Quick Verdict · who it fits
Nautical Bowls fits owner-operators looking for a mid-scale food & beverage concept.
The numbers a buyer needs first — straight from the filing.
Initial investment (Item 7)
$220K - $440K
Franchise fee (Item 5)
$20K
Royalty (Item 6)
6% + 2% ad
System size (Item 20)
70 +24
Agreement term
10 yrs
Years in business
6+ yrs
Company-owned units
2
Item 3 litigation
3 suits
Model Nautical Bowls's costs in the investment calculator → Prefilled from this filing — startup cost, cash flow and break-even.
Buyer qualifications
✓Exclusive territory✓Semi-absentee eligible✓No bankruptcy disclosed•3 Item 3 cases
Data extracted from the 2025 FDD filed with state regulators. Fees and terms may have changed since filing — request the current FDD from the franchisor before deciding. Not legal, financial, or investment advice. Full disclaimer.
Drag to your projected annual sales. Royalty 6% + ad fund 2% on gross sales.
PROJECTED ANNUAL SALES$360,000
$100k$2M
Royalty (6%)
—
Ad fund (2%)
—
Total / year
—
▪ Of-sales fees only · excludes rent, labor, COGS, and one-time costs · for illustration
Free AI summary — the first read on the filing.
72
Total units open
15 net new franchised units
Units opened last year
24 opened, 7 reacquired/closed
7 franchised units ceased operations
Units closed last year
15 units in 2024
Net unit growth
What our analysis flagged across the 2025 filing.
5
Risks to review
4
Strengths identified
5
Questions to ask
How Nautical Bowls ranks against 749 Food & Beverage peers we've analyzed.
Initial investment
27th pct · of 749 peers
Franchise fee
7th pct · of 749 peers
System size
67th pct · of 749 peers
Food & Beverage industry averages
Avg investment
$589K - $1.4M
Avg franchise fee
$37K
Avg system size
261
Franchises analyzed
749
Closest concepts by category and investment.
| Brand | Item 19 | Fee | Investment | Royalty | Units |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nautical Bowls | Disclosed | $20K | $220K - $440K | 6% | 70 |
| BakeSimilar price | Disclosed | $40K | $206K - $440K | 5% | 0 |
| Doctor's AssociatesBiggest system | None | $15K | $227K - $630K | 8% | 18,773 |
| Vintage Hospitality GroupTop-rated in category | Disclosed | $50K | $3.5M - $6.4M | 5.5% | 33 |
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Free explainers to go deeper before you sign.
Brand Analysis
Chipotle reported 4,186 company-operated restaurants and 15 international licensed restaurants as of June 30, 2026. None are franchised, there is no FDD, and there is nothing to apply for. Qdoba is the franchised version of the same order line, and its 12/25 FDD puts a traditional restaurant at $548,100 to $1,294,000.
Brand Analysis
Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc. reported 656 company-operated stores in 43 states as of January 30, 2026, and the brand has never sold a franchise. Huddle House and Another Broken Egg cover the same daypart with filed FDDs, at $555,375 to $1,715,275 and $792,500 to $1,804,000.
Brand Analysis
The Häagen-Dazs Shoppe Company franchises the ice cream shops on a $30,000 fee and a 4% royalty, with a 2026 Item 7 range of $213,329 to $591,579. The trademark belongs to a different company, and the ice cream you are required to buy comes from a third.
Nautical Bowls requires a $20,000 initial franchise fee and a total initial investment range of $220,200–$439,850, per the most recent FDD on file.
Nautical Bowls franchises are sold by Nautical Bowls Franchising, LLC, the franchisor entity of record on its Franchise Disclosure Document. Item 1 of the FDD discloses the corporate structure, including any parent companies and predecessors.
Yes. Nautical Bowls discloses Item 19 financial performance representations in its FDD. See the financials sub-page for the disclosed figures.
Franchisees pay a royalty of 6% of Gross Revenue and an advertising fund contribution of 2% on gross sales as defined in Item 6 of the FDD.
As of their 2025 FDD, Nautical Bowls has 70 total locations, with 24 new locations opened in the most recent reporting year. This information comes from Item 20 of the FDD.
Yes. Nautical Bowls grants franchisees an exclusive territory under Item 12 of the FDD. Note that exclusive territories often carve out online sales, alternative distribution channels, and non-traditional venues — review the full Item 12 language before signing.
Per the FDD, Nautical Bowls discloses an initial agreement term of 10 years. Review Items 10 and 17 for the full renewal and termination provisions.
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