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Grain & Berry®

Food & Beverage Year: 2025
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What Is Grain & Berry?

Grain & Berry is a health-focused cafe franchise specializing in acai, pitaya and spirulina fruit bowls, smoothies, specialty toasts, yogurt parfaits, flatbreads, quesadillas and coffee drinks. Franchised Grain & Berry Restaurants operate from company-designated brick-and-mortar sites typically ranging from approximately 1,500 to 2,800 square feet, and the franchisor also authorizes the development and operation of Grain & Berry food trucks.

Grain & Berry Franchise: Pros and Cons

The franchisor's industry-leading Training and Support score of 100 provides top-tier onboarding and ongoing help to shorten your learning curve, but the franchise requires a minimum Item 7 fee of $99,000 (up to $272,250), placing upfront buying costs well above most peers (top 5%).

Pros

A Training and Support score of 100 is well above typical (top quarter), giving you industry-leading onboarding and ongoing assistance to shorten the learning curve and reduce startup mistakes.
Zero disclosed lawsuits, zero franchisor enforcement actions, zero government penalties, and zero franchisee judgments/settlements-all bottom 5%-signal a clean legal and regulatory record that lowers your litigation and compliance risk.
Initial franchise fees are refundable (uncommon-only ~14% of food & beverage franchises offer this), which reduces your upfront cash risk if the deal doesn't proceed before opening.

Cons

A minimum Item 7 franchise fee of $99,000 and a maximum of $272,250 are both well above typical (top 5%), meaning the upfront cost to buy the franchise rights is materially higher than most peers.
There are 37 signed-but-not-open outlets, well above typical (top 10%), which suggests the franchisor may be selling faster than it can support openings or that site approvals and buildouts are delayed, creating potential opening delays and extra oversight for you.
The franchisor cannot sell in retail (No), an unusual absence-about 87% of food & beverage franchisors allow this-so you won't benefit from a franchisor-led retail channel that can drive brand awareness or incremental revenue.

Territory Protection

51/100
Good

Grain & Berry grants site-specific franchises with a designated Protected Market Area, giving the franchisee exclusive rights at the approved Site while the franchisor retains development and alternative-distribution rights. Territory rights are contingent on meeting performance quotas; the franchisor retains the right to sell via e-commerce and develop nearby units.

Training & Support

100
Excellent

Grain & Berry provides a comprehensive 160-hour training curriculum designed to prepare four individuals for launch, encompassing operational procedures, managerial responsibilities, and customer-facing protocols. The program includes on-site launch support focused on operational readiness, with travel and lodging expenses borne by the franchisee and on-site assistance available at additional cost.

Franchisee Stability

52/100
NORMAL

Grain & Berry receives a Normal Stability Score. Three-year turnover of 7.41% is well above the typical Food & Beverage franchise (around 6%), and sits closer to the high end of the industry range among peers. Out of 2 total exits, terminations and franchisor buybacks tied with 1 each, alongside no non-renewals and no ceased operations.

The mix of terminations and franchisor buybacks points to franchisor-initiated exits, suggesting either operators struggled with the model or the franchisor reclaimed underperforming locations; together these patterns imply exits were driven more by franchisor action than by voluntary departures. This is built on a compact track record (roughly 27 franchisees averaged across three years); continued retention as the system grows would solidify the picture. For prospective franchisees, retention is in line with industry peers.

How Much Does It Cost to Open a Grain & Berry Franchise?

Opening a Grain & Berry franchise requires a total initial investment of $307,500 to $896,250, 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

$307,500
Minimum Investment Breakdown
Franchise Fee
Real Estate
Equipment & Assets
Reserves
Training
Other

Maximum Investment

$896,250
Maximum Investment Breakdown

Minimum Investment Breakdown

Franchise Fee$99,000
Real Estate$157,500
Equipment & Assets$26,000
Reserves$19,000
Training$1,000
Other$5,000

Maximum Investment Breakdown

Franchise Fee$272,250
Real Estate$389,500
Equipment & Assets$153,000
Reserves$65,000
Training$5,000
Other$11,500

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.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Grain & Berry a good franchise to own?

Whether Grain & Berry is a good franchise depends on your goals, experience, and local market. Key factors from the 2025 FDD: Grain & Berry operates 16 locations, received a legal risk score of 100/100, a training and support score of 100/100. Financial performance data is disclosed in Item 19. Prospective franchisees should review the full Franchise Disclosure Document and consult with a franchise attorney before making any investment decision.

Is a Grain & Berry franchise worth the investment?

The value of a Grain & Berry franchise investment depends on factors such as location, operator experience, and market demand. The initial investment ranges from $307,500 to $896,250. Grain & Berry disclosed average gross sales of $1,158,554 in 2025. Franchise investments carry inherent risk, and prospective buyers should conduct thorough due diligence before committing capital.

How long does it take to break even with a Grain & Berry franchise?

Break-even timelines for Grain & Berry franchises are not disclosed in the 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document. Break-even periods vary significantly based on initial investment level, local market conditions, operating costs, and revenue ramp-up speed. Prospective franchisees should build a pro forma financial model using Item 7 cost estimates and, where available, Item 19 financial performance data from the FDD.

Is Grain & Berry a franchise or a corporate-owned business?

As of the 2025 FDD, Grain & Berry operates 14 franchised locations and 2 company-owned locations. Franchise opportunities are available through the franchisor's disclosure process.

Interested in Grain & Berry?

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