Cupbop^®

Food & Beverage • Year: 2025

All product and company names mentioned are trademarks™ or registered® trademarks of their respective holders. Use of these names does not imply any affiliation with, sponsorship by, or endorsement by them.

What Is Cupbop?

Cupbop sells Korean-style barbeque rice cups and related food and beverage items (including salads, chicken wings, and potstickers) prepared according to specified recipes and proprietary sauces. Cupbop Restaurants provide carry-out, on-premises dining, and off-premises indoor event catering, with catering identified as a service offering. Franchise locations are typically situated in strip shopping centers or free-standing buildings.

Cupbop Franchise: Pros and Cons

The brand's clean legal and regulatory record — zero disclosed lawsuits, penalties, enforcement actions, franchisee judgments or fraud cases — is a major strength, but the franchise also operates 29 company-owned locations and has 3 outlet terminations, suggesting corporate-first expansion and some operator exits.

Pros

Zero disclosed lawsuits, government penalties, franchisor enforcement actions, franchisee-initiated judgments/settlements, and fraud cases — all well below what's typical in Food & Beverage — indicating a clean legal and regulatory record and lower legal risk.

Outlet non-renewals are zero, unusually low for Food & Beverage, which suggests current franchisees are choosing to continue under their agreements.

Managers are not required to hold equity (0% requirement), giving you flexibility to structure management ownership and compensation without a mandated equity commitment.

Cons

There are 29 company-owned locations, well above what's typical across franchise systems, which may indicate the franchisor favors corporate expansion over growing the franchised base and deserves further questioning about their long-term franchise strategy.

The system shows 3 outlet terminations, unusually high for Food & Beverage, suggesting some operators have exited the system earlier than expected.

Lawsuits & Legal Risk

100

Excellent

The franchise reported no material legal proceedings.

Territory Protection

49/100

NORMAL

Grants a protected operating area where the franchisor will not place other physical units. Franchisor retains rights to e-commerce and alternative channels, to use different trademarks and retail venues, and to develop additional units nearby; protection is subject to performance contingencies and the franchisee maintains site-specific relocation rights.

Training & Support

75/100

NORMAL

The brand provides a robust 112-hour training curriculum designed to prepare two staff members for launch. The program includes on-site support for operational readiness that incurs an additional fee; franchisees are responsible for travel and living expenses. Summary provided neutrally per the FDD data supplied: 112 total hours, two people included in the initial fee, on-site training provided with additional cost, and living expenses not covered by the franchisor in the FDD data supplied. Note: No numerical score is referenced per instructions, and missing on-site day counts were not available in the supplied data and are therefore set to null in the structured output below.

How Much Does It Cost to Open a Cupbop Franchise?

Opening a Cupbop franchise requires a total initial investment of $296,400 to $664,400, according to the 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document. This range covers the franchise fee, real estate, equipment, training, and initial working capital needed to launch and operate through the early months.

Minimum Investment

$296,400

Franchise Fee

Real Estate

Equipment & Assets

Reserves

Training

Other

Maximum Investment

$664,400

Minimum Investment Breakdown

Franchise Fee$40,000

Real Estate$186,500

Equipment & Assets$28,700

Reserves$27,000

Training$1,000

Other$13,200

Maximum Investment Breakdown

Franchise Fee$40,000

Real Estate$496,500

Equipment & Assets$42,000

Reserves$63,000

Training$5,000

Other$17,900

Investment Analysis

This investment analysis is coming soon. Have ideas for other analyses you'd like us to add? Get in touch.

The initial investment amounts shown are estimates only. Actual costs may vary based on location size, business model, and multi-unit ownership arrangements. We recommend reviewing the full Franchise Disclosure Document for complete details.

How Much Do Cupbop Franchise Owners Make?

Cupbop franchise locations reported average gross sales of $728,821 and median gross sales of $710,250 in 2025, based on financial performance data disclosed in Item 19 of the Franchise Disclosure Document.

Average Gross Sales:

$728,821

Median Gross Sales:

$710,250

High Gross Sales:

$1,585,417

Low Gross Sales:

$347,132

Sample Size:

Percent Attaining Average:

48.0%

Franchise vs Corporate Performance: Company-owned units show a higher average gross revenue (about 794,003) than franchised units (about 658,208), and the franchisor’s separate tables for company-owned and franchised restaurants provide helpful transparency for evaluating franchisee performance.

Performance Variability Analysis: The top-performing unit generates roughly 1,585,417 while the lowest is about 347,132, so a relatively small set of high performers lifts the overall average above the median.

Data Scope and Limitations: The sample covers 50 U.S. restaurants operating at least one full calendar year in 2024 and explicitly excludes newer or closed locations, and the disclosure clearly states these exclusions.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does it cost to open a Cupbop franchise?

The total initial investment for a Cupbop franchise ranges from $296,400 to $664,400, according to the 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document. This includes the franchise fee, real estate, equipment, training, and working capital.

What is the Cupbop initial franchise fee?

The initial franchise fee for Cupbop is $30,000, as stated in the 2025 FDD. This fee is paid upon signing the Franchise Agreement.

How much do Cupbop franchise owners make?

Cupbop franchise locations reported average gross sales of $728,821 and median gross sales of $710,250 in 2025, based on Item 19 of the Franchise Disclosure Document. Actual earnings vary by location, market, and operator experience.

Does Cupbop have any franchise lawsuits or legal issues?

Cupbop received a legal risk score of 100 out of 100 in the 2025 FDD analysis. The franchise reported no material legal proceedings.

Does Cupbop offer exclusive franchise territories?

Cupbop received a territory protection score of 49 out of 100. Grants a protected operating area where the franchisor will not place other physical units.

What training does Cupbop provide to new franchisees?

Cupbop received a training and support score of 75 out of 100. The brand provides a robust 112-hour training curriculum designed to prepare two staff members for launch.

How many Cupbop franchise locations are there?

Cupbop had 59 total locations as of the 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document.

What type of business is Cupbop?

Cupbop sells Korean-style barbeque rice cups and related food and beverage items (including salads, chicken wings, and potstickers) prepared according to specified recipes and proprietary sauces.

Interested in Cupbop?

Get more information and connect with the franchise directly.