Quick Verdict · who it fits
Ding Tea fits first-time franchise buyers looking for a mid-scale food & beverage concept.
The numbers a buyer needs first — straight from the filing.
Initial investment (Item 7)
$265K - $405K
Franchise fee (Item 5)
$30K
System size (Item 20)
120 +4
Years in business
7+ yrs
Item 3 litigation
4 suits
Model Ding Tea's costs in the investment calculator → Prefilled from this filing — startup cost, cash flow and break-even.
Buyer qualifications
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.
How Ding Tea ranks against 749 Food & Beverage peers we've analyzed.
Initial investment
36th pct · of 749 peers
Franchise fee
20th pct · of 749 peers
System size
77th 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ding Tea | None | $30K | $265K - $405K | — | 120 |
| TablaSimilar price | Disclosed | $36K | $187K - $406K | 6% | 8 |
| 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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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.
Ding Tea requires a $30,000 initial franchise fee and a total initial investment range of $265,270–$405,000, per the most recent FDD on file.
Ding Tea is franchised by Ding Tea Corporation (Unit), the franchisor entity of record on its Franchise Disclosure Document. Item 1 of the FDD discloses the franchisor's corporate history, parents, and predecessors.
No. Ding Tea does not include a financial performance representation in its FDD. Prospective buyers should rely on validation calls with existing franchisees and benchmark against industry medians.
Franchisees pay an advertising fund contribution of 3% on gross sales as defined in Item 6 of the FDD.
As of their 2025 FDD, Ding Tea has 120 total locations, with 4 new locations opened in the most recent reporting year. This information comes from Item 20 of the FDD.
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