Quick Verdict · who it fits
WatersEdge Winery & Bistro fits first-time franchise buyers looking for an emerging food & beverage concept.
The numbers a buyer needs first — straight from the filing.
Initial investment (Item 7)
$577K - $1.3M
Franchise fee (Item 5)
$55K
Royalty (Item 6)
5–6% + 2% ad
Item 19 median rev
$585k franchised locations open for at least 12 full months
System size (Item 20)
10
Agreement term
10 yrs
Item 3 litigation
2 suits
Model WatersEdge Winery & Bistro's costs in the investment calculator → Prefilled from this filing — startup cost, cash flow and break-even.
Buyer qualifications
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.
Drag to your projected annual sales. Royalty 5–6% + ad fund 2% on gross sales.
PROJECTED ANNUAL SALES$580,000
$100k$2M
Royalty (5–6%)
—
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.
10
Total units open
0
Units opened last year
22
Units closed last year
11 ceased operations + 11 reacquired by franchisor
−22
Net unit growth
What our analysis flagged across the 2024 filing.
5
Risks to review
3
Strengths identified
4
Questions to ask
How WatersEdge Winery & Bistro ranks against 811 Food & Beverage peers we've analyzed.
Initial investment
74th pct · of 811 peers
Franchise fee
94th pct · of 811 peers
System size
37th pct · of 811 peers
Food & Beverage industry averages
Avg investment
$528K - $1.3M
Avg franchise fee
$38K
Avg system size
235
Franchises analyzed
811
Closest concepts by category and investment.
| Brand | Item 19 | Fee | Investment | Royalty | Units |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WatersEdge Winery & Bistro | Disclosed | $55K | $577K - $1.3M | 5–6% | 10 |
| Rosati's Pizza EnterprisesSimilar price | Disclosed | $40K | $152K - $1.3M | 5% | 120 |
| 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.
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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.
WatersEdge Winery & Bistro requires a $55,000 initial franchise fee and a total initial investment range of $577,295–$1,335,899, per the most recent FDD on file.
WatersEdge Winery & Bistro is franchised by Waters Edge Wineries, Inc., the franchisor entity of record on its Franchise Disclosure Document. Item 1 of the FDD discloses the franchisor's corporate history, parents, and predecessors.
Yes. WatersEdge Winery & Bistro discloses Item 19 financial performance representations with reported revenue around $584,730. See the financials sub-page for the full distribution.
Franchisees pay a royalty of 5% for first 12 months, 6% thereafter and an advertising fund contribution of 2% of Gross Sales on gross sales as defined in Item 6 of the FDD.
As of their 2024 FDD, WatersEdge Winery & Bistro has 10 total locations. This information comes from Item 20 of the FDD.
Per the FDD, WatersEdge Winery & Bistro discloses an initial agreement term of 10 years, a renewal fee of $5,000. Review Items 10 and 17 for the full renewal and termination provisions.
This page is part of VetMyFranchise. View all pages: llms.txt · llms-full.txt