Public FDD bucket (storage.googleapis.com/franchiseindx_fdds) (source record). Figures read and verified 2026-09-16.
Item 19
What Taste Buds Kitchen franchisees actually report earning
Median
$641,304
Taste Buds Kitchen's 2025 FDD, Item 19, for the 2024. Basis: Sales and Expense Reporting Locations.
Sample size: 7 outlets. The FDD also reports 2024 average (annual) of $724,442. 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 Chester, MD affiliate location was not included because it operates as a testing and training facility and is not substantially similar to the franchised offerings.
- The affiliate-owned New York City location was not included in the franchised-location tables.
- Two of the ten franchised locations operating as of December 31, 2024 were not Qualifying Outlets.
- Seven of the nine Qualifying Outlets provided expense information by the deadline provided.
This is a disclosure of what some existing outlets reported, not a projection of what a new Taste Buds Kitchen outlet would earn. Your results will differ.
Source Taste Buds Kitchen, 2025 FDD, Item 19, p. 60, via Public FDD bucket (storage.googleapis.com/franchiseindx_fdds) (source record). Figures read and verified 2026-09-16.
Item 20
How many Taste Buds Kitchen outlets there are, and how many closed
Taste Buds Kitchen ended 2024 with 10 franchised outlets and 2 company-owned outlets. No franchised outlets opened or left the system that year.
Three years at a glance
From 2022 through 2024, Taste Buds Kitchen opened 1 franchised outlet and no outlets left the system. That is a net gain of 1, from 9 to 10 franchised outlets.
With fewer than 10 outlets, one closure moves the numbers a lot, so we do not calculate a yearly rate.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 2025 FDD, Item 20, p. 66 |
| 2023 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 2025 FDD, Item 20, p. 66 |
| 2022 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 2025 FDD, Item 20, p. 66 |
Source Taste Buds Kitchen, 2025 FDD, Item 20, p. 66, via Public FDD bucket (storage.googleapis.com/franchiseindx_fdds) (source record). Figures read and verified 2026-09-16.
Compare
How Taste Buds Kitchen compares with other Education franchises
Measured against the 56 Education franchises on this site, using each brand's own FDD.
- Cost to open. The middle of Taste Buds Kitchen's estimated range is $456,500. It costs more to open than 76% of Education franchises here.
- Earnings disclosure. 37 of the 56 Education franchises here publish earnings figures in Item 19. Taste Buds 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 Education franchise side by side.
Alert me when Taste Buds 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 Taste Buds Kitchen's updated numbers when the next document is published, plus the brand-comparison worksheet.
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