SoBol Franchise Review 2024: Ratings & Verdict

Product details

Contents

Key facts


The Verdict

Quick Verdict · who it fits

SoBol fits first-time franchise buyers looking for a mid-scale food & beverage concept.

✓ Strengths

Key FDD Facts

The numbers a buyer needs first — straight from the filing.

Initial investment (Item 7)

$196K - $471K

Franchise fee (Item 5)

$35K

Royalty (Item 6)

5% + 1% ad

Item 19 median rev

$528k Operational Franchise Outlets

System size (Item 20)

65 +5

Model SoBol's costs in the investment calculator → Prefilled from this filing — startup cost, cash flow and break-even.

Data extracted from the 2024 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.

Item 19 revenue distribution

Where units actually land — not just the headline average.

P25

$408k

Median

$528k

P75

$718k

▪ n = 60 units · Operational Franchise Outlets · 2024 Calendar Year · Source: 2024 FDD Item 19

What you'd pay the franchisor

Drag to your projected annual sales. Royalty 5% + ad fund 1% on gross sales.

PROJECTED ANNUAL SALES$530,000

$100k$2M

Royalty (5%)

Ad fund (1%)

Total / year

▪ Of-sales fees only · excludes rent, labor, COGS, and one-time costs · for illustration

Executive Summary

Free AI summary — the first read on the filing.

Key Numbers

67

Total units open

5

Units opened last year

3

Units closed last year

2 non-renewals + 1 ceased operations for other reasons

2

Net unit growth

AI Due Diligence Findings PREMIUM

What our analysis flagged across the 2024 filing.

4

Risks to review

3

Strengths identified

5

Questions to ask

Industry Benchmarks

How SoBol ranks against 749 Food & Beverage peers we've analyzed.

Initial investment

21st pct · of 749 peers

Franchise fee

36th pct · of 749 peers

System size

66th pct · of 749 peers

Food & Beverage industry averages

Avg investment

$589K - $1.4M

Avg franchise fee

$37K

Avg system size

261

Franchises analyzed

749

How SoBol stacks up

Closest concepts by category and investment.

Brand Item 19 Fee Investment Royalty Units
SoBol Disclosed $35K $196K - $471K 5% 65
Jerk King Franchising USASimilar price Disclosed $30K $248K - $471K 5% 1
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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Frequently Asked Questions

How much does a SoBol franchise cost?

SoBol requires a $35,000 initial franchise fee and a total initial investment range of $195,600–$470,700, per the most recent FDD on file.

Who owns SoBol?

SoBol is franchised by ACAI INDUSTRIES, INC. (SoBol), the franchisor entity of record on its Franchise Disclosure Document. Item 1 of the FDD discloses the franchisor's corporate history, parents, and predecessors.

Does SoBol disclose financial performance (Item 19)?

Yes. SoBol discloses Item 19 financial performance representations with reported revenue around $527,800. See the financials sub-page for the full distribution.

What ongoing fees does SoBol charge?

Franchisees pay a royalty of 5% of Gross Sales and an advertising fund contribution of 1% of Gross Sales on gross sales as defined in Item 6 of the FDD.

How many SoBol locations are there?

As of their 2024 FDD, SoBol has 65 total locations, with 5 new locations opened in the most recent reporting year. This information comes from Item 20 of the FDD.

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